West Des Moines, IA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

West Des Moines City Code section 7-11-2(E), part of the park rules and regulations chapter, bars removing nests or wildlife and wildfowl, along with defacing, injuring or removing a tree, shrub or plant standing or growing in a city park or parks and recreation facility, or picking or destroying flowers or seeds growing there. The chapter defines 'city park' broadly to include park facilities and trails inside or outside the corporation limits, and 'parks and recreation facility' to include named sites such as Raccoon River Park Nature Lodge, the Raccoon River Park Boathouse, Holiday Park Baseball Complex and the MidAmerican Energy RecPlex.

A separate subsection, 7-11-2(DD), makes it unlawful to place or use any claw, spring or metal trap, snare, pitfall, deadfall or similar device on park property, though the city and its authorized agents are exempt when managing animals, birds or insects under a city council-approved policy. Section 7-11-3 declares chapter 7-11 violations municipal infractions, enforced under Title 1, Chapter 4's general penalty structure rather than the chapter's special $100 citation-complaint process, which is reserved for the tobacco, alcohol and swimming subsections. The parks and recreation department is authorized to monitor and enforce these rules, following either administrative abatement or municipal infraction procedure, whichever the city determines is in its best interest.