Edina To Ignore Code Violations To Support ‘No Mow May,' Pollinators

EDINA, MN — Edina officials are set to look the other way on some code violations to encourage residents to let their lawns grow long and help boost pollination in the area.

The Edina City Council adopted a resolution last month declaring May as “No Mow May” and directed inspectors to temporarily suspend enforcement of portions of the City Code from May 1 through June 15.

“Reducing mowing by one month increases pollinator habitat during a critical seasonal transition time while decreasing fossil fuel emissions,” Edina sustainability manager Grace Hancock said in a memo to the City Council.

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The temporary enforcement suspension will only apply to residential lawns, officials said.

The Edina Parks Department is expected to create an online registration portal where residents can sign up to participate in No Mow May and avoid potential penalties for code violations.

Residents who register will not receive citations for violations of the city’s turf and weed ordinances throughout May. Residents will have until June 15 to bring their lawns back into compliance with city codes.

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Those who are not registered for the program will be encouraged to participate if the city receives complaints about their properties, but officials will enforce codes if they do not register, according to the memo.

The Edina City Code requires residents to cut their lawns before the length of grass or any weed reaches 10 inches in height.

Edina adopted a Climate Action Plan in December that included increasing “pollinator supportiveness” as one of its goals. Edina officials are aiming to replace 250 acres of lawns by 2030 with native grasses and wildflowers, which improve water quality and reduce air pollution, among other benefits, according to the plan.

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The city’s “No Mow May” initiative is partly based on recent research that suggests bees and pollinators use no-mow spaces as key floral resources in the upper Midwest during early spring, according to the resolution passed last month.

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