Committee advances bill to give DCNR explicit authority to conserve native terrestrial invertebrates

The committee reported out House Bill 441, which would amend the Wild Resource Conservation Act of 1982 to explicitly include native terrestrial invertebrates — including pollinators such as bumblebees and monarch butterflies — among resources the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) may study and protect.

Sponsor Rep. Pialey told members that invertebrates are critical to ecosystems and agriculture, citing declines in monarch populations and research showing economic contributions from pollinators. “Invertebrates pollinate most flowering plants, including many of the fruits, the vegetables, the nuts, and the seeds that both humans and wildlife depend on,” the sponsor said.

Members asked how DCNR would act under the new authority. Questions included whether the department could impose local restrictions (some members said local governments should retain zoning or other authorities), what funding or staffing would be needed, and whether the Department of Agriculture might be a better home for certain responsibilities.

The sponsor said the bill primarily provides specific statutory language so DCNR can coordinate interagency conservation, apply for federal grants (for example, the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund) and pursue habitat protection, including land acquisition programs. The transcript records concerns that a broadly worded grant of authority could create regulatory or operational overreach; some members asked for cost and staffing estimates.

The committee voted to report the bill out of committee; the DCNR did not oppose the bill according to the sponsor’s remarks, but members asked staff to provide fiscal and implementation details in future work.