Morrison County board backs Humane Society grant application for trap-neuter-return program after extended debate

The Morrison County Board of Commissioners voted Nov. 4 to approve a resolution supporting the Morrison County Humane Society’s application for a $75,000 Sourcewell Impact Fund grant to implement a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program for community (feral) cats.

Supporters told the board the grant would fund spay/neuter clinics, transport and post-procedure monitoring for identified cat colonies; Humane Society representative Patience Soldakowski said the program is designed to reduce reproduction and nuisance behavior while avoiding large-scale euthanasia. “The only way to stop this is to control the population,” Soldakowski told the board, adding that eradication efforts can create a “vacuum effect” that draws replacement animals.

Opponents and public commenters raised concerns about wildlife impacts, quoting Minnesota Bird Coalition figures on bird mortality and urging alternatives to TNR. A speaker from the Minnesota Bird Coalition read a statement citing national estimates on bird deaths from free-roaming cats and said the coalition “oppose[s] trap-neuter-release programs for feral cats due to their ongoing impact on native species.” Commissioners questioned whether TNR would reduce bird predation, whether neutered males change hunting behavior, and whether the program would address unowned cats versus owned-but-free-roaming animals.

Board members who supported the resolution said the Humane Society’s program is a targeted, nonlethal method widely used elsewhere to reduce feral-cat populations over time. Commissioner Ramirez emphasized that the action under consideration was limited to supporting the Humane Society’s grant application and not directing the organization’s operations: “We’re here to consider whether or not to support this resolution and that opportunity for the Humane Society,” Ramirez said.

After public comment and discussion, the board approved the resolution by roll call. The board’s vote authorizes the county to be listed as a supportive jurisdiction in the Humane Society’s application packet for the Sourcewell Impact Fund; the resolution itself does not obligate county levy funds. The Humane Society will proceed with the Sourcewell application and, if awarded, will return to the community with program details and operations plans.

Votes and procedure: the board’s action was a formal resolution supporting the grant application; the Humane Society’s representatives answered commissioners’ questions about euthanasia policy, the program’s focus on colony control, and plans to operate in both city and rural settings.