04/28/1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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WILDLIFE CONCERNS IN THE PARRS I have given Rick a copy of the EQC information and he will be reviewing it. I have invited him to attend the April 28th Parks and Recreation Commission so that he can lend his expertise regarding greenways. Also, Rick confirmed that park plantings throughout the Mounds View park system have been chosen with consideration to diversity of species, disease resistance, soils, and birds attractiveness (among many other factors). Encouragement of wildlife by plantings has been avoided for the simple reason that in -city habitation is not safe for wild animals. In addition, wild animal habitation in cities can become a nuisance as well as destructive to trees and bushes. Parks often become destroyed by animal problems including deer which can destroy trees and bushes by eating them and rubbing the bark off trees, geese that leave increasing feces on greenspaces so that people cannot even walk on the grassy areas nor pathways, muscats that not only intimidate people (remember the problem a few years ago at Silver View Park with the over -abundance of muscats?) and burrow into grounds making unsafe walking areas due to sink holes, beavers that dam up the storm water ditches provided for storm water management and gophers that damage lawns and greenspaces. Luckily we have not had a huge problem in Mounds View. However, we do take measures to reduce the attraction to animals. For instance, we do not encourage feeding geese in the parks, they have plenty with the cut grass. Deer eating has not been a problem thank goodness. We have had a problem with an over abundance of gophers, muscats and a beaver problem. All have resulted with catch and transfer to a distant area in the case of the beaver, and trappings in the case of muscats and gophers. Most of our parks offer bird attractions. The boy scouts constructed and installed 20 Bluebird houses at Silver View Park. I have had residents say that they have seen Bluebirds. Residents have asked permission to put up duck houses on ponds which you have all seen around. In addition, Forester Rick has planted trees in every park that are attractive to birds especially the flowering crab trees, both red and white. In addition, we have a resident red fox at Silver View that everyone loves - and he or she has not posed a problem. He is our resident fox. There is a deer population in our parks presently but they have thankfully stayed in the nature areas of the parks and have not destroyed any playfields or landscaping. Geese are becoming a problem at Silver View Park - take an Autumn walk sometime along the path and you'll get the drift as you clean off your shoes. Lakeside Beach is full of geese poop every single morning - which the lifeguards have the pleasure of cleaning daily. So far, we have been able to keep that fine balance of natural areas offering animal and plant study along with development of parkland for recreational participation. The amount of park acreage that is kept natural is balanced with the amount of park