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Parks, Trails & Recreation Committee Meeting Minutes April 18, 2023 Page 3 to create a blueprint, eradicate the buckthorn, and plantings. The one condition of receiving grant money is to leave the property natural for five years. Estimates include $105,000 for Floral Park, $70,000 for Hazelnut Park, $200,000 for the Chatham trails area, and $120,000 for Perry Park. Committee Member Olson asked if anyone had contacted Maplewood to see how things went with Great River Greening. Committee Member Kelliher responded that no one had. But he had conversations with the forester in New Brighton, and someone in Burnsville. Committee Member Nelson asked how the City would be involved in the executional aspects of the project? Would they have any say in where the goats were used or what was replanted? Or would Great River Greening make all the decisions based on their expertise? Committee Member Kelliher said the impression he got from speaking with the Public Works Director and Public Works Superintendent was they’d like Great River Greening to take it all. Committee Member Anderson wondered when they would need to know the City’s response. City Council Liaison Rousseau said the Council is aware of this item being time sensitive, and if possible, it could be on next Monday’s agenda. Committee Member Kelliher said if they are comfortable with the work that has been done by the subcommittee they could bypass calling a special PTRC meeting and go right to asking Great River Greening to attend the next available City Council work session. Further discussion ensued regarding the timing of Council approval and potential work sessions. Committee Member Nelson wondered what need they see for community engagement? His neighborhood is infested with buckthorn and he has offered to pay to have it removed but people don’t want to because they like the privacy the buckthorn provides. Committee Member Kelliher said the naturalists said there will be areas of visibility will be significant once the buckthorn is gone. So, they are emphasizing community education to let people know what it will look like during and after removal. Committee Member Poelzer noted there was on article online that mentions Maplewood and Great River Greening. They are working with nearly three dozen communities across the state, and have helped restore 22,000 acres at nearly 400 sites since 1995. Committee Member Seemann clarified that the grant funding is for a five-year timespan, so whatever they apply for now would have to be used from the fall of 2024 through 2029. She stated the director of Great River Greening suggested starting in Floral and Hazelnut Parks as those parks had made the most progress already. Chair Hinton commented that if they have to leave the area natural for five years there may be some people be unhappy with it in the short term. She asked if the city would have to pay anything toward the work.