Agenda - Council - 03/09/2021 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home

Recommendation: add bird -safe lighting standards and wildlife protections The Mississippi River is a crucial migratory flyway for about 40% of all North American migrating birds. Roughly 270 bird species live in or travel through the Twin Cities river flyway. Bird populations are experiencing significant collapse and are under continued threat. In the U.S. it's estimated that 600 million birds are killed in window strikes each year. Lighting, landscaping, and building glass are all contributing factors. One way to balance a developed environment with wildlife protection is to require bird -friendly exterior lighting (namely, downward -shielded lighting) in the Critical Area. Minneapolis, which was the first city to pass its MRCCA ordinance, added a "Performance Standards for Exterior Lighting" section that is attached to this letter as a reference. Other cities are adding or considering similar provisions in their pending ordinances. We recommend Ramsey do the same. Another opportunity for stronger wildlife protections could be to add this as a required finding for variance and CUP requests: "The variance will not negatively impact birds and other wildlife using the Mississippi Flyway through habitat loss in identified PCAs and significant vegetation stands, collision threats, or light pollution in excess of the required lighting standards of this zoning ordinance." (This is also in Minneapolis' ordinance and is likely to be included in others.) Recommendation: expand vegetation management standards The MRCCA ordinance offers an opportunity to promote healthy plant communities along the riverfront, as well. Ramsey could consider these additions to the Vegetation Management section of the ordinance: • 1.4: Consider adding "removal of healthy trees over four inches in circumference" to the list of activities for which a permit is required. • I.b.4.7: Consider expanding the requirement that "vegetation removal activities are conducted so as to expose the smallest practical area of soil to erosion for the least possible time" by adding "and to avoid bird migration and nesting seasons." • I.6.b.2: We recommend that vegetation restoration plans must be prepared by "a qualified individual -with demonstrable experience and knowledge related to management of natural areas such as natural resource manager or ecologist." FMR's staff ecologists recommend this wording to ensure that the plans are prepared by someone with specific expertise in natural vegetation that not all lawn care professionals may have. Additional recommendations We have a couple of additional recommendations for Ramsey's ordinance: