One-third of our trash is made of yard waste and food scraps.

Yard Waste and Backyard Composting

Learn how to dispose of yard waste or compost in your backyard by visiting the "Yard Waste and Food Scraps tab" on the Trash & Recycling webpage. 

Compost Your Pumpkin Event

Learn more about how to dispose of your fall pumpkins on our Collections Event webpage.
 
 

The City aims to control and eliminate trees diseased with emerald ash borer, dutch elm disease, and oak wilt on both public and private properties.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)

The City has monitored and managed emerald ash borer (EAB) since 2010. In 2015, EAB infestations were confirmed in Inver Grove Heights by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The City has removed and continues to remove hundreds of ash trees in City parks, road right of ways, and other City owned properties to limit the spread of the infestation. Property owners are encouraged to report ash trees that show evidence of EAB and are declining. Follow these steps when checking for EAB: 

• Be sure you’ve identified an ash tree. This is an important first step since EAB only feeds on ash trees. Ash have opposite branching – meaning branches come off the trunk directly across from each other. On older trees, the bark is in a tight, diamond-shaped pattern. Younger trees have a relatively smooth bark. 
• Look for woodpecker damage. Woodpeckers like EAB larvae and woodpecker holes may indicate the presence of EAB. 
• Check for bark cracks. EAB larvae tunneling under the bark can cause the bark to split open, revealing the larval (S-shaped) tunnels underneath. 
• Contact a professional. If you feel your ash tree may be infested with EAB, contact a tree care professional, your city forester or the MDA at arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us or 888-545-6684 (voicemail).

The emerald ash borer (EAB), is an iridescent green beetle with a red or purple abdomen. The EAB measures about 1/2-inch-long and feeds off the foliage of ash trees. The larva is a cream colored, legless grub that lives just beneath the bark of the tree. Larvae create tunnels under the bark that interfere with water and nutrient transport. The EAB feeds on and kills ash trees.

In 2002, EAB attacked and killed millions of trees in the Great Lakes region of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario. Minnesota is highly susceptible to the destruction caused by this invasive insect. The state has approximately one billion ash trees, the most of any state in the nation.

How to Help Control EAB

The biggest risk of spreading EAB comes from property owners unknowingly moving firewood or other ash products harboring larvae. There are three easy steps you can take to keep EAB from spreading: 

• Don’t transport firewood. Buy firewood locally from approved vendors, and burn it where you buy it. 
• Be aware of the quarantine restrictions. If you live in a quarantined county, be aware of the restrictions on movement of products such as ash trees, wood chips and firewood; and, 
• Watch your ash trees for infestation. If you think your ash tree is infested, go to www.mda.state.mn.us/eab and use the guide “Does my tree have emerald ash borer?”

EAB Resources

For more information:

• Minnesota Department of Agriculture
• University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources
• Emerald Ash Borer Website

Certified Arborists

• Rainbow Tree Care: 651-251-3810 
• S&S TREE: 651-451-8907 
• St. Croix Tree: 651-770-3744

Prescribed grazing with goats is a popular tool being used nationally to manage buckthorn and other invasive and noxious vegetation. Invasive species establish themselves in areas they are not native to, which can cause great economic and land management challenges in yards, parks, and natural spaces due to having no natural method of control. Because growth of invasive species is uninhibited, it is up to the humans to manually manage the spread of the invasive species.  

Grazing goats is one of many tools that property owners can use to control invasive species. Goats are particularly useful in areas with dense infestations of invasive species, rocks, and sleep slopes. Conventional tactics of invasive species removal can be labor-intensive and may require a property owner to annually uproot or cut each plant and apply herbicide. This has led property owners to consider using browsing goats to control invasive species on their property. Annual treatment may be required to limit establishment of new invasive seedlings, which may include using a combination of goats, manual removal, herbicide and more.

Temporary Goat Grazing Permit

A Temporary Goat Grazing Permit allows the temporary use of a limited number of goats for invasive and noxious vegetation control. The temporary permit may be granted for up to 30 days, twice annually, to a parcel that is 0.5 acre or more in size, or a prescribed grazing area that is contiguous and greater than 0.5 acre. A complete set of permit requirements is listed in City Code 5-4-15. 

Download the Temporary Goat Grazing Permit Application to apply for a permit. The application requirements and process are detailed in the application attachment. 

Exempt Properties

Properties zoned Agricultural (A) and E-1 are exempt from the Temporary Goat Grazing Permit. Instead, farm animals (including goats for grazing) are allowed to be kept within properties zoned A and E-1 with the restrictions included in the following City Codes:

• City Code 10-5-7: Sections A.2.a-c, C & D
• City Code 5-4-2: Section A
• City Code 5-4-7 
• City Code 5-4-11, 5-4-13, and 5-4-14: Penalty for compliance and the city’s right of entry and enforcement authority are detailed within this chapter. 

Questions?

Call 651-604-8511.