Ridgefield could soon join a growing list of cities nationwide recognized for their efforts to protect pollinators. During a City Council meeting this week, city staff presented an overview of what it would mean for Ridgefield to pursue designation as a “Bee City USA.”
The Bee City USA program, managed by the Xerces Society, encourages cities to commit to pollinator-friendly practices and raise awareness about the importance of native species. Vancouver became the latest city in Clark County to earn the title earlier this year, hosting a pollinator festival and expanding native plantings across public spaces.
Parks Manager Corey Crownhart described it as a way to formally celebrate work the city is already doing. He said the program recognizes communities that support pollinator health through native habitat creation, careful pesticide use and public education.
“It’s not just a title,” Crownhart said. “It recognizes communities that are actively supporting pollinator health through habitat creation, conscious use of pesticides and educating the public.”
For Ridgefield, Crownhart said, the benefits could extend beyond environmental stewardship.
“It could bolster Ridgefield’s reputation as a sustainability leader, which aligns with the environmental values that this council has espoused,” he said. “It’s a marketing tool as well, which helps promote the city as it’s the city’s strong brand.”
The process, he explained, would require the city to designate a liaison, form a pollinator committee, possibly through the Parks Board, adopt a resolution and pay a $200 annual fee. To maintain the certification, Ridgefield would host at least one educational event each year and submit an annual progress report.
“This isn’t about reinventing the wheel,” Crownhart said. “It’s more about formalizing and celebrating what we’re already doing.”
Council members generally voiced support for moving forward with the idea. Councilor Katie Favella asked if the process would bring more bees to Ridgefield.
“I’m not an outdoorsy kind of girl,” she said. “Are we bringing bees into Ridgefield to have more?
Crownhart assured the council that the program would not involve importing bees.
“This wouldn’t be about bringing in beehives,” he said. “This would be more about ensuring that we are putting forward policies that are encouraging native plants within our open spaces, within our parks, and even encouraging residents to bring those spaces into their areas as well.”
Other council members focused on education and partnerships.
“I think that the community engagement and educational opportunities are big here,” Councilor Meghan Hamilton said. “It aligns with the green infrastructure parts of our comp plan, and I think the Parks Board should be a fundamental piece of that committee structure.”
Councilors agreed that Ridgefield already has the foundation in place, stating the city’s parks and trails use integrated pest management practices, and its engineering standards already require pollinator-friendly plantings.
“Many of the things I just talked about are things that we already do,” Crownhart said. “Our Spring Festival in particular may be a good candidate for an annual educational event.”
Council members expressed enthusiasm about seeing Ridgefield follow a similar path to Vancouver.
“I’m in total support of putting this program into effect in Ridgefield,” Councilmember Lee Wells said. “A lot of people don’t realize how beneficial bees are. If you don’t get the bees, you don’t get the plums and apples.”
The council approved staff to continue exploring what becoming a Bee City USA would take. For Vancouver, the designation required native plant prioritization, ongoing education, annual events, a dedicated website, and commitments to include pollinator-friendly considerations in future city planning.
