REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION Date: Item No.: 14.e Department Approval City Manager Approval Item Description: Roseville Deer Management BACKGROUND The City of Roseville, in conjunction with Ramsey County, has been completing aerial surveys of the deer population since The aerial surveys consist of a helicopter fly over after a fresh snowfall counting the number of deer seen. In addition to the deer tracking the Roseville Police Department, MN Highway Patrol and Roseville Public Works also track the number of cars hit by deer and carcass removal requests. Below are the results of the deer tracking in Roseville since 2004: Based on the amount of habitat in Roseville it was determined by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resouces (MNDNR) that our city can support a population of deer. Page 1 of 3

2 In 2014, deer population concerns were raised, specifically in the Owasso area. The complaints have primarily been regarding: Damage to gardens and vegetation in resident s yards Tameness of deer Health concerns In response to the growing concerns, Roseville adopted a Wildlife Management Ordinance in The ordinance included a feeding ban on wild animals typically found in Roseville. The feeding ban prohibits: Distributing one or more gallons of grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, or hay within a 24-hour period is prohibited Having a salt lick at a location that regularly attracts wild animals is prohibited o Note: The ordinance includes an exemption for small backyard bird feeders Penalties for violating the feeding ban are a series of administrative fines, including $100 for the first violation, $200 for a second and $300 for subsequent violations within a two-year period. The Roseville Community Development Code Enforcement Officer enforces the feeding ban. Since the ordinance was enacted there have been six official complaints reported and followed up on. The ordinance also allows for organized hunts to control the city's deer population, should the City Council determine a need based on deer population counts. At the time the ordinance was adopted the Parks and Recreation Commission suggested to monitor the deer population for 2 years to understand the feeding ban s impact. However, there still appears to be community concern for the large numbers of deer in Roseville. To help better understand potential control options, Parks and Recreation Staff worked with representatives from the; MNDNR, Ramsey County, Department of Agriculture (USDA) the Metro Bow Hunters Resource Base (MBRB) and Nuisance Animal Removal Service (NARS). Based on the research the available options for deer control include: 1. Sharp Shooting Specially-trained deer sharp shooters from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are hired to come into a community with the purpose of removing a large amount of deer at one time. They are trained to shoot as efficiently and effectively as possible to minimize the possibility of the herd scattering, and to quickly dispatch deer and maintain safety to surrounding residents. 2. Bow Hunting Through the Metro Bow Hunters Resource Base (MBRB) individual citizens can participate in urban archery hunts. During these hunts, hunters emphasize shooting antlerless deer in the hopes of reducing the number of does in the deer population. Page 2 of 3

3 Trapping The Nuisance Animal Removal Service (NARS) is a private company that utilizes traps to bait and capture deer. Number of traps and the schedule utilized to check the traps varies based on the target animal removal number set by the City. Attached is a spreadsheet that provides additional details on the 3 options the City of Roseville could utilize to reduce the deer population. Potential locations that have been reviewed for possible reduction efforts include; Central Park East, Ladyslipper Park, Owasso Hills Park and the Roseville Compost Site. POLICY OBJECTIVE This discussion is consistent with addressing resident s concerns and desires. FINANCIAL IMPACTS The future financial impacts would vary based on the chosen reduction approach. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Discuss Roseville Deer Management COUNCIL ACTION REQUESTED Discuss Roseville Deer Management Prepared by: Lonnie Brokke, Director Attachments: A: 2016 Population Reduction Options - Comparison Spreadsheet B: 2014 and 2016 Deer Population Maps C: Roseville Deer Habitat Map D: Wildlife Management Ordinance #1485 E: 2016 Ramsey County Cooperative Deer Management Program Page 3 of 3

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7 694 Long Regional Park Farrel's 694 Valentine Vadnais Heights Poplar New Brighton 35W Tony Schmidt Regional Park Johanna Arden Hills Island Golf & Training Center Judy Island Island County Park Shoreview 694 Shoreview Emily Vadnais-Snail s Regional Park - Snail Grass Wabasso Owasso County Park Vadnais Vadnais-Snail s Regional Park - Sucker Vadnais Blacktern Pond Saint Anthony Owasso Langton Little Johanna Josephine 3 Josephine Little County Park Josephine Round Little Canada IJ 51 Roseville Zimmerman Pond Willow Pond Bennett IJ 280 IJ 36 35W IJ 36 IJ Lauderdale 3 Rocky's Marsh Woodhill Open Space McCarrons McCarrons County Park Maplewood Falcon Heights IJ 280 Saint Paul Como Burlington Pond IJ 280 Ramsey County Deer Survey 2014 Jan. 29, 2013 & Feb. 4-6, 2014 Survey Boundary Wetlands Ramsey County Parks Land Miles LOCATION 2014 DEER TOTALS AAHATS 64 GEM LAKE 61 LITTLE CANADA 17 MAPLEWOOD 319 ROSEVILLE 61 SAINT PAUL 160 SHOREVIEW 96 VADNAIS HEIGHTS 105 WHITE BEAR LAKE 40 WHITE BEAR TOWNSHIP 60 TOTAL 983

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9 Fulham Street Jackson Street Eustis Street Old Highway 8 Southwest New Johanna Boulevard Rice Street Rice Street Silver Silver Road Saint Anthony 37th Avenue Northeast Poplar New Brighton Jones County Road?A@ 88 D West Brighton Road Johanna Little Johanna Arden Hills?A@ 51 Josephine Judy Shoreview Victoria Street North Emily Wabasso Owasso Soo Street Blacktern Pond 694 Twin Vadnais Boulevard East Vadnais Heights 88 Highway 35W Langton Fairview Avenue North Roseville County Road C West Hamline Avenue North 3 Josephine County Park Lexington Avenue North 5 Bennett Acorn Park Rice Street North Round Little Canada West Savage Centerville Road Pioneer Park East Savage 6?A@ 36 Terminal Road West County Road B2 West?A@ 51?A@ 36 5?A@ 36 35E?A@ 280 Midland Hills Golf Course County Road B West Villa Park County Road B East Roselawn Avenue West Lauderdale U of M Les Bolstad Golf Course Cleveland Avenue North Falcon Heights Larpenteur Avenue West Reservoir Woods Park 3 Dale Street North 3 Woodview Open Space McCarrons Larpenteur Avenue West Maplewood Larpenteur Avenue East Lexington Parkway North Como Park Golf Course Saint Paul Deer Survey Roseville TOTAL - 52 Deer Survey Boundary Wetlands Miles

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11 The yellow shaded areas are what make up the.77 square miles of Deer habitat in Roseville

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