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FOURTH IN OREGON Gold Hill adopts Bee City USA Comment By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 24, 2016 at 6:47 PM By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 24, 2016 at 6:47 PM » Social News GOLD HILL — This one-square-mile town on the banks of the Rogue River has become the 26th city in the country to adopt the moniker of "Bee City USA," and it's the fourth pollinator-friendly burb in Oregon. Gold Hill resident Lee Finney, who spearheaded efforts to add Gold Hill to the Bee City map, said she was excited to see her hometown rise to the challenge. Bee City USA is a 4-year-old national nonprofit that works to raise awareness of the role pollinators play in sustaining three-quarters of plant species on the planet. Talent was the second city in the country — after Asheville, N.C. — to gain Bee City status, and Finney said local beekeepers and other pollinator advocates have been "working to encourage dialogue and get other cities on board." Ashland and Phoenix have also joined the ranks of Bee Cities. Gold Hill City Council approved the designation earlier this month, with the community development organization CanDo as the facilitating committee. Finney said Gold Hill would be well served to enact ordinances and follow practices to encourage pollinators. The discussion about pollinators in Gold Hill was prompted by a spat between neighbors. Fifth Avenue resident Jody Luney had asked the council earlier this year to prohibit beekeeping inside city limits. Luney asked the city to stop her neighbor, De Davis-Guy, from keeping a trio of hives next door. Davis-Guy and other pollinator advocates appealed to City Hall, some even dressed as bees, to urge a different direction. Council members last month adopted an ordinance to govern beekeeping inside city limits. Finney said she was encouraged by the city's support. Distinction as a Bee City, she noted, is more a commitment to pollinators than an indication the city has arrived anywhere close to its final destination. "I think the main thing I want to get out there is that this is something that could really clean up Gold Hill," Finney said. "We have Round Up being sprayed everywhere and so many other things that need addressed. ... This isn't only about us caring for bees and other pollinators, but it's about how important it is for us to clean up our messy world. "It's about making decisions for the greater good. I'd like to see the schools not spraying harmful things, the city not spraying harmful things, being conscientious of the types of landscaping and conservation taking place." Finney said her primary goal is to establish 100 pollinator-friendly gardens in the city. So far she's at 22. Bee City founder and director Phyllis Stiles, of Asheville, applauded Finney's efforts. "It's a pretty big commitment, but what they're vowing is that they will become increasingly more pollinator-conscious; in the way they address landscaping and other things that go on. The main idea behind being a Bee City is that you agree to be advocates for the pollinators," Stiles said. "People can be really set in their ways, and wedded to the way they do landscaping and wedded to the types of pesticides they use, so the work we're doing is to try and show them a different way and educate them on the importance of taking care of our pollinators for the health of our planet. It's happening one step at a time." Reach freelance writer Buffy Pollock at [email protected]. By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 24, 2016 at 6:47 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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