Washington County, MN Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Washington County's ban on feeding wildlife sits in Chapter V, Section 2 of Parks Ordinance No. 218, the same 'Wildlife' section that bars killing or harassing animals and grants the Director authority to manage animal populations. ' Unlike the killing/harassing prohibition in subsection (a), which carries a 'designated areas' exception, and unlike the use-permit route available for releasing or abandoning an animal under subsection (c), the feeding ban contains no built-in exception or permit option; the ordinance's definition of 'Wildlife' in Chapter I, Section 3(y), covering mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans and mollusks, applies in full to the feeding clause, so tossing bread to park geese or leaving food out for a colony of feral cats both violate the section.

The county's stated purpose, set out in Chapter I, Section 1, is to protect park natural resources and the safety and welfare of park users, and feeding bans are a standard tool against habituated deer, aggressive geese and expanding feral-cat colonies near trails and picnic areas. Washington County Sheriff's Office deputies and Parks Division staff enforce the section under Chapter VIII, Section 1, and the Director's broader population-management authority in the same section can follow up where feeding has already created a problem population.