[board] Seeking your support: Sonoma County pollinator ordinance

Sun Oct 18 21:59:17 MDT 2026

Let’s support it.  It’s good for beekeepers and native bees.

On Sun, Oct 18, 2026 at 8:57 PM Paul Reulbach <paul at marinbees.org> wrote:

> Thanks Dana.
> Any other feedback from the board?
> Paul
>
> Paul Reulbach
> President
> Marin County Beekeepers Association
> https://marinbeekeepers.org
> 617-828-2222
>
>
> On Oct 18, 2026, at 7:10 PM, Dana Pepp <danapepp at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> It seems very commercial-focused and/but I am fine supporting it.
> It does impact backyard beekeepers and the environment.
>
> Thanks, Paul.
>
> Dana
>
> On Oct 17, 2026, at 6:19 PM, Paul Reulbach <paul at marinbees.org> wrote:
>
>
> This is what we discussed on the call. I move that we give him our
> association support. Paul
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> *From:* Michael Thiele <gaiabees at gmail.com>
> *Date:* September 8, 2026 at 11:43:03 AM PDT
> *To:* Paul Reulbach <paul at marinbees.org>
> *Cc:* secretary at marinbees.org, beekeepereducation at marinbees.org,
> treasurer at marinbees.org, membership at marinbees.org, Jim Lawson <
> communications at marinbees.org>, Justin Strom <Westnovatohoney at gmail.com>
> *Subject:* *Seeking your support: Sonoma County pollinator ordinance*
>
> 
> Dear Marin County Beekeepers Association,
>
> I am circling back on our request for your endorsement of our Sonoma
> County campaign for an ordinance on commercial apiaries. I am attaching a
> copy of my initial email here, in case it is easier to find in a full
> inbox. Paul mentioned that you would discuss this at your next board
> meeting.
>
> I am writing on behalf of the Pollinator Advocacy Alliance of Sonoma
> County, a coalition working to protect pollinator health and forage across
> our region.  We are reaching out to neighboring beekeeping associations to
> build alliances in the work that serves the bees, and to seek support for
> our campaign.
>
> We are advancing a proposed Sonoma County ordinance that would set
> sensible spacing and density standards for commercial apiaries, grounded in
> the ecological carrying capacity of the landscape and written to protect
> commercial beekeeping, recreational beekeeping, and native pollinators
> alike. The current draft is inspired by the Nevada County ordinance
> authored by commercial beekeeper and researcher Randy Oliver, which has
> worked well in a neighboring California county since 2019. Randy also wrote
> an endorsement for our proposed ordinance.
>
> Our hope is that, once you know the campaign well, the Association might
> consider endorsing it publicly. A statement of support from a respected
> neighboring association would carry real weight as we work to pass the
> ordinance through our Board of Supervisors. The Sonoma County Beekeepers
> Association has already endorsed the campaign.
>
> If you are interested, we would be glad to share more information and to
> find a time to talk it through, by Zoom or by phone. You can also learn
> more on our website at https://pollinatoradvocacyalliance.org.
>
> Thank you for your consideration.
>
> Warmly,
> Michael - on behalf of the Pollinator Advocacy Alliance of Sonoma County
>
>
>
>
> *Michael Joshin Thiele *
> Apis Arborea <https://www.apisarborea.org/> | Executive Director
> Emerging Honeybee Ecologies
> 707-503-8312 | michael at apisarborea.org
>
> Apis Arborea is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
> <https://www.apisarborea.org/support/>
>
> On Aug 17, 2026, at 12:37 PM, Michael Thiele <gaiabees at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Thank you Paul for letting me know and for having it on your next meeting
> agenda. If you have any questions prior to it, please don’t hesitate to
> reach out.
>
> Thank you.
>
> Michael
>
>
>
> *Michael Joshin Thiele *
> *Apis Arborea <https://www.apisarborea.org/> *| Executive Director
> Emerging Honeybee Ecologies
> Cell: 707-503-8312
> Instagram
> <https://www.instagram.com/apisarborea?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==&utm_source=qr>
>  | Newsletter <https://mailchi.mp/11ed7047aab3/apisarborea> | Podcast
> <https://www.apisarborea.org/arboreal-apiculture-salon/>
>
> *Help sustain our work * <https://www.apisarborea.org/support/>🐝
>
> On Aug 17, 2026, at 12:14 PM, Paul Reulbach <paul at marinbees.org> wrote:
>
> Hi Michael-
> We will discuss at our next meeting of the board. Many members are OOT
> currently. Thanks Paul
>
> Paul Reulbach
> Secretary
> Marin County Beekeepers Association
> https://marinbeekeepers.org
> 617-828-2222
>
>
> <PastedGraphic-3.png>
>
> On Aug 17, 2026, at 9:27 AM, Michael Thiele <gaiabees at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hello everyone,
>
> I am circling back about my email from August 5. You may not have had a
> chance to discuss our inquiry yet, and I wanted to warmly invite any
> questions you might have about our campaign. We would be glad to share
> more, or to find a time to talk it through by Zoom or phone, if that would
> be helpful.
>
> Thank you again for your consideration.
>
> Warmly,
> Michael
>
>
>
> *Michael Joshin Thiele *
> Apis Arborea <https://www.apisarborea.org/> | Executive Director
> Emerging Honeybee Ecologies
> 707-503-8312 | michael at apisarborea.org
>
> Apis Arborea is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
> <https://www.apisarborea.org/support/>
>
> On Aug 5, 2026, at 8:19 AM, Michael Thiele <gaiabees at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Dear Marin County Beekeepers Association,
>
> I am writing on behalf of the Pollinator Advocacy Alliance of Sonoma
> County, a coalition working to protect pollinator health and forage across
> our region.  We are reaching out to neighboring beekeeping associations to
> build alliances in the work that serves the bees, and to seek support for
> our campaign.
>
> We are advancing a proposed Sonoma County ordinance that would set
> sensible spacing and density standards for commercial apiaries, grounded in
> the ecological carrying capacity of the landscape and written to protect
> commercial beekeeping, recreational beekeeping, and native pollinators
> alike. The current draft is inspired by the Nevada County ordinance
> authored by commercial beekeeper and researcher Randy Oliver, which has
> worked well in a neighboring California county since 2019.
>
> Our hope is that, once you know the campaign well, the Association might
> consider endorsing it publicly. A statement of support from a respected
> neighboring association would carry real weight as we work to pass the
> ordinance through our Board of Supervisors. The Sonoma County Beekeepers
> Association has already endorsed the campaign.
>
> If you are interested, we would be glad to share more information and to
> find a time to talk it through, by Zoom or by phone. You can also learn
> more on our website at https://pollinatoradvocacyalliance.org.
>
> Thank you for your consideration.
>
> Warmly,
> Michael - on behalf of the Pollinator Advocacy Alliance of Sonoma County
>
>
>
> *Michael Joshin Thiele *
> Apis Arborea <https://www.apisarborea.org/> | Executive Director
> Emerging Honeybee Ecologies
> 707-503-8312 | michael at apisarborea.org
>
> Apis Arborea is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
> <https://www.apisarborea.org/support/>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "board" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to board+unsubscribe at marinbees.org.
> To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/a/marinbees.org/d/msgid/board/61947005-967F-45E2-BCD2-7045DA512950%40marinbees.org
> <https://groups.google.com/a/marinbees.org/d/msgid/board/61947005-967F-45E2-BCD2-7045DA512950%40marinbees.org?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
> .
> --
> board mailing list
> board at marinbeekeepers.org
> http://marinbeekeepers.org/mailman/listinfo/board_marinbeekeepers.org
>
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> "board" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
> email to board+unsubscribe at marinbees.org.
> To view this discussion visit
> https://groups.google.com/a/marinbees.org/d/msgid/board/069F11A2-836D-4215-82F4-753E4ADFE0E7%40marinbees.org
> <https://groups.google.com/a/marinbees.org/d/msgid/board/069F11A2-836D-4215-82F4-753E4ADFE0E7%40marinbees.org?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
> .
> --
> board mailing list
> board at marinbeekeepers.org
> http://marinbeekeepers.org/mailman/listinfo/board_marinbeekeepers.org
>

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "board" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to board+unsubscribe at marinbees.org.
To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/marinbees.org/d/msgid/board/CACA-Xjvo%2BJG%3DyWsVuW4nEUjKHrdn1Bzj7N_sSmP7G6b4tjOC9A%40mail.gmail.com.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://marinbeekeepers.org/pipermail/board_marinbeekeepers.org/attachments/20261018/bd9f2434/attachment-0001.html>