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NEW BUSINESS – 3C <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />MEMORANDUM <br /> <br />DATE: June 13, 2023 <br /> <br />TO: Parks, Trails and Recreation Committee <br /> <br />FROM: Mark Kelliher, PTRC Member <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Interim Buckthorn Management Solution <br /> <br /> <br />Proposal: Hire the goat herding company known as We Got Chew to bring in a herd of 25-30 of <br />its goats for browsing an area of ~7.2 acres in the Chatham Trails Area. Cost of project <br />estimated to be $4,500. <br /> <br />Background: Using Great River Greening as an intermediary, the City has applied for grant <br />monies from the Minnesota Legacy Fund to remediate Floral and Hazelnut Parks. Any grant <br />awards made will not become available until June or July of 2024, and will only be applicable to <br />those two parks. <br />On a related note, in tandem with the goal of remediating our parks, considerable work has been <br />underway by an intrepid team of volunteers in the Chatham Trails area in removing mature <br />buckthorn. There are now approximately 7.2 acres where mature buckthorn has been eradicated <br />or mitigated. With the removal of the mature buckthorn canopy, the understory is now <br />benefiting from the previously obscured sunlight. Unfortunately, much of the understory is <br />nothing more than just smaller buckthorn trees and shoots. <br />By waiting for the next cycle of Legacy Fund grant monies to address the Chatham Trails area, <br />there is a risk that the buckthorn resurges, as small buckthorn becomes big buckthorn. To <br />mitigate this risk, it is imperative that the momentum from all the accomplished work not be lost. <br />According to Great River Greening, there are two methods for eliminating the smaller residual <br />buckthorn. The first is to use herbicides. The second is to use goats to browse down the growth. <br />Because Chatham Trails surrounds a wetlands which drains into larger aquifiers, using chemical <br />herbicides does not seem advisable. Goats are the answer. Great River Greening suggests an <br />August or September goat grazing for optimal results. <br />Because of the interim time period that exists before the Legacy grant monies arrive next June <br />for remediating Floral and Hazelnut, my proposal allows us to keep active in the buckthorn <br />battles. <br /> <br />Bidding Process: I sketched the approximate areas of Chatham Trails where mature buckthorn <br />has been harvested. Because of the wetlands and the various trails running through the area, I <br />had to break the maps into three parcels, the total of which is ~7.2 acres. The Google Maps are <br />below.