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Managed Pollinator Protection Plan (MP3) Resources

Managed Pollinator Protection Plans: Definition and Background

Managed pollinator protection plans (MP3) are an effective means of increasing communication between stakeholders and mitigating acute exposures of bees to pesticides. MP3s, encouraged by a recent national strategy, help promote increased communication between key stakeholders and mitigate acute exposures of bees to pesticides.

Communication and coordination between relevant stakeholders prior to pesticide applications can allow crop protection and bee protection to coexist to produce our nation’s food and fiber..

All MP3s should include:

  1. Public stakeholder participation
  2. Methods for stakeholder groups to communicate with each other (aka mapping systems)
  3. Methods to minimize risk of pesticides to bees including Best Management Practices
  4. A clear and defined plan for public outreach
  5. A mechanism to measure MP3’s effectiveness
  6. A process to periodically review and update the plan

In practice, many states also have used their MP3s to address other aspects of pollinator health specific to their local needs and stakeholders, including forage and nutrition, native and other pollinators, hive health practices, and site mapping services tracking pesticide application in relation to pollinator locations.

States and tribes are encouraged to define the scope of their pollinator protection plans based on local issues and concerns that could include:

  • Species of managed and wild/native pollinators present
  • Types of beekeeping (e.g., backyard, sideliner, commercial)
  • Types of pesticide use (e.g., agricultural, residential, public health, public recreational, landscape, etc.)
  • Types of land use (e.g., home garden, rights of way, residential, crop-specific, ornamental landscapes, etc.)
  • Hive health and hive pest/disease control
  • Increasing acreage of and improving access to pollinator friendly forage and habitat

Visit the AAPCO website for the latest State MP3 Inventory, performance measures, and guidance: https://aapco.org/2015/07/01/current-topics/

Materials from March 2016 MP3 Symposium

Sponsored by NASDA, US EPA, USDA and The Honey Bee Heath Coalition.

The Symposium provided the tools, insights and relationships necessary for state, tribal and other stakeholders to pursue the development of MP3 plans effectively and efficiently.