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Municipality joins growing number of cities in the metro enacting wildlife feeding bans. By HANNAH COVING rON hannah.covington@startribune.com Hungry wildlife in Blaine better look elsewhere for their next meal. 'Aritheityofficials citing particular concern for a steady increase in deer - vehicle collisions, an ordinance that bans feeding wild and feral animals goes into effect April 24. City Council members approved the ordinance at theirMarch 16 meet- ing as part of a broader effort in the north metro suburb to develop a for- mal wildlife management plan. The ban underscores a common dilemma facing growing suburbs like Blaine. Balancing nature lov- ers'desire for close encounters with wildlife and the public safety con- cerns raised by such encounters. Feeding deer, for instance, often draws the creatures across roads and results in unwanted feasting on residential vegetation and gardens. Boomingdeer populations also spark worries about contracting Lyme dis- ease, city officials say. "Any developing city is going to have these same issues:" said Police Chief Chris Olson. In Blaine, the number of deer col- lisions and complaints has surged in recent years. There were 89 col - DENNIS ANDERSON - deniUs.anderson@startribunexom Blaine is hoping to cut down on the number of deer in residential areas by putting a feeding ban in place, effective this month. "Urban deer conflicts have been going on for a really long time," said Lou Cornicelli, the DNWs wildlife fisions in 2015, the most recent year research manager. . for which numbers are available, The problem with deer taking up compared with 66 collisions in 2013. Complaints about deer jumped from 26 in 2013 to 61 in 2015. Putting out corn or other feed for deer also poses wildlife health risks, as tight concentrations of deer can fuel the spread of illnesses like chronic wasting disease (CWD), according to the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Not a new pidblem From Coon Rapids to Blooming- ton, Blaine is among a growing list of cities to enact such feeding restric- tions. The city's ordinance is espe- cially similar to a wild animal feeding ban in Arden Hills. While the ordinance faced lit- tip michhni-Ir in'Rln:inp. it has hoen residence in urban areas across the state isn't new, tracing back at least to the early 1990s, Cornicelli said. In general, the DNR advises against feeding deer, citing disease, increased auto accidents and animal behavior changes as key reasons. And while the DNR can enact feedingbansforwildlife health issues like CWD, state wildlife officials let cities and counties take the lead on managing their own deer popula- tions, from adopting ordinances to organizing controlled hunts, Corni- celli said. 'Ouz goal is eftmeon! Deer are not the only animals whose mealtimes may be disrupted by the new Blaine ordinance. Resi- Bird feeders are still allowed, so long as they are "placed at a sufficient height or designed to prevent access by wild animals:' . The hope is that the ban will also make a dent in Blaine's feral cat pop- ulation, an issue certain neighbor- hoods have grappled with for years, Mayor Tom Ryan said. "We have. no way to catch cats," Ryan said. Some in the city say they are con- cerned about enforcing the ordi- nance. Council Member Jason King cited this concern when he voted against the new feeding ban, the only council member to do so. "If someone puts out a bird feeder to feed deer, there's no way to really stop that," King said. "Deer are still goingto eat people's flowers andtheir gardens:' Repeat violations of the ordinance could result in up to 90 days in jail and a fine of as much as $1.000 fine.