Mower County officials are looking to cut the crap — literally.

The Mower County Board of Commissioners sent a letter the Austin Parks, Recreation and Forestry Board Tuesday asking them to remove trees around the Mower County Government Center and the Mower County Jail and Justice Center because of a high quantity of bird waste on and around the buildings.

The trees are on city property. Since Austin is a Tree City, the letter states the county board would be willing to pay parks and rec $5,000 to cover the costs of removing the trees, and to plant new trees somewhere else.

“The board’s not trying to say they’re anti-tree, they’re just trying to say they’re anti-crow poop,” said Mower County Coordinator Craig Oscarson.

Last year, work crews power washed the new jail and justice center, but the building needed to dry before it could be sealed. However, crows came and left their marks on the building before it dried.

The county is going to have to power wash the building a second time, which will likely cost more than $10,000, Oscarson said. Even if the building had been sealed, the birds would still poop on the building.

“Do we power wash the building on a continual basis or do we just let the building have bird poop on it,” he said.

If the birds continue to leave their mark on the jail and justice center, Oscarson said the county may have to wash the building multiple times each year.

The parks and rec board will meet to discuss the topic next month.

“Todd Park was devastated with the tornado, maybe they want to plant some trees out there,” Oscarson said.