Dependency on herbicides is concerning, especially since many homes bordering this area have wells. Can buckthorn and reed canary grass be controlled by other means?

The depths of private wells in this area and the clay in the soil will provide a layer of protection from chemicals for well water users.

The restoration plan will call for as little herbicide use as possible. It will be used to spot treat areas that are not responding to the mechanical mowing, raking, and burning. A licensed applicator will be hired to do the work and will be informed of the concerns residents have. Species likely needing some chemical treatment include: common buckthorn, glossy buckthorn, reed canary grass, and giant reed. 

Other options besides herbicides will be evaluated at for treatment of the buckthorn and reed canary grass. One option that has been working in other parts of the state is the use of conservation grazing by livestock (such as goats), as well as frequent mechanical control (winter mowing and raking) coupled with frequent controlled burns.

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1. Does the City of Blaine have documentation that specifically states this land was in fact a wetland at one point in time?
2. What is the long term plan if this restoration attempt fails?
3. Why allow all the development along 109th and Lexington if the goal is to restore/preserve wetlands?
4. Are there plans for housing or commercial development?
5. What is the process for moving from draft to finalized plan and homeowner’s participate in these conversations/decisions?
6. Will all the birds living in trees being cut down, want to live in the trees on my property?
7. What are the plans for the trees after they are cut down?
8. Why is the tree removal so important?
9. How many trees do you anticipate needing to remove and when will residents know how many trees and which trees will be removed?
10. Is the city planning on removing stumps from every tree that is cut down?
11. What is the process or technique for the buckthorn removal?
12. How effective is this buckthorn removal method?
13. What is the plan to continue to remove the buckthorn as it regrows?
14. Is there a larger map of the invasive species?
15. Is there an opportunity to more fully address the buckthorn problem with this project by expanding project to include private property at the request of homeowners?
16. How will the regrowth of invasive species be managed?
17. What affect does all the chemical treatment of yards in the developments have on the wetlands?
18. Dependency on herbicides is concerning, especially since many homes bordering this area have wells. Can buckthorn and reed canary grass be controlled by other means?
19. Will there be an effort made to maintain a buffer of trees adjacent to homeowner’s properties?
20. Who is responsible for the potential loss in property value as a result of the proposed plan?
21. If resident owned land is disturbed, what is the plan for the city to reconstruct our existing landscape?
22. Will the small strip of land that is a part of the southern portion but detached from the rest of the portion be included in the restoration?
23. How close is the proposed trail or path to the back of private property?
24. What has been feedback from communities surrounding the northern portion of the wetland sanctuary that have already been affected by the tree removal?
25. Won’t the removal of trees and leaving the grasses increase the fire danger in this southern area?
26. Does the city have liability insurance to protect home owners when they do controlled burns?
27. How often will controlled burns occur?
28. How is the grant funding being applied (e.g. square foot of reconstruction, per acre,…)?