Hawaii Island beekeepers rejoice at Council's passage of Bill 144

from Grassroot Institute

If signed by Mayor Mitch Roth, the measure will give beekeeping a boost by reducing rules and allowing apiaries countywide

A Grassroot-supported measure that would allow greater opportunities for beekeepers was approved Wednesday by the Hawai‘i County Council and now goes to Mayor Mitch Roth for his signature.

If signed by the mayor, Bill 144, introduced by Councilmember Ashley Kierkiewicz, will give the island's $20 million-a-year beekeeping industry a significant boost by removing the requirements that apiaries be confined to only agricultural districts and beehives be set back from roads by at least 1,000 feet.

Harry Holm, president of the Big Island Beekeepers Association, said yesterday that beekeepers on the island "have been working on this bill for almost seven years, so to finally have it passed is really great for the beekeepers and future beekeepers of Hawai'i County."

Holm was interviewed in April about the issue on Grassroot President Keli‘i Akina's "Hawaii Together" program on ThinkTech Hawaii, and yesterday thanked Akina and Grassroot "for providing us more exposure for people to be aware of this bill."

You can see the "Hawaii Together" interview here, and Grassroot's many testimonies and published commentaries on the bill here.

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GRIH: Lifting beekeeping rules would be 'a major positive change' | Grassroot Institute of Hawaii

HPR: Hawaiʻi County Council passes bill to expand areas where beekeeping is allowed | Hawai'i Public Radio