Asheville City Council made an important symbolic gesture when it voted unanimously on June 26 to make Asheville the “Inaugural Bee City, USA.”

The action occurred at a council meeting during which some local beekeepers marched into council chambers, dressed in head-to-toe white coveralls and zip-on veils. In addition, one individual was clad as a honeybee.

By making the move, Asheville is commiting itself to tree, landscaping and zoning policies that are friendly to bees. 

Councilman Cecil Bothwell, who made the motion, deserves praise for the action. (He calls himself both a former and future beekeeper.)

Advocates for the designation said the allowances are necessary because there has been a major decline in the population of honeybees and other pollinating insects — and that even an urban beekeeper with one or two hives, can make a difference.

Honeybees, nicknamed “the angels of agriculture,” are credited with providing one of every three bites we eat by pollinating agricultural products (along with a little help from other pollinating insects).

We salute environmentally sensirtive Asheville for proclaiming itself as the nation’s first “bee city” — and we hope it will start a nationwide bee-friendly movement.