Bill would make beehive registry in Beehive State optional

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah beekeepers would no longer have to register their beehives under a lawmaker's proposed legislation.

KUER-FM reports (http://bit.ly/1PsDNm6) that Rep. Marc Roberts, a Republican from American Fork, discussed his bill late last week to scrap the Beehive State's registration requirement.

Roberts says the current mandate is mostly ignored or seldom enforced.

His bill would make registration voluntary and encourage more beekeeping activity.

But registration supporters, such as state agriculture officials, say monitoring hives helps prevent diseases that can destroy them.

They also say the annual registration fees pays for the state's apiary oversight.

Utah Agriculture Commissioner Luann Adams estimates 2,000 beekeepers are in the registry.

Roberts' legislation will likely be considered at a future interim meeting or during an upcoming general session.

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Information from: KUER-FM, http://www.kuer.org/

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