[board] Seeking your support: Sonoma County pollinator ordinance

Mon Oct 19 15:16:40 MDT 2026

I'm in favor of showing support.

> 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 >>  | Executive Director 
>> Emerging Honeybee Ecologies
>> 707-503-8312 | michael at apisarborea.org  >> 
>> 
>> Apis Arborea is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
>> 
>>> 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 >>>  | Executive Director 
>>> Emerging Honeybee Ecologies
>>> Cell: 707-503-8312 Instagram | Newsletter | Podcast
>>> 
>>> Help sustain our work 🐝
>>> 
>>>> 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 >>>>>  | Executive Director 
>>>>> Emerging Honeybee Ecologies
>>>>> 707-503-8312 | michael at apisarborea.org  >>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Apis Arborea is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
>>>>> 
>>>>>> 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 >>>>>>  | Executive Director 
>>>>>> Emerging Honeybee Ecologies
>>>>>> 707-503-8312 | michael at apisarborea.org  >>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> Apis Arborea is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>> 
> 
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