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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION — APRIL 24, 2023 <br />Mr. Kelliher explained that the first year they would hit it hard, then crews or goats would go <br />back in over the next four years to hit back resprouts and seedlings. He recommended not doing <br />all parks at once. He recommended Floral and Hazelnut Parks to start, or possibly just one. The <br />key is getting to the point of being able to manage the buckthorn. <br />Mayor Grant asked if once they do an area if they put in shrubs or trees or something else. <br />Mr. Rexine said it is usually recommended to put a grass seed down that allows you to still use <br />herbicides, and if you did a prescribed fire that could run through the grass and kill the buckthorn. <br />They do fires in some cases. <br />Mayor Grant wondered when the legacy funds run out. <br />Mr. Rexine said it was a five-year grant cycle and proceeds from sales tax dollars go to <br />supporting the system. There are approximately ten years left on the 25-year approval. <br />Councilmember Fabel wondered if it would be more efficient to use circular ground cutters <br />instead of goats. <br />Mr. Rexine said there wasn't any objection to using machinery, the cost was about the same. <br />Goats allow not using herbicide so it's sometimes about perception. <br />Councilmember Monson added that when the goats eat it they destroy the seeds. <br />Mr. Kelliher said a University of Minnesota study showed that revegetation can outcompete <br />buckthorn once you take the buckthorn down to something manageable. It's possible that in a <br />project where the buckthorn has been removed and replanted with native species the buckthorn <br />won't resurge or would be manageable. <br />Councilmember Monson said Arden Hills has such a great canopy and great nature that she felt <br />having an ongoing commitment was important to the city. <br />Public Works Director/City Engineer Swearingen explained that the RCWC crews have been <br />utilized for buckthorn management by slashing and treating the buckthorn. The parks are on <br />rotation. Hazelnut, Floral, Cummings and Chatham have been worked on. <br />Mr. Rexine noted that they have taken out just female buckthorn and it was successful for a <br />couple of years, but when going back to the sites they are choked out again because there were <br />females in the seed bank that came back up. So now they usually try to treat all of them. <br />Mr. Kelliher explained the grant money won't become available until fall of 2024, so the interim <br />solution could be discussed at a future work session. Working with Great River Greening, Council <br />would need to decide which parks and how many acres they would like to have worked on. <br />Mayor Grant said they had indicated other funding sources other than the legacy funds. <br />Mr. Rexine said there was also the Environmental Natural Resources Trust Fund, but that <br />application process is closed for this year. <br />