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<br /> <br /> STAFF REPORT <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />TO: Mayor Keis and Members of the City Council <br /> <br />FROM: Bryce Shearen, CPRP, Parks & Recreation/Community Services Director <br /> <br />DATE: February 23, 2022 <br /> <br />RE: Acceptance of a Great River Greening Cooperative Agreement for the Pollinator <br />Central: Habitat Improvement with Citizen Monitoring Agreement <br /> <br />ACTION REQUESTED <br />Motion to approve the Great River Greening Pollinator Central: Habitat Improvement with <br />Citizen Monitoring Cooperative Agreement and to authorize the Mayor and City Administrator <br />to enter into an agreement with Great River Greening. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />Great River Greening (GRG) is a non-profit that leads community-based restoration of prairies, <br />forests, and waters throughout Minnesota. GRG was recently awarded a grant from the <br />Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative- <br />Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCMMR). The City of Little Canada applied for a <br />request to partner with GRG in 2020 for pollinator habitat restoration and enhancement along the <br />Thunder Bay/Westwinds Trail, which was included in the grant that was awarded to GRG. <br /> <br />Through this partnership, GRG will provide site preparation necessary for planting, seeding and <br />planting native species, enhancement of existing low-utilization turf areas with pollinator species <br />(bee lawn), and establish a maintenance plan for invasive species management along the Thunder <br />Bay/Westwinds Linear Trail. To achieve these objectives GRG is committing to contribute <br />$51,200 towards the partnership and the City will contribute a cost not to exceed $15,000 <br />towards the project. <br /> <br />In addition to the partnership with GRG, the City continues to work in collaboration with the <br />U.S. Fish and Wildlife in restoration efforts throughout the trail corridor. Great progress has <br />already been made in parts of the corridor with signs of healthy pollinator habitats in the making. <br /> <br />BUDGETARY IMPACT <br />$15,000 has been budgeted for Habitat Restoration in Thunder Bay/Westwinds Linear Park in <br />2022 and 2023 in the General Capital Improvement Fund (400). <br /> <br />STAFF RECOMMENDATION <br />Staff recommends approving the Great River Greening Pollinator Central: Habitat Improvement <br />with Citizen Monitoring Cooperative Agreement as presented. <br /> <br />ATTACHMENTS <br />• Great River Greening Agreement