A local beekeeper warns that proposed rules limiting the number of hives per acre could have a negative effect on her business and on beekeepers around the state.
In a post on social media, Mary Kosenski, of E&M Gold Beekeepers of Tinton Falls, said the limit "would severely impact our income, and our ability to run our business."
Kosenski also warned that the hives of 1,000 New Jersey beekeepers would be considered illegal if the rules were approved.
The state Division of Plant Industry has proposed limiting the number of hives per lot according to the amount of acreage. Non-commercial beekeepers who keep hives on a residential lot of one-quarter acre to fewer than five acres would be allowed no more than two hives per lot. Beekeepers who have commercial farms on the same acreage in a residential zone would be allowed to seek a waiver for up to 10 hives. Non-qualified commercial beekeepers on a commercial lot of the same size would be allowed to seek a waiver for up to 10 hives.
Kosenski on Facebook said E&M's hives are located on 2.45 acres surrounded by four or fives acres of woods in zoning considered residential/agricultural.
The regulations as proposed do not mention requirements for hives in mixed-use areas.
Kosenski in her post said E&M has more than 8,000 customers and sales of more than $100,000 per year. She and her husband Ed have kept bees for 20 years and have never had a complaint from neighbors. Her post does not include the current number of hives.
The Monmouth Country Environmental Council has expressed opposition to the proposed rules. In a Dec. 22 letter to the Monmouth County Planning Board, the council said, "Any reduction of bee populations would be an economic threat to N[ew] J[ersey]."
The council also said the rules would discourage what it called "backyard hobbyists," and "initiate a bureaucracy that will hinder a threatened insect."
In its proposal, the Division of Plant Industry said the proposed rules clarify existing rules that serve to maintain the health of the hives from known pests. "There is likely to be a positive economic impact on the industry by supporting responsible beekeeping in non-farming areas at levels of intensity that support existing land-use determination and encourage economic support of products of beekeeping," the division said.
The public has until January 19 to submit comments on the proposed rules. Comments may be emailed to proposedrulesPlantIndustry@ag.state.nj.us, or mailed to Joseph Zoltowski, Director, Division of Plant Industry, NJ Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625-0330.
In a post on social media, Mary Kosenski, of E&M Gold Beekeepers of Tinton Falls, said the limit "would severely impact our income, and our ability to run our business."
Kosenski also warned that the hives of 1,000 New Jersey beekeepers would be considered illegal if the rules were approved.
The state Division of Plant Industry has proposed limiting the number of hives per lot according to the amount of acreage. Non-commercial beekeepers who keep hives on a residential lot of one-quarter acre to fewer than five acres would be allowed no more than two hives per lot. Beekeepers who have commercial farms on the same acreage in a residential zone would be allowed to seek a waiver for up to 10 hives. Non-qualified commercial beekeepers on a commercial lot of the same size would be allowed to seek a waiver for up to 10 hives.
Kosenski on Facebook said E&M's hives are located on 2.45 acres surrounded by four or fives acres of woods in zoning considered residential/agricultural.
The regulations as proposed do not mention requirements for hives in mixed-use areas.
Kosenski in her post said E&M has more than 8,000 customers and sales of more than $100,000 per year. She and her husband Ed have kept bees for 20 years and have never had a complaint from neighbors. Her post does not include the current number of hives.
The Monmouth Country Environmental Council has expressed opposition to the proposed rules. In a Dec. 22 letter to the Monmouth County Planning Board, the council said, "Any reduction of bee populations would be an economic threat to N[ew] J[ersey]."
The council also said the rules would discourage what it called "backyard hobbyists," and "initiate a bureaucracy that will hinder a threatened insect."
In its proposal, the Division of Plant Industry said the proposed rules clarify existing rules that serve to maintain the health of the hives from known pests. "There is likely to be a positive economic impact on the industry by supporting responsible beekeeping in non-farming areas at levels of intensity that support existing land-use determination and encourage economic support of products of beekeeping," the division said.
The public has until January 19 to submit comments on the proposed rules. Comments may be emailed to proposedrulesPlantIndustry@ag.state.nj.us, or mailed to Joseph Zoltowski, Director, Division of Plant Industry, NJ Department of Agriculture, P.O. Box 330, Trenton, NJ 08625-0330.
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