Ohio Pollinator Health, Protection and Conservation Plan

The Opollinatorshio Pollinator Health, Protection and Conservation Plan is a communication tool and guide for action to improve the health and survival of pollinators across Ohio. The plan is being guided by the Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative (OPHI), with a writing team of staff from ODA, ODOT, ODNR, OSBA, OSU, US FWS and other partners.

Plan goals:

  • Expand the quality and quantity of habitat for managed and wild pollinators
  • Minimize stressors on managed and wild pollinators
  • Increase managed bee hive health and survival
  • Outreach: spread the word on pollinator-friendly practices

Ohio Pollinators: Primarily insects, plus hummingbirds (no bat pollinators call Ohio home). Insect pollinators include butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, wasps, (and others), plus over 400 species of bees. Honey bees are one of those 400+ species and our most important agricultural pollinator.

Proposed Timeline 

  • Plan stakeholder meetings, Aug 2016
  • Stakeholder meetings, Sept / Oct 2016. Stakeholder input summary, 2016
  • Discuss stakeholder results, early Dec 2016
  • First draft due (internal review), mid Jan 2017
  • Second draft due (external review), early Feb 2017
  • Final draft due, late Feb 2017
  • Plan layout and web production, Apr 2017
  • Promotion of plan, summer of 2017

Stakeholder input is vital to the success of this plan.

  • What are the threats facing Ohio’s pollinators?
  • What strengths do we have in the state to impact these threats?
  • What action steps can we take to help pollinators?

Five in-person stakeholder input sessions were held across the state in September and October of 2016 with 52 total attendees.

An on-line survey was available for 9 weeks, from September 13th through November 13th. A total of 291 respondents completed the on-line survey. Stakeholder input summary PDF