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Legislation Introduced To Promote Biodiversity Through Native Insect Conservation

By Nate Reagle, Certified Pollinator Steward

Natural resource professionals and nature enthusiasts in Pennsylvania have reason to celebrate. Two House Bills have been introduced that will enhance the conservation of biodiversity in the state.

Native insects are critical to both agricultural and natural systems due to the services they provide.

Many crops, including some specialty crops, and some timber trees like our world renown black cherry depend on insect pollination. Insects also provide natural pest control, nutrient cycling, and are links in the food chain.

House Bill 426 (Pielli-D-Chester) prioritizes native plants for landscaping at state facilities. Click Here for a fact sheet.

Think of all the state office buildings currently surrounded by lawns as opportunities to provide native vegetation for native pollinators.

This bill also directs the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to make their planting and seeding guidance available to other state agencies interested in providing native habitat at their facilities.

DCNR is well positioned to implement this bill with their Native Pollinator Conservation Plan, Planting and Seeding Guidelines, Lawn Conversion Program, and their botanists on staff.

This bill would also be beneficial to the nurseries in Pennsylvania that offer native plants.

House Bill 441 (Pielli-D-Chester), which amends the Wild Resource Conservation Act of 1982, addresses a gap in biodiversity conservation in Pennsylvania by assigning native terrestrial invertebrates to DCNR. Click Here for a fact sheet.

This action would allow the department to designate native invertebrates as threatened or endangered and is an important tool for conservation efforts.

The Conservation and Natural Resources Act of 1995 already tasks DCNR with inventorying and surveying the Commonwealth’s ecological resources.

Having a responsible agency would also give a voice to invertebrate conservation and enable better interagency cooperation.

DCNR is also well suited to implement this bill since they have environmental reviewers that already address terrestrial invertebrates as part of the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) process and have forest entomologists on staff.

Both of these bills have the potential to drastically improve biodiversity conservation in Pennsylvania.

Are you interested in helping? Thankfully, there are plenty of proactive options available to help with conservation.

You can start by providing some native plants. Even if you have limited space and are restricted to container plants, many native plants are still great options.

Reducing pesticide use is also an important practice, especially around areas that are providing habitat to native pollinators.

Addressing outdoor lighting by using “insect friendly” practices can benefit insects while also minimizing the inconvenience of attracting insects to front doors.

Insect friendly lighting is shielded to direct the light downward where it is needed, and the lights are usually a warmer hue or yellowish.

For LEDs, this means using lights of 2700K or lower.

Finally, you can spread the word about the value of our native insects.

Nate Reagle is a Certified Pollinator Steward and an Independent Insect Biodiversity and Conservation Advocate and can be contacted by sending email to: natereagle7@gmail.com.

Resource Links:

-- Pollinator Gardens: Help Encourage Ecological Diversity In Your Own Backyard [PaEN]

-- Penn State Watershed Friendly Certification Program Expands To Large And Small Properties, Apartments [PaEN]

-- Penn State Master Gardeners Certification As Pollinator Friendly Garden

-- Penn State Extension Is Celebrating Pollinator Week June 17-21! [PaEN]

-- Pollinator Vehicle License Plate Now Available From PennDOT To Support Pollinator Habitat Fund [PaEN]

Related Articles:

-- DCNR House Budget Hearing Testimony: Making Strategic Investments To Grow Pennsylvania’s $19 Billion Outdoor Recreation Industry [PaEN]

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Announces 2025 Award Winners; Award Celebration Set For May 13 At Little Buffalo State Park In Perry County [PaEN]

-- PA Parks & Forests Foundation Penn’s Stewards News Highlights Past & Future Of Pennsylvania Trails Movement; First Day Hikes; Friends Group Projects; More [PaEN]

-- DCNR Encourages Forest Landowners To Plan Now For Spring Spongy Moth Treatment; Populations Have Reached Outbreak Levels [PaEN]

-- WeConservePA: Call For Presentations - PA Greenways & Trails Summit Sept. 21-23 [PaEN]