“I love it when I see first-hand how the Community Foundation truly serves our county as a trusted convener, bringing people together, and providing a forum for people to collaborate on issues of public policy that are important to our community.”
The Community Foundation’s Environmental Affinity Group (EAG) recently hosted a timely seminar – The Power and Promise of Healthy Soil and Regenerative Agriculture in Boulder County – for those interested in learning more about healthy soil efforts in our region, including the science behind the power of healthy soil to draw down carbon to fight climate change, improve biodiversity and pollinator habitats, and increase the nutritional value of our food.
Turns out, the event was a springboard for immediate action.
“The day after the EAG event, the board of county commissioners had a hearing on a proposed subdivision exemption to allow an illegally created, 32-acre lot to be able to have a residence,” says Conrad Lattes, Open Space County Attorney – and a former trustee of the Community Foundation – whose work encompasses more than 100K acres of land countywide, including some 35K acres of land protected by conservation easements. “The owner of the lot had been farming the parcel – which is permissible without a development right – but wanted to be able to have a residence for someone onsite to protect the animals from predators.
“In order for the board to approve of the residence, it had to determine a community benefit from its approval. Because the applicant was able to convince the board that it’s engaging in regenerative agricultural practices that would store carbon, two of the commissioners were in favor of approving the permitting of the residence as accessory to the agricultural use.”
So Conrad went to work drafting a conservation easement that recognizes regenerative agriculture as its conservation value – a first for Boulder County! – and a residence will be permitted so long as the occupant of the residence is engaged in regenerative agriculture. “This likely would not have happened had the commissioners not attended the Healthy Soil and Regenerative Agriculture event,” adds Conrad.
“I love it when I see first-hand how the Community Foundation truly serves our county as a trusted convener, bringing people together, and providing a forum for people to collaborate on issues of public policy that are important to our community.”
According to Conrad, as part of proposed revisions to the Land Use Code, there’s also an effort underway to allow agricultural dwellings as accessory uses on agricultural parcels that don’t have development rights. “This would essentially allow the same thing, but through regulation that would require less process and no conservation easement,” Conrad explains. “Other potential changes under consideration would make it easier to get permits for greenhouses that could extend the growing season.
“It’s all part of a much larger strategy around how we’ll be able to feed ourselves and thrive in the future.”
