Making our communities healthy for birds... and people
A. Comply with Wisconsin's "Smart Growth" law for land use planning and resource management. This criterion is an option only for applications submitted before July 1, 2017.
The community of Egg Harbor believes good stewardship of the land and waters is vital to their long-term success, and that includes supporting migrating and non-migrating wildlife. The Comprehensive Plan adopted by the Village in 2019 is evidence of this claim and is also in compliance with Wisconsin’s “Smart Growth” law for land use planning and resource management. Furthermore, there has been tremendous interest and support, both in the private and public sectors, that Bird City status will be a means of conveying to a wider audience their understanding of the role of local government in matters concerning the natural and modified environment.
The Village of Egg Harbor has worked very hard to develop and make natural resources stewardship a part of our community's culture. In 2006 under the leadership of the village board, the Village of Egg Harbor began its effort to become better stewards of the waters and lands by prohibiting the use of phosphorus in fertilizers applied to municipally owned properties and by prohibiting the sale of phosphorous fertilizers in the Village. This stewardship effort continued on with surface water quality improvement projects such as our 2009 initiatives to improve the surface waters by installing permeable pavers and bio filters at the Egg Harbor Beach and Marina.
C. Provide evidence (e.g., official designation of natural areas, easements, etc.) that existing bird habitat within community limits has legal protection. (Exclusions: Leash laws; prohibitions against disturbing nests and wildlife; areas consisting primarily of mowed grass)
While the Village of Egg Harbor does not have vast tracts of public wild land, there are several areas that are very close by and in the corporate limits. The White Cliff Nature Preserve (WCNP), which is part of the Door County Land Trust, is located near downtown Egg Harbor and contains a portion of the Niagara Escarpment. The preserve features mature forest stands of maple, beech, hemlock and white cedar with a diverse understory including spring ephemeral wildflowers on its 103 protected acres. Also in the WCNP is a 30-acre fen that is the centerpiece of its complex wetland system that provides wonderful habitat for local and visiting birds.
Surrounded by orchards, Village View Park is a wide open grass field with several edges that border wood lot and transition zone brush. Village View Park offers casual visitors a chance to see one of Wisconsin's wonders, the Eastern Bluebird. In 2009, a local bluebird enthusiast approached the Village asking for permission to place several nesting boxes on the property, the Village without hesitation said "yes"!
The Egg Harbor Marina, while seeming unfriendly to birds given its very busy nature and hardscapes, is a great accessible place to see migrating waterfowl and birds of all feathers. The marina and the break wall is a common place to observe gathering Brown Pelicans.
While natural places for birds are great and necessary, it is hard to explain to people why they should spend public dollars on their preservation if the wild places are inaccessible. Bird View Park, formerly known as Nature Park, was just one of those spaces. Undeveloped with no access other than being able to walk by on a county and Village road, Bird View Park was inaccessible. In 2008, the Village of Egg Harbor constructed, on a former road grade, an accessible trail that brings people off the pavement and into the forest canopy. In 2017, the Village of Egg Harbor's skilled Public Works crew added duck boxes to Bird View Park that were placed off of the public trail as not to disturb the wildlife.
D. Document that current municipal planning seeks to provide additional bird habitat.
The Village of Egg Harbor has reestablished our Bird City Ad-Hoc Committee in order create additional bird habitat as well as tackle the task of removing invasive species. The Bird City Ad-Hoc committee consists of five members including one Village Trustee to act as committee chair and four citizen members, one of which was a member of our original Bird City Ad-Hoc Committee. The Village of Egg Harbor completed the Bay View Memorial Terrace project in 2018 which is conveniently located near Bird View Park. The project featured terraced plantings one specifically planted with bird and butterfly friendly plants.
E. Describe your community’s ordinance demonstrating that your community does not restrict natural/native landscaping that emphasizes native plants and non-turf lawns.
Residents and Village officials explore creative and environmentally friendly ways to build on their sense of community, and to grow and prosper without degrading the quality of life. They maintain and improve parks, beaches, and natural landscapes by encouraging protection of trees and by planting native plants. The Village of Egg Harbor does not restrict wild or natural lawns and landscaping and is evident by the lack of regulation in their nuisance ordinance.
F. Show that your community offers the public information on how they can control and remove invasive species in order to improve or maintain bird habitat.
In 2019, the Village of Egg Harbor officially started a new invasive species removal campaign by hiring an Environmental and Sustainability Coordinator to put together an invasive species removal program. The ultimate goal of the Village of Egg Harbor Invasive Species program is to create a comprehensive map of invasive species on public and private property and document the growth and eradication. The Village will be working diligently to educate and communicate with all property owners on invasive species control and removal. Visit the Village of Egg Harbor Invasive Species webpage.
G. Document that there is a segment of the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail or a designated Important Bird Area within or adjacent to your community.
The Wisconsin DNR website has a page for birding and it offers great resources to the Great Wisconsin Birding and Nature Trail and designated important birding areas. Egg Harbor, Door County is listed on the Great Wisconsin Birding & Nature Trail as well as an Important Bird Area on wisconsinbirds.org.
M. Demonstrate that your community offers a program for private property owners who are interested in dealing with invasive plants that have significant negative impacts on bird habitat.
Invasive Species 2022 Plans are in place guided by our Parks and Public Works Committee as well as our Green Tier Task Force. The main objectives include defining the list of invastive species present in the Village as noxious and a heavy focus on public property clean up and private property owner education.
A. Demonstrate that your community has been awarded Tree City USA status by the National Arbor Day Foundation.
Egg Harbor continues to be recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation following its initial award in 2013.
B. Implement a municipal moratorium on the trimming of trees and shrubs and the mowing of ditches, storm water retention basins, and other grasslands from May 15 to July 15 to prevent the destruction of active bird nests. (Exceptions: Invasive species control and public safety)
Under Chapter 53 of the Egg Harbor Public Works Guide the village also has multiple ordinances that promote effective forest management. The ordinances highlight proper tree care and removal and also when it is prohibited or permitted.
A. Describe your community’s educational program to control free-roaming cats and/or the manner in which you actively publicize the Cats Indoors! initiative.
Education for birding is available on the Village website under the Bird City section and corresponding birding brochures and birding links. There is a lot of useful information there including links to American Bird Conservancy, Bird City Wisconsin, the “Cats, Birds and You” brochure, “Indoor Cats” brochure, “How to Prevent Birds from Window Strikes,” “Creating Wildlife Habitat,” “Safe Lawns” and “Giving Birds What They Need, When They Need lt.”
B. Demonstrate that your community provides property owners with information on how to protect birds from window strikes (e.g., online links, brochures).
Education for birding is available on the Village website under the Bird City section and corresponding birding brochures and birding links. There is a lot of useful information there including links to American Bird Conservancy, Bird City Wisconsin, the “Cats, Birds and You” brochure, “Indoor Cats” brochure, “How to Prevent Birds from Window Strikes,” “Creating Wildlife Habitat,” “Safe Lawns” and “Giving Birds What They Need, When They Need lt.”
B. Provide web links or a community newsletter demonstrating that your community educates property owners on methods to create and enhance backyard habitat for birds.
Egg Harbor provides a variety of helpful links in the "Birding in Egg Harbor" section of its website.
Egg Harbor produced and distributes “Village of Egg Harbor’s Bird Trail” flyers. The flyer includes information on the local trails (along with a map), but also includes information on building your own Bluebird boxes and constructing origami birds.
A. Document an energy audit for a municipal building and show that your community is working to implement its recommendations.
In 2018, the Village of Egg Harbor worked with our engineering firm, McMahon Engineering, to complete a Focus on Energy Assessment for the Village Wastewater Treatment Facility. Since the assessment, the Village of Egg Harbor Board of Trustees as approved an agreement with McMahon Engineering for a Wastewater Treatment Plant Facilities upgrade project which will include completion of the recommendations made in the assessment.
D. Document that your community has been recognized as a Green Tier Legacy Community.
In August 2017, the Village Board passed Resolution 2017-17 which is a resolution approving participation in the Green Tier Legacy Community program.
A. This community's municipal body passed the required World Migratory Bird Day resolution.
B. Document and describe your event that incorporates the annual IMBD theme in some fashion. If the event has not yet occurred, please share your detailed plans. For information on the current year’s theme and event materials, please visit the World Migratory Bird Day website. To see what other Bird City communities have done in the past, please view some other profiles on our website.
The Village of Egg Harbor held its IMBD celebration on April 21st at the new Donald and Carol Kress Pavilion. Open Door Bird Sanctuary brought their resident native raptors for a visit during their Hunters of the Sky program. A member of the Village Bird City Ad-Hoc Committee and Village staff helped visitors create pine cone bird feeders in the building's Maker's Space.
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