Loading...
Dubuque Audubon Society Proposal for Grassland PreserveCity of Dubuque City Council Meeting Action Items # 05. Copyrighted July 17, 2023 ITEM TITLE: Dubuque Audubon Society Proposal for Grassland Preserve SUMMARY: Mayor sharing proposal for grassland preserve on City of Dubuque property from Dubuque Audubon Society for City Council review and direction. SUGGESTED Receive and File; Council Direction Suggested Disposition: DISPOSITION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Type Proposal Supporting Documentation Photo Attachment Uploaded 7.17.23 Supporting Documentation Public Input —Uploaded 7.17.23 Supporting Documentation Agenda Item for Dubuque City Council meeting July 17, 2023 I am Kenneth Kiss residing at 16844 Muntz Ct. Mayor Cavanagh and City Council thank you for letting me address you today. I am the current President of Dubuque Audubon Society. Dubuque Audubon is requesting the city to establish a grassland preserve in the Key West Technology Park. We are requesting the city set aside the largest grassland area bordered by Data Ct., Digital Drive, and Lake Eleanor Road as a grassland preserve (approximate 14.6 acres) and show on the following map as area 1. This special area hosts Bobolinks, Eastern Meadowlarks, Dickcissels, and other grassland birds. Grassland birds are some of the most threatened birds in Iowa due to loss of habitat. This proposal would still allow future development in the other areas in the technology park shown as 2 and 3 (approximately 7.7 acres and 7.4 acres, respectively) on the map. In the event of future development in areas 2 or 3, we ask there be advance planning so that no grassland bird nests are disturbed (nesting occurs between April 1- July 15). osal for Grassland Preserve 1. City would retain ownership and continue to maintain property as in the past. a. City would mow the tall grassland in late summer in the Grassland Preserve and areas 2 & 3 until future development. b. City would mow the edges of the property as short grass per the current schedule. 2. Dubuque Audubon Society would raise donations among its members and supporters to fund the construction of a handicap accessible viewing platform and educational signs at the grassland preserve. Included would be signs that identify what grassland birds might be seen and signs warning to keep out of the tall grass so as not to disturb the nesting birds. 3. Dubuque Audubon Society would monitor the diversity of birds in the prairie to determine any changes occurring overtime that might require altering the management practices at the prairie. 4. Dubuque Audubon Society would provide occasional field trips at the location to educate the public on grassland birds. Advantages to the City 1. It is my understanding the City Staff has met with representatives of Bird Friendly Iowa and considering becoming a designated community. a. Part of the requirements are to reduce threats to birds by protecting, restoring, and enhancing bird habitat. By setting aside this preserve you would meet one of the criteria. It would serve as an important habitat in the city for migrating birds. b. Another requirement is to educate & engage people in birding and conservation. Audubon would help you in meeting these criteria. 2. The preservation of this grassland would tie in with the existing mowed trail along Lake Eleanor Road and serve as a green space for people to enjoy birds and nature. Questions? Thanks for allow Dubuque Audubon to present our proposal to Mayor Cavanagh and the City Council. `III IN �r -- t e � '!AL vNim L j Alb: ,AL 4,1 r NIL ' �/,!rr- -i 1i,III iLlUilill,ltIIIIIIIII'L'_I Adrienne Breitfelder From: Clark Scholz <clarkscholz34@gmail.com> Date: July 15, 2023 at 10:03:53 AM CDT Subject: Bird sanctuary Caution! This message was sent from outside your organization. I would like information on the following: Allow sender I Block sender 1. When was the 14.5 acres that the Dubuque Audubon Society wants as a sanctuary purchased? 2. Has any developer or industry shown any interest in the 14.5 acres since the city purchased the land? 3. Excluding the 14.5 acres how many undeveloped acres remain in the industrial park? If a fair amount is still available I see no reason why land should sit idle for so long. The Iowa Orenthological Union (IOU) has held there semi-annual meetings in Dubuque. These meetings brings numerous bird watchers to Dubuque spending money at hotels, restaurants, gas stations, and stores. A bird sanctuary provides an additional reason for IOU to return to the Dubuque area. Please share this email with the city council Clark Schloz P.E. 2925 Burlington Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001 563-357-7214 Adrienne Breitfelder From: Citizen Support Center <dubuqueia@mycusthelp.net> Date: July 16, 2023 at 11:53:09 AM CDT Subject: "Contact Us" inquiry from City of Dubuque website This sender is trusted. Attachment: letter about grassland AB.docx Contact Us Name: Kristin Anderson -Bricker & John Anderson -Bricker Address: 903 Merz St. Ward: Phone:5635828759 Email: anderson-bricker0g.com City Department: City Council Message: Please see attached letter regarding item on the city council agenda on July 17, 2023. 16 July 2023 Dear Mayor Cavanaugh and Councilmembers, In the Telegraph Herald on July 15, we learned about the proposal by the Dubuque Audubon Society to the Dubuque city council "to modify three parcels in Dubuque Technology Park — located between Data Court, Digital Drive and Lake Eleanor Road and totaling 14.6 acres — into a public preserve to protect a number of grassland bird species that use the properties for their nesting season." That same article highlighted the lack of knowledge of our council and mayor regarding the threatened status of birds due to breeding habitat loss. If we do indeed want to be an "environmentally conscious community" and secure "a designated community by Bird Friendly Iowa," setting this grassland aside is a move in the right direction. As to why this simple act will be part of the solution to the tragic decline in bird populations over the past 50 years, we refer you to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. This research group has established that close to 3 billion birds have vanished in North America since 1970! You can read their report using this hotlink: hgps://www.birds.comell.edu/home/bring-birds-back. The following excerpt from the September 2019 Science published online provides a sense of the devastating impact on our community if we do not act as part of the solution: "Extinction of the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), once likely the most numerous bird on the planet, provides a poignant reminder that even abundant species can go extinct rapidly. Systematic monitoring and attention paid to population declines could have alerted society to its pending extinction (20). Today, monitoring data suggest that avian declines will likely continue without targeted conservation action, triggering additional endangered species listings at tremendous financial and social cost. Moreover, because birds provide numerous benefits to ecosystems (e.g., seed dispersal, pollination, pest control) and economies (47 million people spend 9.3 billion U.S. dollars per year through bird - related activities in the U.S. (21)), their population reductions and possible extinctions will have severe direct and indirect consequences (10, 22). Population declines can be reversed, as evidenced by the remarkable recovery of 40 waterfowl populations under adaptive harvest management (23) and the associated allocation of billions of dollars devoted to wetland protection and restoration, providing a model for proactive conservation in other widespread native habitats such as grasslands." While the city built the Bee Branch in our neighborhood to solve the urban problem of runoff flooding, it also enhanced our quality of life by creating a greenspace that has attracted wildlife —such as beavers, muskrats and 76 species of bird, including migratory species. By setting aside a small grassland, our community can enhance the quality of life not only here, but also provide space for breeding migratory birds to create the next generation and augment the lives of people in other part of the world. Respectfully, we request the city council act to create the requested public preserve, Kristin and John Anderson -Bricker 903 Merz St., Ward 3 anderson-brickerkq . com Adrienne Breitfelder From: Citizen Support Center <dubuqueia@mycusthelp.net> Sent: Sunday, July 16, 2023 2:14 PM To: Mike Van Milligen Subject: "Contact Us" inquiry from City of Dubuque website f ' This sender is trusted. Contact Us Name: Joanne Elley Address: 510 Primrose Street Ward: Phone:5635431632 Email: elleyjr@gmail.com City Department: City Council Message: Please do not let the Dubuque Audubon Society use 14.6 acres of land in the Dubuque Technonogy park as a nesting place for birds. If they want to use the land they can buy it for $683,000.00. They should look at Swiss Valley, Mines of Spain or the Flexstell land for this nesting place. We need businesses to use this land not birds. The businesses will buy the land and create jobs all improving the community. Not sure what the birds will do for the community. Thank you for reading this.