The Wilson Times
by Drew Wilson

The Atlantic Coast Pipeline's developers say they'll establish pollinator habitats along some 50 miles of the proposed natural gas pipeline's route.

According to a release from Aaron Ruby, a media relations manager for Dominion Energy, the prime backer of the 600-mile high-pressure natural gas transmission line, some 750 locations have been identified as potential sites for habitats to be created for bees, butterflies and other pollinator insects.

According to Ruby, the program will be voluntary and will come about through a collaboration with landowners.

Some 12 miles of the pipeline could be placed through Wilson County's western side.

"Pollinators are essential to the production of many of the fruits and vegetables we eat daily. However, pollinator populations, particularly bees and butterflies, have sharply declined in recent years due to the loss of suitable habitat.," the release states.."The Pollinator Habitat Initiative will create hundreds of acres of new pollinator habitat by replanting the Atlantic Coast Pipeline right of way with native grasses and wildflowers that attract the species."

The most suitable locations for the project are in the flatter areas of Virginia and eastern North Carolina, the release explains.

Seed mixes for the program could include native grasses like Little Bluestem and Beaked Panicum and wildflowers such as Partridge Pea and Black-Eyed Susan.

"Utility corridors offer ideal habitats for all kinds of wildlife, but especially the pollinators that are so essential for food production," said Pamela Faggert, Dominion Energy's chief environmental officer. "This initiative builds on the more than 43,000 acres of pollinator habitats Dominion Energy has created along our electric transmission and distribution rights of way. We're excited to build on that progress and continue doing our part to improve our region's natural environment."

More information about the ACP Pollinator Habitat Initiative can be found at https://atlanticcoastpipeline.com/pollinator.aspx.

Read the full story in The Wilson Times