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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlease support these edits to the BVCPFrom:elizabeth@elizabethblackart.com To:Jon Carroll; Michelle Estrella; Sarah Glynn OSBT; Brady Robinson; Harmon Zuckerman; OSBT-Web Cc:"Paula Shuler"; cody@orchardhouse.net; "Emily KenCairn"; "Lauren Kelso"; "Mackenzie Sehlke"; khollweg@stanfordalumni.org Subject:Please support these edits to the BVCP Date:Tuesday, March 10, 2026 9:16:35 AM External Sender Notice This email was sent by an external sender. Hello OSBT, HEAL has focused on the needs of our agricultural community during the current BVCP update. We have successfully lobbied for support for agricultural water delivery and our irrigation ditch system in the BVCP. But our agricultural lands need more than just water to be productive, and so we have several other edits to the BVCP which we ask you to support. The most recent Draft of the Draft BVCP is available at https://bouldercolorado.gov/media/19703/download?inline.. Please note that the numbering, the organization and even the language in the most recent Draft of the Draft BVCP does NOT AT ALL MATCH what is in your March 11 packet. The following changes which we are proposing refer to the Draft of the Draft BVCP, and NOT to what is in your packet. When we note that an item is on “Page 32 (62)”, “32” is the PDF page number and “(62)” is the page number written on the bottom of the Draft of the Draft BVCP page. In our edits below, the black type is the language in the Draft of the Draft BVCP. The red type and yellow highlights are our proposed additions and changes. The blue type is our rationale for our proposed changes. We hope that you will support our proposed changes to the Draft of the Draft BVCP and will help to ensure a successful future for agriculture in the Boulder Valley. * * * * * * * OUR PROPOSED EDITS TO DRAFT OF THE DRAFT BVCP AT https://bouldercolorado.gov/media/19703/download?inline IRRIGATION Page 32 (62): 94. Agricultural Water Delivery The city and county recognize that irrigation is essential to sustain agricultural production and the ecological health of natural and working lands in the Boulder Valley and that a functional and well-maintained water delivery system with reliable access is the backbone of irrigation. The city and county support and encourage investment in and improvement of irrigation water delivery infrastructure and systems to minimize water losses and to support long-term agricultural and environmental health. Rationale: Reliable access is an often-overlooked necessity for well-maintained and safe irrigation water delivery systems. Encroachment on historical easements from fences, walls, swimming pools and sheds can make maintenance impossible or extremely expensive. Encroachment also causes safety hazards when inaccessible sections of ditches experience blockages and overflows which cannot be immediately repaired, and can cause bad neighbor relations. WATER Page 21 (41): 41. Water Quality Protection and Improvement The city and county protect and improve water quality within the Boulder Creek Watershed. Both entities prioritize source water protection and watershed planning efforts to protect creeks and reservoirs for drinking water, aquatic life, agricultural uses, and recreation. The city will pursue wastewater treatment processes to achieve water quality improvements, energy efficiencies and resource recovery, including biosolids reuse. Rationale: We hope it was just an oversight that agricultural uses were overlooked here. Water quality and watershed planning are high priorities for agricultural water users and their water needs should be included in this list. AGRICULTURE Page 33 (65): Agriculture in the Boulder Valley The city’s Open Space and Mountain Parks department manages about 16,000 acres of working lands, leasing much of that to dozens of farmers and ranchers. Farmers produce diversified vegetables, such as lettuce, peppers and tomatoes, from 30 acres of land. Is this number correct? An additional 250 acres have the soil and water conditions necessary to support diversified vegetable farming. Approximately 6000 acres of irrigated pasture for animal production do not have a long enough water season for vegetable production, nor do the department’s 300 acres of dryland wheat fields. Most of the city’s agricultural land is dryland pasture and does not have sufficient water to grow vegetables. Regenerative agricultural practices and traditional livestock grazing regimes are critical in developing and maintaining healthy soils and diverse native grasslands on agricultural properties. Rationale: We question whether only 30 acres of OSMP lands are used for vegetable production. We know of several small farms producing vegetables on OSMP lands including Cure Organic Farm, Esoterra Culinary Garden, Light Root Community Farm, and Off Beet Farm. Perhaps there are others? While we appreciate the language tying water availability to vegetable production in this section, we think it is important to also acknowledge the extent of OSMP’s irrigated pasturelands and dryland wheat fields which also produce food. Page 32 (62): 93. Infrastructure for Local Food Systems The city supports expanding opportunities for facilities that sustain and grow the local food system, including cold storage, processing, greenhouses, commercial kitchens, farmers’ markets, and retail sites. Page 33 (64): The Future of Food Systems The food system is generally considered the chain of activities connecting food production, processing, distribution, retail sales, consumption and waste management. A strong local food system can positively impact the resiliency, culture, health, economy and environment of the Boulder Valley and its surrounding areas. As the community works towards ensuring that all community members have healthy and nourishing foods regardless of individual or family economic situations or locations, the comprehensive plan includes policies that can improve and enhance our local food system. Rationale: These two places in the plan overlook the importance of farmers’ markets and retail sales for the survival of a local food system. Without reliable local markets for their products, local farmers, especially those that farm on a small scale, simply cannot survive economically. Page 32 (62): 95. Sustainable and Regenerative Agricultural Practices The city and county support and promote sustainable and regenerative agricultural practices on publicly owned lands and encourage such practices on private lands. The city and county will collaborate with the agricultural community to employ and improve practices that increase yield and economic viability and integrate ecological conservation, enhanced soil health, responsible water use, water quality protection, biodiversity and humane treatment of livestock. Rationale: The most overlooked necessity in a sustainable and regenerative food system is the farmer/rancher who is prospering and able to stay in business. Without economically viable farmers/ranchers, the entire food system comes crashing to a halt. Without the farmers/ranchers who are prospering, OSMP is in a world of hurt and will not have the resources to manage its thousands of acres of agricultural lands. Therefore, increasing yield and economic viability are crucial components of a sustainable and regenerative food system. Page 32 (62): 96. Agriculture Workforce Support An agricultural workforce is critical to sustaining agriculture and a local food system. The city and county encourage training, apprenticeship and skill development programs. The city and county support exploring options to increase housing opportunities and transportation options transportation options and housing opportunities, including on Open Space Lands, for agriculture workers and land stewards in the Boulder Valley. Rationale: An agricultural workforce that is living on the land which it is managing is a necessity for all scales of agricultural production. Animals need care 24 hours a day, not just on an 8-5 schedule. Irrigation water comes at all times of day. Fences fail and livestock can end up on roads 24 hours a day. Erratic weather can cause work schedules to expand. Ag workers living on the land can deal with all this. Ag workers commuting into Boulder County 40 hours a week cannot. Ag worker housing on leased Open Space lands is a priority need for farmers/ranchers, and must be developed, despite the limitations imposed by Open Space charters. Page 63 (124): Definition of Urban Agriculture Small-scale food growing agricultural production within urban areas including community gardens, plant nurseries, restaurant gardens, market gardens, and greenhouses. The current limited definition of “food production” excludes existing permitted flower production at Long’s Iris Gardens, milk production and seedling production at Growing Garden’s goat dairy and greenhouses, and Christmas tree production and seedling tree production at Your Neighborhood Christmas Tree Farm. The current definition of urban agriculture must be broadened to include these existing allowed uses and other high-value future uses. Thank you for your consideration of these edits which will make the BVCP more in line with the needs and priorities of the Boulder Valley agricultural community, Elizabeth Black Elizabeth Black 303-449-7532h 720-839-5576c Elizabeth@ElizabethBlackArt.com 4340 N 13th St Boulder CO 80304 To Unsubcribe, click on Elizabeth@ElizabethBlackArt.com and tell me to remove you.