Pennsylvania Supports Pollinators with New License Plate

Pollinator Habitat Registration PlateSubmitted Image

PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) recently unveiled its plans to issue ‘Pollinator’ license plates specifically designed to support the state’s positive reinvigoration of key insect populations that are known for pollinating plant life. A notable portion of the proceeds from these license plates will be deposited into the Pollinator Habitat Program Fund which is dedicated to ongoing, progressive efforts in this ecological sector. Mike Carroll, Acting Secretary at PennDOT, further indicates that the importance of such initiatives “cannot be overstated”. Through this approach, Pennsylvania can ensure a strong, sustainable agricultural sector built on healthy food production through eco-friendly practices. By taking matters into their own hands and supporting these important insects directly, PennDOT is pioneering a new wave of green initiatives.

This Fund will create naturalized gardens and meadows planted with pollinator-friendly species of flowering plants specifically for bees, butterflies, beetles, and other insects which may have been adversely affected by the loss of their native habitat. With more flowering plants to provide sustenance, these insects will be given a chance to thrive in these reclaimed areas. A further aim of the program is to help reverse the decline of federally listed threatened or endangered species, such as the monarch butterfly.

“The importance of supporting a healthy pollinator population in Pennsylvania – a state that depends on agriculture as part of its economy – cannot be overstated,” said PennDOT Acting Secretary Mike Carroll. “Developing habitats for this important group of insects contribute to both the environmental and economic health of our Commonwealth, and PennDOT is proud to offer a license plate to help support these important efforts.”

The Pollinator license plate is now available for passenger cars or trucks with a registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds. The license plate contains the standard Pennsylvania license plate colors of blue, white, and gold and depicts an image of a monarch butterfly, honeybee, and green sweat bee visiting a flower. Applicants for the Pollinator license plate must submit a completed Form MV-911, “Application for Special Fund Registration Plate.”

“Pollinators are critical to the environment and to feeding Pennsylvanians,” said Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding. “One out of every three bites we eat is made possible because of pollinators and their role in promoting biodiversity and plant health in our food system, and this pollinator license plate is a way for us to help grow and sustain plant and pollinator life.”

More information, including eligibility requirements and images of license plates, is available on the Registration Plates page on PennDOT’s Driver and Vehicle Services website.

More information on PennDOT’s efforts to help revive pollinators is available in PennDOT Pollinator Habitat Plan.

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