Grass restrictions could be suspended in May

Council talks about program allowing grass to grow for a month and entice bees
By: 
Lee Pulaski
City Editor

Shawano residents might be able to give their lawnmowers a vacation in less than two months as the city considers adopting a “No Mow May” policy.

The Shawano Common Council discussed the concept, brought up by Alderman Kevin Barkow, during its March 9 meeting as a way to help bring a more robust bee population to the area. The city would suspend its rules on mowing grass and keeping it at a certain length for the entire month to allow bees to do what they do best — pollinate flowers

“What a lot of other communities have done is kind of like No Shave November — if you want to participate, you can participate,” Barkow said. “If you choose to participate in this event, neighbors are not going to be able to complain about your lawn being a little longer during the month of May.”

The idea came up later in the meeting after the council voted to change its fines for lawn violations and charge $150 for the first offense and $170 for every subsequent offense.

Barkow spoke with Appleton Alderman Alex Schultz and said that the program has been a success for that city, aside from some initial resistance from its public works department in the first year.

“Instead of picking up grass clippings once a week, with everyone’s out there in small amounts, you have a month’s worth of grass clippings,” Barkow said. “After the first year, they got the hiccups worked out. They got the public works director on their side, and everything was fine.”

Other cities that participate in the program, according to Barkow, are Stevens Point, Wausau, Oshkosh, Little Chute and Kaukauna. He referred to the Bee City USA website to point out that the program works.

“Not only were there an abundance of bees higher in the yards participating in No Mow May, but they were way higher,” Barkow said. “Participating yards had three times as many bee species and five times bee abundance as neighboring yards that had been mowed. If you have a flower garden in your yard, or if you have a vegetable garden in your yard, obviously those are all dependent on bees. The bee population is dwindling very, very quickly.”

City Clerk Lesley Nemetz said the program would not be subject to monitoring by the city.

“We’re not going to go after you for grass during the month of May,” Nemetz said. “There are other municipalities who provide some boundaries, so to say, to require that you register with the clerk’s office by a certain date, and then print off a placard like we do for a building permit, and you would place it in your window.”

Nemetz added that some cities only allow backyards to have higher grass during No Mow May, cutting down on the eyesore factor for some neighbors.

“I know that there will be some residents who will not enjoy this,” Nemetz said. “We will take those as they come.”

Mayor Bruce Milavitz agreed with the concept and felt it was not necessary to hobble residents with conditions or restrictions.

“If somebody participates, fantastic, and if they don’t participate, fantastic,” Milavitz said.

Alderwoman Rhonda Strebel liked the idea, as well, but questioned if the mowing hiatus should happen earlier.

“It seems like our seasons are coming so much quicker, so much faster — it’s supposed to be 50 (degrees) next week — I just wonder if No Mow May should be No Mow April,” Strebel said, acknowledging that April doesn’t have the same ring to it as May does.

Barkow noted that May tends to be the month when a lot of flowers bloom, so bee pollination would be essential at that time.

“You’re not really getting the blooming flowers in April, except dandelions,” Barkow said.

Nemetz suggested that, even though it would still be called No Mow May, establishing a hiatus earlier and still have it go until the end of May might be the way.

“If you’re going to have restrictions for three weeks in April, and then they’re going to go away in May, and then they come back (in June), it might be a little confusing,” Nemetz said.

Barkow noted that this is an ideal day to do this, as the city is celebrating Arbor Day on April 30, and then the city can go into No Mow May the next day.

“It seems to coincide, having the two work together,” Barkow said.

A formal resolution to establish a No Mow May program in Shawano for 2022 will come back before the council in April. It’s possible an annual resolution might be required to initiate the program, just in case the city decides one year not to do it.


lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com


DID YOU KNOW?

When people hear the word “bee” they often think of a single bee species, the European honey bee (Apis mellifera). However, the United States is also home to just over 3,600 native (wild) bee species such as bumble bees, leafcutter bees, sweat bees, mason bees, longhorn bees, and mining bees.

Native pollinators are particularly important because they evolved alongside native plants and in many cases are the most effective pollinators — and in a few cases, the only pollinators. Pollinators are keystone species in essentially every terrestrial ecosystem on earth, assisting in plant reproduction and supporting other species of wildlife.

Pollinators touch people’s lives in numerous ways each day, including being responsible for approximately one third of the food and drink they consume. The value of crop pollination has been estimated between $18 and $27 billion annually in the U.S.

Research has shown significant declines in native pollinator population sizes and ranges globally. In fact, up to 40% of pollinator species on earth may be at risk of extinction in the coming years as a result of habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change.

Thinking globally and acting locally, Bee City USA provides a framework for communities to come together to conserve native pollinators by providing them with healthy habitat that is rich in a variety of native plants, provides nest sites, and is protected from pesticides.

As the name suggests, the focus of Bee City USA is bees, and primarily native species. The steps that affiliates take to conserve native bees, including creating safe habitats and hosting community events, will also help other pollinators including butterflies and moths as well as the non-native honey bee. One of the most impactful actions any affiliate can take is to encourage others to think beyond the honey bee and recognize the true diversity of bees that sustain communities.

Source: Bee City USA