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ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD <br />AGENDA ITEM 6B <br /> <br />STAFF ORIGINATOR: Andy Nelson <br />MEETING DATE: January 25th, 2023 <br />REQUEST: Recommendation to City Council regarding No Mow May <br />TOPIC: No Mow May <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br />Staff is requesting that the Environmental Board consider whether to support “No Mow May”. <br />Board support of this initiative would include a recommendation to the City Council to proclaim <br />“No Mow May”, which would permit residents to voluntarily delay lawn care until June by <br />directing staff to not issue correction notices for tall grass and weed violations for the month of <br />May. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />Pollinator species are essential components of ecosystems. Many species of bees, butterflies, <br />flies, beetles, and other pollinators are struggling to survive due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and <br />other factors. We can help these critical species persist by improving their habitat and forage <br />opportunities. <br />The best way to improve habitat and forage opportunities for pollinators is to plant native plants. <br />This includes early-flowering native trees such as willows, red maples, and fruit trees, and native <br />herbaceous plants such as asters, coneflowers, goldenrods, wild bergamot, milkweeds, and <br />sunflowers. <br />Another way to increase habitat and forage opportunities for pollinators is to let flowers grow in <br />turf grass lawns by simply not mowing in the month of May. <br />“No Mow May” is a conservation initiative first popularized by Plantlife, a conservation charity <br />in the United Kingdom. Bee City USA, an initiative of the Xerces Society, an international <br />invertebrate conservation organization, has been promoting “No Mow May” with the support of <br />a growing number of cities throughout the country. New Brighton, Edina, Vadnais Heights, <br />Mankato, Rochester, and others have passed resolutions in support of this effort.