05-09-2018 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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4 • Manage deer populations within the City so as not to exceed 20 deer per square mile or 60 deer after deducting road right-of-way and water surfaces that account for 33% of the city’s area. • Reduce the number of car/deer collisions • Educate residents as to the value of deer and deer habitat; minimizing nuisance problems through planting and landscaping; and the ramifications of supplemental deer feeding • Create a uniform system for handling resident input relative to deer management • Enforce the ordinance prohibiting the feeding of deer and other wild animals/fowl based upon complaints received or observed violations. Management Policies: 1 The City will continue to contract with Ramsey County Parks & Recreation for annual aerial deer survey services. The annual survey, resident input, and the availability of suitable hunt sites shall be used as a basis for determining the extent and location of any deer removal efforts for the upcoming season. 2. Attempt to document all resident input, including phone calls, e-mails, and letters. These shall be collected by the City Administrator and be provided to the City Council for its annual evaluation of the deer management program. 3. Deer removal efforts necessary to achieve City objectives shall be limited to archery and shall be conducted by the Metro Bowhunters Resource Base (MBRB) or by private property owners when they have a site at least 20 acres in size and the hunters pass appropriate proficiency criteria and abide by City hunt rules. 4. Deer removal operations shall be conducted on public property where practical, and on private property where conditions are conducive to archery and of sufficient size and development is limited. Combinations of parcels to yield a site of sufficient size (ideally no less than 20 acres) and with limited development are acceptable; subject to property owner consent. 5. Notice will be mailed prior to the first removal date to all property owners whose land adjoins a proposed deer removal site. The notice shall include the dates of all hunts for that season and contact information for deer management personnel (city staff and law enforcement). 6. The City will provide deer management information to its residents through the City’s newsletter and website. Deer Management Plan – 2018 Given that the aerial survey of the deer population only shows 19 deer within the City’s immediate area, staff is recommending no control efforts for 2018. The City will also participate in Ramsey County’s aerial count anticipated to be done in early 2019, conditions permitting.