New York State Pollinator Task Force  

Formed on April 23, 2015 by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, the New York State Pollinator Task Force was charged with developing a plan for New York State to conserve and grow its pollinator population. The Pollinator Task Force focused on four priority areas:

1. Development of Best Management Practices for all pollinator stakeholders;
2. Habitat enhancement efforts to protect and revive populations of all pollinators;
3. Research and monitoring efforts to better understand, prevent and recover from pollinator losses; and
4. Development of an outreach and education program to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators and engage the public as active participants in reversing pollinator decline.

For actions you can take to support pollinators, download the Pollinator Task Force Report:

Federal Pollinator Guidance  

In 2014, in response to the Presidential Memorandum, Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators, the federal government developed an addendum to its Sustainable Practices for Designed Landscapes titled Supporting the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators.

Both federal documents were incorporated into the EO 4 Sustainable Landscaping specification and provide useful information about supporting pollinators through landscaping practices, plant selection and vegetation management.

Plant Resources  

• Department of Environmental Conservation's Invasive Species Regulations: Be sure to consult with invasive species regulations while selecting plants to support pollinators.
• New York State Prohibited and Regulated Invasive Plants
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
• Top 20 garden friendly native plants (perennials, shrubs, grasses):
  
  
  1. Asclepias (Butterfly Weed)
  2. Veronicastrum
  3. Cornus (Dogwood)
  4. Echinacea (Coneflower)
  5. Phlox
  6. Monarda (Bee Balm)
  7. Amelanchier (Shadbush)
  8. Panicum
  9. Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan)
  10. Viburnum
  11. Prairie Dropseed
  12. Aster (New York, New E)
  13. Acer (Maple)
  14. Indian Grass
  15. Baptisia (False Indigo)
  16. Bearberry
  17. Little Bluestem
  18. Pycnanthemum (Mountain mint)
  19. Ilex verticillata (Winterberry)
  20. Big Bluestem