APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – After a heated, and sometimes even personal, debate about the efficacy of “No Mow May,” Appleton’s City Council voted to keep the initiative.
Residents will still not be required to cut their grass during the month of May for the purpose of helping the bee population to thrive.
Since Appleton became the first city in the U.S. to adopt No Mow May as a way to help the bees back in 2020, the city council said it has been a conversation of continued debate. In 2022, the initiative was made permanent. But when the original study that supported the idea was retracted, No Mow May came under intense scrutiny.
Alderperson Israel Del Toro is one of the authors of the retracted study. He has been very vocal about the matter, calling the resolution “misinformed.” He said the city overwhelmingly supports No Mow May.
But Alderperson Sheri Hartzheimsaid some of her constituents want to get rid of the initiative and find other ways to support pollinators.
Alderperson Chad Doran chimed in, saying that much of the public commentary has not actually been about the resolution or the science. He says he’s been accused of lying, slander and defaming the authors.
Doran said that other methods are more effective at supporting pollinators. And since the original study was the basis of the council’s decision to approve No Mow May, he said there needs to be serious reconsideration.
But Alderperson Vered Meltzer said Appleton has been a “pioneer” in the realm of pollinator protection and that should not end now.
While some people have argued that the initiative causes no harm and has not cost for the city, Hartzheim disagreed.
She said that there is a reason the lawn length ordinance is in place for the other 11 months of the year — to prevent the harm that comes with longer lawns, whether that be pests or related to aesthetic concerns.
One person also raised concern about the fact that Del Toro did not tell the council when the study was retracted, a move characterized as lacking transparency.
Mayor Jake Woodford had to remind the representatives to debate the matter at hand, not each other.
But despite the contentious debate, the council voted 11 to three to uphold the municipal services committee’s recommendation to deny the resolution.
Lawns in Appleton will continue to be a bit longer this spring than the rest of the year.
Other communities — including De Pere, Green Bay and Oshkosh — will also be participating in No Mow May this year.
