SPOKANE VALLEY -- Spokane County is considering new restrictions on area beekeepers.
Beekeepers say ordinances affecting the amount, location, and storage of bees will hurt their bottom line.
The county says it’s just trying to do a little paperwork housecleaning.
Eight years ago, Harry Smits decided bees would be easier to handle than horses. Now, his Greenbluff property is dotted with 54 bee colonies. Smits says for him it is a way of life for him.
The bees help pollinate the Popular Orchards near Mount Spokane. Smits says if there are no hives in the orchards there are no cherries or apples. The bees pollinate 150 crops. But Smits says his beekeeping days could be numbered, if Spokane County has its way.
On Thursday, the Spokane County planning commission will consider three new ordinances on beekeeping. All of those ordinances have beekeepers concerned. For example, the county wants there to be 50 feet between the bees and property lines. It also wants security fences around beehives, and a limit of 10 hives per acre. Smits says those put restriction on what the bees can do.
County planners say the move is partly a reaction to some complaints. But the main reason is they want to clear confusion on the planning books.
They want rules on beekeeping to be the same on small and large rural land. That ordinance housekeeping could leave Smits in a difficult position. If the ordinance passed, Smits would not be in compliance. He says he will try to fight it as much as he can.
A public meeting is scheduled for Thursday. Any decision still has to be approved by the county commissioners.
