Title
Recognizing May 2023 as No Mow May in Saint Paul.
Body
WHEREAS, on January 27, 2016, the City Council passed Resolution 16-171 establishing the City of Saint Paul’s commitment to being pollinator-friendly and promoting pollinator stewardship practices to all property owners; and
WHEREAS, ideal pollinator-friendly habitat Is comprised of mostly native wildflowers, grasses, vines, shrubs, and trees blooming in succession throughout the growing season, is free or nearly free of pesticides, is comprised of undisturbed spaces including leaf and brush piles, un-mown fields or field margins, fallen trees and other dead wood for nesting and overwintering; and provides connectivity between habitat areas to support pollinator movement and resilience; and
WHEREAS, the formative period for establishment of pollinator and other insect species, and the many songbirds and other urban wildlife species that depend upon them, occurs in late spring and early summer when they emerge from dormancy and require flowering plants as crucial foraging habitat; and these opportunities are dramatically reduced with early spring leaf-litter removal and grass-mowing; and
WHEREAS, No Mow May was first popularized by a conservation organization based in the United Kingdom called Plantlife and has been growing in the United States. The goal of No Mow May is to pause mowing during the month of May, allowing flowers to bloom in lawns to help early season pollinators; and
WHEREAS, in 2020 Appleton, Wisconsin residents became energized about No Mow May and convinced their City Council to suspend their weed ordinance for the month of May. Research in Appleton showed that homes that participated in No Mow May had more diverse and abundant flora, three times the species of bees, and five times the total number of bees than in regularly mowed green spaces; and
WHEREAS, the effort has attracted even more participants and in 2022 spread to communities across the country, including Minnesota cities of Edina, Monticello, Vadnais Heights and New Brighton; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the City of Saint Paul recognizes May 2023 as No Mow May to promote and educate the community about the critical period of pollinator emergence, creation of crucial habitat, and early spring foraging opportunities; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that for the month of May 2023 the Department of Safety and Inspections will not issue Summary Abatement notices for tall grass and weeds.