The City of Brooklyn Center values the environment. From the Mississippi River to the great parks and trails, we are committed to keeping our environment strong. We encourage all residents and businesses to keep the environment clean and live green.

Brooklyn Center is committed to the conservation of energy through various methods. We encourage all citizens to participate in recycling programs offered in the City of Brooklyn Center. Recycling saves natural resources, energy, clean air and water, landfill space, and money, and creates jobs. Learn more about environmental sustainability and resources.

Living & Building Green
Whether you are looking for ways to save money or the environment, there are many ways you can reduce your impact on the environment. Please visit the following websites for a variety of tips and information.

Resources

• Water Conservation Tips
• US Green Building Council - information about environmentally friendly building design and LEED
• Green Guide by National Geographic - resources about home & garden, travel, food and Quizzes
• Energy Star - find energy saving equipment, home improvements, and building designs
• Living Green Minnesota Pollution Agency - learn energy tips and event information for citizens, businesses and educators
• Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines - energy saving building techniques and resources
• Rethink Recycling - guide to waste and recycling in twin cities, Minnesota

Our Forestry Division provides for the maintenance, trimming and reforestation of trees in parks, boulevards and other public areas as well as registration of tree contractors wishing to do business in the City.

The natural environment, parks and trails area add to the beauty and quality of life in Brooklyn Center. Proper planning and management will help keep the balance between nature and humans. Educational materials and resources about common wildlife concerns are provided. Damage from wildlife can often be minimized through the use of repellents, screening, alternative plantings, and other techniques.

Coyotes

Coexisting with Coyotes
According to the Department of Natural Resources, eradicating or controlling the coyote population is impractical to the point of being impossible. Coyotes are among the only medium-to-large-sized animal that has enlarged its habitat in spite of human encroachment.

Controlling the population by hunting is virtually impossible because of their timid nature. Trapping is ineffective because they are quite cunning and traps are dangerous to other animals and children as well. Poison is too risky because it also does not discriminate between coyotes and domestic dogs, cats, other animals, or children. Attempts to capture and relocate coyotes are pointless because, like raccoons, other coyotes will simply occupy the now vacant hunting area.

The best solution, according to the experts, is to coexist with the coyote and make intelligent, sensible efforts to dissuade the animal from engaging humans or entering upon their property.

Tips to Coexist With Coyotes
Follow these tips to coexist with coyotes in a safe manner.

• Clean up brush piles before the mice move in (they attract coyotes).
• If you see a coyote behaving in an abnormal manner call 9-1-1.
• Keep your yard free of fallen fruit, vegetables and pet food.
• Never feed a coyote.
• Never run from a coyote.
• Never leave small children or pets alone in coyote habitat.
• Teach children to stay away from wild animals.

Preventing Pet Encounters with Coyotes
These tips will help you prevent any problems with your pets and coyotes.

• Avoid extension leashes when walking.
• Discourage large dogs from feeling comfortable or “playing” with coyotes.
• Keep cats indoors.
• Keep your dog in front of you. If it stops, keep an eye on it.
• Use a short leash when walking your dog outside.
• Walk in areas of high pedestrian traffic.
• Walk your dog with a friend or relative.

Encountering a Coyote
If, in spite of taking appropriate precautions, you encounter a coyote, try some of the following techniques recommended by the Stanley Parks Ecological Society:

• Do not run or turn you back on the coyote.
• If the coyote continues to approach, escalate the techniques listed above.
• Make yourself appear larger by standing and waving your arms.
• Shout in a deep aggressive voice.
• Throw rocks and sticks (not food!) at the coyote.

Deer Management

In 2003 the City Council adopted a deer management plan to create an acceptable environmental balance that will facilitate the peaceful co-existence of citizens and wildlife. In accordance with the plan, the City has conducted three deer harvesting efforts. Each hunt has taken place within the City limits of Brooklyn Center in the Palmer Lake Basin area and/or Kylawn Preserve Park. The hunt typically removes six to twenty deer.

Determining the Need to Harvest Deer
The Department of Natural Resources periodically conducts research to estimate the deer population in an area. When the number of deer exceeds the recommended norm of fifteen to twenty deer per square mile of habitat area, a deer reduction plan is considered. The hunt is typically conducted by bow hunting and over bait in January when the ground is frozen. Deer hunting has occurred in two locations within the city, Palmer Lake Basin Area and Kylawn Preserve Park.

Deer Feeding Prohibited
City Ordinance Section 1-200 prohibits the intentional feeding of deer. It is a misdemeanor to intentionally feed deer or provide a deer lick. Many people feed deer or provide salt because they enjoy seeing the deer in their yards or are concerned the animals do not have enough to eat. However, this artificial feeding is harmful to deer because it discourages natural food foraging. It also lures deer from their natural habitats into areas where the deer are a safety problem, both to the public and themselves. Each year several dead deer are removed from metropolitan cities and highway roadsides. Call Building & Community Standards at (763) 503-3173 to report violations of this ordinance.

Resources

• Deer Management Plan Long-Term
• Deer Management Implementation Plan 2003
• Deer Information - DNR
• Wildlife Management Tips - Cornell University Extension Service

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes, gnats, deer ticks and other pests are annoyances of warm weather. In addition, these pests can also transmit disease.

The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) conducts region-wide larval control activities for immature mosquitoes and biting gnats to help reduce the numbers, as well as reduce the risk of disease. In 2006, more than 1,700 acres in Brooklyn Center were treated for larval mosquitoes, including more than 1,000 catch basins.

To find out if pest control activities are occurring in your neighborhood and what types of products are being used, please visit the MMCD website.

You may also contact the MMCD at:

Metropolitan Mosquito Control District
Metro Counties Government Center
2099 University Ave. W.
St. Paul, MN 55104-7646
Telephone: (651) 645-9149
Fax: (651) 645-3246

One of the great things about living in Brooklyn Center is our access to natural areas and park land, while enjoying the comforts of suburban neighborhoods. However, wildlife sometimes become nuisances. Read on for answers to some common wildlife questions.

A woodpecker in the neighborhood is pecking at my siding. Why is he attacking my house and what can I do about it?
Woodpeckers are an important part of our ecological landscape— they eat large amounts of insects and help to break down rotting wood. However, sometimes our houses serve as replacement habitat for lost trees. The three main reasons a woodpecker might be interested in your house include 1) drumming on siding to declare territory to other birds, 2) roosting and nesting when natural tree alternatives are scarce, and 3) hunting for insects living inside wood siding.

Woodpeckers are protected by state and federal law and cannot be trapped or killed without a permit. However there are several techniques you can try to mitigate annoying woodpecker behavior. Repair any holes or deterioration in the siding or soffit. Visual deterrents such as small mirrors, shiny metallic ribbons or balloons with painted eyes hung from problem areas of a home can all help deter a woodpecker for a while. Exclusion techniques such as hanging bird netting below the eaves or all the way from the eaves to the ground may help keep birds from getting near the house as well. Other mitigation techniques include wood treatments such as caulking, insecticides and sticky anti-roosting coatings.

I recently noticed a shabby looking fox in my neighborhood acting strangely. What should I do?
As with any animal, if it seems ill or is acting strangely, do not approach the animal. Sick and frightened wild animals may be diseased or dangerous, so always use caution. Be sure to keep your pets inside or otherwise away from the wild animal. Keep an eye on where the animal is and call 911 and ask for animal control. For wildlife, you may also contact the Department of Natural Resources at (651) 296-6157.

Although mange is a debilitating disease for foxes, it cannot spread to humans. Most foxes that contract mange have a healthy enough immune system to eventually fight off the disease. However, in some cases and more frequently in the winter, the disease can weaken the fox to the point of death. In those cases, death is often due to exposure or an inability to hunt or escape predators.

I am worried about several dead squirrels I found in my yard. Who can I call for help?
The DNR is no longer testing birds or squirrels for West Nile virus at this time. Anyone curious about the cause of death of an animal can pay to have the animal tested. The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Minnesota will test certain animals for a fee. Visit www.cvm.umn.edu/vdl or call (612) 625-8787. Fees vary depending on the type of animal and associated tests.

How can I dispose of small dead birds and animals?
If you find a small dead animal in your yard, it may be disposed of in your regular trash collection. Because birds and animals die of many causes, including infectious diseases, it is important to handle dead animals in a safe manner. The following standard safety precautions are recommended:

• Make sure the animal is dead. If necessary, touch it with a long stick or toss a rock near it before you approach it.
• Avoid touching the dead animal with your bare hands. Use heavy-duty, leak-proof rubber gloves and a shovel.?
• Carefully pick up the dead animal with your hand protected by one or more layers of plastic bags. Then, turn the bag(s) inside-out over the animal so it ends up inside the plastic, with your hand on the outside.
• Handle the bird or animal so the beak or claws do not puncture the bag or gloves.
• Tightly close the plastic bag(s) containing the bird or animal. Tie the ends together or use a twist-tie to seal it shut. Place the bag inside another clean plastic bag (if available) and then close it tightly, too.
• Dispose of dead birds or small animals with your usual household trash.
• Wash your hands with soap and warm water right away.

Remember: Don’t feed wild animals!

Resources

• MN DNR Wildlife Website
• Purdue University Forestry and Wildlife Website