TERRE HAUTE —
Beekeepers have been abuzz with concern over a proposed updating of Vigo County’s zoning ordinance, which would limit a person to one hive for every 10 acres of land owned, unless zoned for agricultural purposes.
Another proposed restriction would have limited beekeeping to parcels of land greater than 2 acres, virtually eliminating any backyard hobbyists.
A Vigo County official Wednesday determined such measures will be removed, after receiving a small swarm of information.
“We are removing the language from the proposed zoning ordinance in regards to beekeeping, so beekeeping will not be regulated through zoning. My belief is this will fall back onto the existing animal control ordinances for both the county and city, and towns, if they have them,” said Jeremy Weir, executive director of the Vigo County Area Plan Department.
Beekeepers began a challenge to a proposed zoning change earlier this week.
Candace Minster, garden manager and fiber projects coordinator for White Violet Center for Eco-Justice, a ministry of the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Tuesday sent a letter to Weir to highlight the importance of maintaining healthy bee populations without undo restrictions.
“As many people are aware, honey bee populations have been in extreme stress the past six years or more, and have been in rapid decline due to pressures from pesticides, parasites and Colony Collapse Disorder. Honey bees are a crucial link in our food system, and without them to pollinate our crops, much of our agriculture would suffer greatly or collapse altogether,” Minster said in her letter.
“Now is not the time to limit the number of backyard and hobby beekeepers. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Now we need beekeepers more than ever, to help keep bee populations from collapsing, and that means that every hive counts. At a time when the popularity of hobby beekeeping is finally on an upswing, it would be a shame to see Vigo County set back this exciting trend,” Minster said.
Beehives at the White Violet Center would not be impacted as the hives are on land zoned for agriculture, but Minster said she is concerned for backyard beekeepers. “We advocate for as many people to have bees as they would like.”
Weir also heard from other beekeepers, such as Steve Hiatt, an Otter Creek Township resident who began a lifelong dream this year to start a beekeeping hobby. He sent Weir copies of ordinances for beekeeping from other cities, such as Evanston, Ill., Roanoke, Va. and Salt Lake City, Utah.
New York City this year, returning to a previous stand, allows beekeeping anywhere in all five city boroughs as long as beekeepers uses appropriate beekeeping methods.
Hiatt said a beekeeper needs a minimum of two hives, as one hive may become weak and need bees or larvae from the first hive to survive. Hiatt has nine hives, part of a hobby he started this year. He did not put any honey into jars, as he said the hive in its first year needs to build up a honeycomb. Hiatt said he has invested $2,000 to $2,500 in his bee hive.
Hiatt said he told Weir that no beekeepers were included in any discussions on zoning limits. Hiatt said research is available from Purdue University as well as the state’s Department of Natural Resources on the topic.
“This ordinance would put [backyard] beekeepers out of business,” Hiatt said.
Weir said work to update the county’s zoning ordinance has been ongoing for three years “and beekeeping was maybe a 5-minute discussion throughout the update. We were not trying to prevent people from keeping bees, but in reality we were trying to encourage and provide for that in locations other than agricultural land, but we missed the mark.
“We are all more educated at this point in time,” Weir said.
Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.
News
Related Photos
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Bee mine: Local bee keeper Steve Hiatt puts the top back on a hive after checking for activity Wednesday afternoon.
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Activity: Detail photo of hive activity on this cold January day.
Discussion
Swarm of beekeepers challenge proposed zoning ordinance that would sting practice
City officials removing limiting language
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