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REQUEST FOR COUNCIL CONSIDERATION To: City of Saint Anthony Village City Council From: Charlie Yunker, City Manager Date: September 28, 2021 City Council Meeting Resolution: Adopt Wild Turkey Management Plan BACKGROUND In the fall of 2020 staff was contacted by residents that were encountering difficulties in managing wild turkeys on and near their property. The turkeys were causing a nuisance to the residents and the neighborhood, and deterrence techniques were not effective in relocating the flock. Staff took some time to research options for removal of the turkeys and found that residents do not have options for professional removal services for turkeys. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is currently the only organization able to perform removals, and they will only do so if a city has a formal management plan in place. This plan allows for a city to request a removal permit for public property, or on behalf of a resident/business owner of private property, to have the USDA perform removal if determined to be necessary. To date, wild turkeys have not presented a significant problem on any city-owned property. Staff received guidance from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on implementing a Wild Turkey Management Plan, and was provided with a template plan and a workflow document that detailed the steps needed for adoption of a plan. A draft plan was presented to the City Council at their May 11, 2021 Work Session, and direction was given to staff to proceed with drafting a final plan to present for approval. Staff subsequently received feedback on the draft plan from Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and incorporated those comments into the current draft. The plan was also presented to the Parks & Environmental Commission at their meeting on September 13, 2021. The Commission asked general questions regarding the extent of the issue and removal process, and supported the plan as drafted. RECOMMENDATION Staff is recommending the adoption of a Wild Turkey Management Plan in order to give private property owners an option for wild turkey removal when all other avenues for deterrence have been exhausted. There is a cost associated with removal, and staff is recommending that cost be the responsibility of the property owner. Staff recommends not implementing a fee for the City permit, as the staff time to process is anticipated to be minimal. The permit fee and removal cost can be re-evaluated at any time. This also gives the City an option for removal should wild turkeys present an issue on publicly-owned property in the future. NEXT STEPS 29