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Residents urge sustained invasive-plant removal program in Eagan parks
Summary
Two local residents told the commission Eagan parks are being overrun by invasive plants and asked the city to set up an ongoing volunteer program like the one at Lebanon Hills; parks staff said existing volunteer infrastructure will be explored and they will follow up after the meeting.
Jessica McMahon and Catherine Brown, who identified themselves as Eagan residents, asked the advisory commission to help create a sustained volunteer program to remove invasive plant species from city parks.
The residents told the commission they had worked with programs at nearby Lebanon Hills and would like a local sign-up and repeat events — not one-off efforts — to remove invasives such as garlic mustard and restore native habitat. "We would just love to get something going to address it," McMahon said during public comment.
Parks staff acknowledged the concern and said the city already runs volunteer programs but has struggled to scale native-plant management and invasives removal. A staff member told the meeting, "We have a fairly robust volunteer program throughout the city," and said the department would follow up with the visitors after the meeting to explore options and coordination. The residents also said they planned to raise the issue with the Sustainable Eagan Advisory Commission.
Why it matters: invasive species can reduce habitat value for birds, butterflies and native plants and often require repeated, coordinated effort to control. Speakers at the meeting framed the proposal as both an environmental-restoration and community-engagement opportunity.
Next steps: staff said they will be in touch after the meeting to discuss potential volunteer structures and shared contact information was exchanged. The commission did not take formal action on the request during this meeting.
