# California Apiary Assessments Coming Back?



## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

From Eric Mussens UC Davis May/June newsletter:
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Apiary Assessments Again? 
With encouragement from the California Department of Food and Agricul-ture, the California State Beekeepers’ Association’s (CSBA) Executive Board requested that the California Apiary Board be brought out of moth balls and back into action. 
The regulations in the California Agriculture Code that formalize the Apiary Board are still on the books. But, when the beekeepers decided to discontinue paying assessments, the Board became inactive. 
Probably the major reason for re-activating the board is to take financial pressure off the CSBA. For many years CSBA has been conducting the business of the association and funding annual research projects on honey bees from its general funds. Much of that revenue is generated from membership dues and the annual convention auction, as well as profits from the Research Luncheon and individual contributions to the Research Fund. 
Pressures on the budget, especially with the need to hire professional assistance 2 
to deal with the seedless citrus problem, have reduced the amount left for funding research to inadequate levels. 
Implementing a colony assessment on ALL colonies that are resident in the state, or are brought into the state for pollination or honey production reasons, could generate a substantial sum of money for research while leaving funds in the CSBA budget to do other essential things. 
The “re-invigoration” is in the “formative” stages. Adjustments would have to be made to at least the sections of regula-tions dealing with the size of assessment fees and the distribution of those fees among the state and county offices, as well as research funding. 
At the time that the assessments ended, beekeepers were being assessed $0.33 per colony. Since that time, all costs have increased, and so has pollination income. It is likely that the new assessment will be considerably higher than when it ended. 
If you have strong feelings about this topic, or if you have ideas for modifying the text of the regulations (which are going to be changed), then contact CSBA President Jackie Park-Burris and share your ideas. Jackie is available at: [email protected]. The text of the applicable regulations can be found in Sections 29020-29028 and 29030.5-29032 of the California Food and Agriculture Code. 
In my e-mail, today (June 9, 2009), I received the official call for candidates to the Board. If you wish to nominate yourself, or someone else to a Board position, or simply desire further information on the Apiary Program and committee vacancies please contact: Gerald Miller at (916) 651-9449. 
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Any comments or further information on this?


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

*Asessments*

Well as a resident beekeeper I must file a statement of unsecured personal property, location as of Jan 1, ( bees mach, eqpt suplys ) and pay prop tax accordingly. Same thing or additional asessmts/taxs?


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

This is not the property tax. Its an additional assessment on each hive owned or brought into California.So if it was a dollar per hive(wild guess), a 1000 hive outfit gets to pay $1000 per year. They had this years ago, but i dont think it was too popular.Someone is resurrecting it.
Anyway, the Mussen newsletter was the first I heard of it. Anyone in CSBA who knows?


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## jjgbee (Oct 12, 2006)

Do you want more govt? When they were inpowered before they made so many unpopular decisions that the beeks ran them off. Example; To stop Treak mites, burn the hives. When they saw African bees coming our way, they disbanded the law so they (CDFA) wouldn't be in charge when the Africans got here.


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## kirk-o (Feb 2, 2007)

It sounds like another Right Wing Conspiracy to me More Goverment more regulation.Since when did the goverment propose a solution.I think it would be another problem.
kirkobeeo


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## JPK (May 24, 2008)

kirk-o said:


> It sounds like another Right Wing Conspiracy to me More Goverment more regulation.Since when did the goverment propose a solution.I think it would be another problem.
> kirkobeeo


Gee Kirk, you've got that right about more gov being a problem not a solution but how many right wing Republicans are there left in the Commifornia Government these days? Last I checked it was something like 25 Democrats to 15 Republicans in the Kalifornia Senate.

The Terminator doesn't count because based upon the leg he's signed in recent years he actually caususes with the Democrats.

This is a result of a general trickle down effect....you know which way the poop runs right?

Commifornia's Legislature in recent years has voted for all kinds of additional spending programs...I know....its hard to believe that Democrats would DO such a thing  Then to try to cover the costs they started to jack up taxes....what happened? Lots of people and some businesses have left Commiefornia for places with a lower tax burden.....end result has been decreasing tax revenues for many years.....I recall reading that in a single month back in 2006 state revenues were down over 650 million dollars.....wow!

So, now that there's not enough money to go 'round, beeks are going to have to pony up and dig into their pockets whether they want to participate or not.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Ok its a given that ca is a socialist state run by wackos. But rather than get into a 'tailgater' here, I was wondering about the specifics of this particular fee that is going to be charged on both resident and folks coming here for almond pollination.The specifics being:
Who is pushing for this?
Why should I support this?
How can I stop it if I disagree?
How much money are they trying to assess?
Whats in it for me and my bees?
What happens if I dont pay(penalties)?

I think JPK1NH sums it up pretty well:
"So, now that there's not enough money to go 'round, beeks are going to have to pony up and dig into their pockets whether they want to participate or not."


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## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

loggermike said:


> Ok its a given that ca is a socialist state run by wackos.


And all the while the rest of us thought CA was a socialist state 'populated' by wackos. .....just kidding....sort of.


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## JPK (May 24, 2008)

loggermike said:


> Ok its a given that ca is a socialist state run by wackos. But rather than get into a 'tailgater' here, I was wondering about the specifics of this particular fee that is going to be charged on both resident and folks coming here for almond pollination.The specifics being:
> Who is pushing for this?
> Why should I support this?
> How can I stop it if I disagree?
> ...


Didn't mean to make this a tailgater discussion just to point out the most likely reasons that beeks are going to end up paying more for services they may not/don't want or don't need.


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

*Assessments*

The old assessment was for funding AFB inspections primarily in other words something to benefit the beekeeper. The almond board is working on a bee health certification program to assure growers they are getting "healthy" colonies certified before pollination. This may be related to that. Also,even with all of the bees entering and leaving Calif. there is no State issued health certificate available to be had. Could be that other states want some kind of inspect before reentry.


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## cow pollinater (Dec 5, 2007)

JPK1NH said:


> ....you know which way the poop runs right?QUOTE]
> 
> Well, years of involvment with the dairy industry has taught me that mostly poop just splatters. Ever seen the inside of a hive of bees with dysentary? Nasty stuff.
> 
> Given Californias financial state, I'm suprised they are even wasting time trying to convince us we'll get some good out of this. It sounds like a money grab as much as anything else and if it isn't starting out as one it will be by the time they get through with it.


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## cow pollinater (Dec 5, 2007)

Keith Jarrett said:


> You tell'm Cow Patty.


 I've been called much, much worse...I told her she was still in charge of making dinner. 
In my line of work we tell the new guys "don't be scared to get in there and get dirty" but the real pros are the guys that come home clean after a ten hour day.

My only real point is that when the government steps in, everyone gets crapped on.


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## J-Bees (Jul 12, 2008)

*wouldn't be in charge when the Africans got here.*



jjgbee said:


> Do you want more govt? When they were inpowered before they made so many unpopular decisions that the beeks ran them off. Example; To stop Treak mites, burn the hives. When they saw African bees coming our way, they disbanded the law so they (CDFA) wouldn't be in charge when the Africans got here.



Do you meen that you all are that out of date out there?? Them folk have been here a long time now:}:}


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## jjgbee (Oct 12, 2006)

Hey Tom, Your county registration fee covers the cost of random AFB inspection. The apiary board law was suspended almost 20 years ago. It should not be confused with the Calif. Honey Advisory Board that dealt specificaly with marketing Calif. honey. It was disbanded when Nat. Honey Board started up.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL CODE SECTION 29020-29028 


29020. There is in the department the Apiary Board, consisting of
five members appointed by the director. The members of the board
shall be assessment-paying beekeepers who reside in California and
who represent the major geographical divisions of the beekeeping
industry. The director may appoint an additional member on the board
who shall be a public member.
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As you can see this will have to be re-written in order to charge the foreigners...I mean out of staters. And if they have to pay, surely they will have some representation-right? I mean we wouldn't just take their money....


-


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

What I am trying to say here is this:Its possible some of my out of state friends are about to get hit with some substantial new fees in California and this is a 'heads up' .
---Mike


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## tecumseh (Apr 26, 2005)

loggermike writes:
Who is pushing for this?

mr laury writes: The almond board is working on a bee health certification program to assure growers they are getting "healthy" colonies certified before pollination.

tecumseh: well there's your answer to that one.

loggermike then writes:
Its possible some of my out of state friends are about to get hit with some substantial new fees in California and this is a 'heads up' .

tecumseh replies: sounds like that is really what is in the works here.... ie a fee designed to tag folks that are not from california. 

at least I see that in california as in bid-ness lovin' texas that this will be pushed as a fee and not a tax.

and yep that's how it is done here... afterall all those free market lovin' republicans would want to be accused of voting for an increase in taxes...


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Tom G. Laury said:


> The old assessment was for funding AFB inspections primarily in other words something to benefit the beekeeper. The almond board is working on a bee health certification program to assure growers they are getting "healthy" colonies certified before pollination. This may be related to that. Also,even with all of the bees entering and leaving Calif. there is no State issued health certificate available to be had. Could be that other states want some kind of inspect before reentry.


Do you mean to say that California doesn't inspect colonies before they leave the state and they don't issue a Health Certificate? A Health Certificate from the State of Origin is required by California, as it is by South Carolina and New York. So how do colonies shipped to California get back to their state of origin w/out the proper paper work? 

Is it that California doesn't issue Health Certificates on resident colonies, but does on colonies leaving the state? The colonies entering California have already been inspected by the State of Origin, or California wouldn't allow them to enter. Isn't there a quid pro quo relationship?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

loggermike said:


> What I am trying to say here is this:Its possible some of my out of state friends are about to get hit with some substantial new fees in California and this is a 'heads up' .
> ---Mike


Beekeepers entering SC have to pay a $100.00 fee. Florida may be the same, I'm not sure. Perhaps California is experiencing an overload of work to legally allow exiting of nonresident colonies, so there's going to be a fee charged to pay for the additional help? Who knows.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Our county and I guess maybe all counties in Ca charge an annual $10 fee to register all beeyards in the County . I doubt that $10 even covers the cost of stamps to send out the forms, so to do any inspections the money needs to come from somewhere else. California is basically broke right now so maybe this is the only way any kind of services can be had . The queen breeders have to have inspections to ship. Not sure how much inspecting of out of state hives is actually taking place, but if that is required to send them home, then I can see them paying for it. But like Mark says-Who knows.
Haven' t had a chance to check this out yet ,too busy feeding .I hear Winter is coming this year....


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

J-Bees said:


> Do you meen that you all are that out of date out there?? Them folk have been here a long time now:}:}


AHBs have been in MD a long time? How wide spread? Or were you refering to something else?


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

loggermike said:


> Our county and I guess maybe all counties in Ca charge an annual $10 fee to register all beeyards in the County .


Hi,
What county are you in? I haven't heard of anyone paying any fees. 

I was also under the impression we didn't have any bee inspectors. Who inspects packages & queens leaving the state?


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## RDY-B (May 20, 2007)

Yep thats the way of it -gota have minumum number i think it is 9 not sure and yes contra costa ag has a bee guy -he is very good to get along with -and we like it like that -and i think i paid a small fee to get my brand number -cant rember the cost -RDY-B


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## cow pollinater (Dec 5, 2007)

Yep, nine is the lucky number that separates hobby and commercial...At least as far as the gov is concerned.
So, if I buy a bunch of extra excluders, gather all my empty supers and some newspaper......


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

I found some of the info, incase any one else is interested, 
Apiary
Each year all beekeepers in the county are required to register their colonies with the Agricultural Commissioner. This process is designed to be beneficial to beekeepers as well as people who live and work near bee yards. It helps us know where hives are located and helps resolve certain complaints and issues concerning bees in our county. The possibility of Africanized Honeybees entering our county makes it especially important that we know where colonies are being kept.There is $ 10 registration fee. Blank forms are available at our office. If you have been stung multiple times by honeybees or ground nesting wasps, you can possibly get assistance from the Contra Costa County Mosquito and Vector Control Agency at 925-685-9301.

2366 A Stanwell Circle
Concord CA 94520-4807
Phone: 925.646.5250
Fax: 925.646-5732
Office Hours 8AM - 5PM



Thanks RDY-B,

I'll have to look into it. If you have any info on the guy I'd appreciated it.
Dan



RDY-B said:


> Yep thats the way of it -gota have minumum number i think it is 9 not sure and yes contra costa ag has a bee guy -he is very good to get along with -and we like it like that -and i think i paid a small fee to get my brand number -cant rember the cost -RDY-B


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

On the form you put your yards down by section,township and range ,and general description. Then you ask for spray notification on the same form.If you are in ag country ,you will get calls from farmers and cropdusters telling you when ,where and what they are going to spray with. Then you can decide what to do.Works pretty well.


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## jjgbee (Oct 12, 2006)

*$10.00 reg fee with county*

The $10.00 fee is for even one hive. You pay the county that you are in on Jan 1. Say if you move to a new county to do pollination or make honey, you also register with them. The subsequent counties do not charge, they just plot to location of your bees for spray notice. I work in L.A. Cty. and Kern. I pay L.A. and send a copy of that reg. to Kern when I move into Kern. It is a very simple form. About the only requirement they have is to have a name and phone # on each yard and insure a water supply for the bees.


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

County registration is per county. 

Sacramento county requires registration of all hives (So I've been informed by someone I know who goes to all the CSBA meetings and is a commercial beek). Placer county does not require any registration (So I was informed by a beek that came to my club open house this weekend). Other counties may or may not require registration. 

Some counties in Ca have a 'right to farm' law which is a help to beeks. Sacramento County does not have this.

Northern California Bee Breeders Association is pushing for a fee of $10 per hive for each and every hive within the state. I don't know if this is the Asessment tax. It supposedly is for research into CCD, run by beeks but within the dept of ag. (This I've heard from someone who goes to the breeders meetings). They are trying for $10 per hive for any and all hives in CA.

Now we see why there has been so much publicity this last year about CCD and the scare of NO more food because of Bees dying. It's all for greater taxation for "research" to save the bees.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

NY State has a survey of sorts this year too. The State Apiculturalist has sent out registration forms to all known beekeepers in order to try to update yard registrations for inspection purposes. Included in the same envelope is a questionaire from Cornell University on what you have experienced in 2007 and early 2008.


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## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

*County registration*

Then after it's all down on paper the county tax assessor can bill you for unsecured personal property, all landowners are sent an agricultural property statement that must be completed and signed, listing all ag assets on your property in X county on Jan. 1. Things like livestock, trucks, picking boxes, etc. Whaddaya think are they going to give the poor old beekeeper a break on this one? I pay around $1200 a year on bees trucks lift supers and so on in addition to RE taxes.


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## sierrabees (Jul 7, 2006)

<Northern California Bee Breeders Association is pushing for a fee of $10 per hive for each and every hive within the state. I don't know if this is the Asessment tax. It supposedly is for research into CCD, run by beeks but within the dept of ag. (This I've heard from someone who goes to the breeders meetings). They are trying for $10 per hive for any and all hives in CA.>

At that rate, there should be a good business opportunity for bootleging bees. I can picture a bunch of souped up flatbeds making midnight runs and mafia brokers distributing the illegal hives to all those almond growers who don't want the extra assessment costs added to their pollination fees. Anyone know where I can get a flatbed that will do 150mph with a full load?


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

Naw...150 mph will draw too much attention. I suggest you have a switch that can turn off all your lights (brake lights included) and make your runs at night using AN-PVS 7 night vision goggles. You can be the BEENIGHTRIDER.


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## Scrapfe (Jul 25, 2008)

*There was thunder, thunder over thunder road. Thunder was his engine light amber...*



sierrabees said:


> They are trying for $10 per hive...At that rate, there should be a good business opportunity for bootleging bees. I can picture a bunch of souped up flatbeds making midnight runs...Anyone know where I can get a flatbed that will do 150mph with a full load?


Seems like I remember one of those being around here back in the late 70s or early 80s. It was a 1966 F350 with a 500+cid engine block from a medium duty truck. I know it was seized three time and auctioned off by the high sheriff. Each time out of town intrests were the high bidders, and the next time it was seized it was a different color. Seized one time locally. Outran all the sheriff's big block muscle cars, while transporting 1,100 cases of beer. No lie! That cyphers out to about 200 hives ready for winter. Reason they seized if was the driver wan't a local boy. He turned onto a dead end road. Had a big enough lead though that he stopped, turned off the ignition, and skedaddled across a cotton field before the deputies caught up. If you boys interested I could ask around the race track. Take my word for it, you boys don't want no flat bed truck. Get a stake bed, load stays on better during snap turns.


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## Angi_H (Feb 9, 2008)

Hmmmm thats Ca government for you allways wanting something out of you. You can not get blood out of a stone. And with them wanting to make us pay fees what is going to happen to the farmers who pay to have our bees pollunate there Almonds, other trees fields etc. We will have to pass that fee unto the farmer. Which with the rising cost of gas, feed, equipment and electricity it might just push that farmer out of business. I know last years almost 200 a hive hurt allot of farmers but I still saw just in the 2 counties I go to at the least 10 to 20 new Almond orchards going in this year alone. And last year there was about half that. This year they had better then expected pollination and are getting record crops despite bloom being almost 2 to 3 weeks late this year. We are also going into a drought and that will also not help us living in this state either farmer nor beekeeper. I know I have not been in the industry very long but long enough in ag to know that this is not going to work. [edit by mod] there registuring your hives with the county for getting notified 48 hrs in advanced of spraying dont help now as it is. You dont get Notified when you are supposed to and when you call them on it they say well we told them to yet do nothing about it. I saw hog wash and just another reason to leave Ca for good. I am getting sick and tired of them nickeling and dimeing us to death.

Angi
Hanford Ca


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Ten bucks a hive?! I was feeling irate thinking it might be a buck.
What are these guys smoking?
Ten bucks will buy lots of sugar and yeast and meds to keep my bees alive,or groceries to keep my grandkids from starving.I call BS on this idea :bs:


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

I talked with our county AG guy. He gave me an application, told me that many beekeepers don't bother to register.
He didn't seem to push the issue of registering either way, also he said unless I was selling honey at farmers markets etc. there wouldn't be any reason to pay the $10 fee.

I could register without paying, The $10 would get me some type of certificate required to sell honey at the farmers markets. 
All & all a good experience meeting with the guy, I'd recommend it.


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## blaine (Aug 27, 2008)

Solutions are the leading cause of problems, esp. if the gub'mint is involved.


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