Borough staff and students research pollinator policies; report recommends voluntary pathway and demonstration projects

Sustainability Officer Jasmine Fields told council on April 14 that borough staff and Penn State graduate students have completed preliminary research comparing pollinator initiatives in other university towns and Pennsylvania municipalities and are developing recommendations for a local policy and education plan.

Fields said the team did not find existing Pennsylvania municipal ordinances that mandate pollinator practices; instead, most localities run voluntary initiatives that include yard‑sign programs, resident applications, demonstration plantings, and educational resources. Examples cited included Pollinator Pockets in Urbana, an Ann Arbor resolution supporting pollinator habitat, and municipal demonstration plantings in several cities.

Fields said common program elements the borough is studying include an application process with signage, municipal educational resources, a demonstration project in a public park, collaboration with university and extension partners, and guidance on native plants and reduced pesticide use. Staff said such programs often exempt approved pollinator plots from local grass‑height rules to allow taller native plantings.

Fields said the borough is still drafting site‑design requirements and working with partners including the Penn State Arboretum and the Pennsylvania Native Plant Society; no ordinance change has been proposed yet. She said staff will continue stakeholder engagement and will return with a more detailed proposal after partner feedback.