CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — State officials announced a “major legal victory” for West Virginia farmers after a Kanawha Circuit Court upheld the right for a South Charleston man to keep bees on his property.
In November of last year, Alex Urban was denied a permit to keep honeybees on his South Charleston property, leading city officials to enact an ordinance prohibiting residents from keeping domesticated animals, including bees, according to a news release from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture.
The news release said Urban filed a suit, claiming the city overstepped in its attempt to regulate the matter and the Department of Agriculture entered the courtroom to protect its authority over beekeeping.
Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt released the following statement following the court’s decision.
The decision reaffirms the WVDA’s role in regulating honeybees and ensures that West Virginians retain their right to farm. Beekeeping is a crucial component of agriculture and environmental sustainability, and we are committed to protecting those who contribute to out state’s food systems. The WVDA’s legal team and staff worked tirelessly on this case. We worked diligently to ensure that the law remains clear and fair for all West Virginia farmers and beekeepers.
