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CITY OF ST. ANTHONY VILLAGE <br />HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA <br />RESOLUTION 19-XXX <br /> <br />RESOLUTION TO ENDORSE POLLINATOR PROTECTION AND PROMOTING <br />POLLINATOR HABITAT <br /> <br /> <br />WHEREAS, pollinators, including bees, butterflies, other insects, and birds, are an indispensable <br />component of a healthy ecosystem and food system, providing flowering plants with the pollination <br />needed to grow fruits, vegetables, nuts, and herbs; and <br />WHEREAS, the practices that help to protect pollinators, such as planting habitat with native <br />plants that help filter groundwater, reducing pesticide use, and educating the public on conservation <br />practices, are also beneficial for the environment and people; and <br />WHEREAS, scientific research has shown that pollinator populations are in rapid decline in the <br />city of St. Anthony, in the State of Minnesota, and across the United States; and <br />WHEREAS, research has shown that the decline is a result of multiple, interacting factors, <br />including loss of food and habitat, pathogens and parasites, climate change, and the increased use of <br />pesticides, including neonicotinoids; and <br />WHEREAS, neonicotinoids are a class of systemic chemical insecticides that have been shown <br />to impair pollinators at low doses and kill them at higher doses; and <br />WHEREAS, alternative land management practices are available that would significantly <br />increase pollinator habitat and reduce maintenance costs; and <br />WHEREAS, Minnesota state law preempts municipalities’ ability to regulate pesticides, but does <br />not restrict a municipality’s treatment of the land it manages; and <br />WHEREAS, many St. Anthony residents and businesses are concerned about the well-being of <br />pollinators; <br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of St. Anthony <br />Has declared the City of St. Anthony a Pollinator Friendly Community. The city celebrates current <br />policies and practices that protect and promote pollinator health, including: <br />- The City of St. Anthony has begun to plant native pollinator-friendly plants on City property, <br />including parks. <br />- The City prioritizes nurseries that refrain from using neonicotinoids when purchasing plants for <br />City projects. <br />- City of St. Anthony departments use very little pesticides. Pesticides are used in topical, <br />contained treatments to protect against threats like the emerald ash borer. In order to preserve the <br />quality of the playing surface on high-value sports fields, herbicides and insecticides are <br />periodically applied to control weeds, ants, and mosquitoes. Occasionally, the City will treat <br />individual park trees with insecticides to control pest outbreaks including Japanese beetles.