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Boulder County seeking public comments on revised transition plan for genetically modified crops

Written comments due by noon Wednesday, May 29; Public Hearing Monday, June 3, in Boulder.
Macie May
Macie May
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Photo by Adele Payman on Unsplash

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

The Boulder County Commissioners (BOCC) are accepting public comment on the revised transition plan for genetically-modified crops on Boulder County-owned open space agricultural lands.

The BOCC has scheduled a public hearing for Monday, June 3, to consider and take action on a proposed amendment to the transition plan for genetically-modified (GM) (aka genetically-engineered, or GE) crops on Boulder County-owned agricultural open space lands. In addition to providing comments online, community stakeholders are welcome to attend and provide testimony during the public hearing portion of the meeting.

The goal of the revised plan is to provide farm-specific solutions for the county’s broad-acre tenants seeking to make the transition off GE crops. At a public hearing hosted by the BOCC on May 7, Boulder County Parks & Open Space staff presented the Proposed Revised Transition Plan as part of a summary of efforts to facilitate the transition away from GM crops and associated pesticide use.

Staff demonstrated how the proposed revised transition timeline, paired with an investment in the development of farm-specific plans emphasizing soil health, would help foster a more robust opportunity for long-term tenants to make the transition more successfully.

Public comments are a valuable component of the decision-making process. Testimony provided at the May 7 and June 3 public meetings, as well as written comments submitted online will help the BOCC make an informed decision on the proposed amendment to the transition plan.

  • Public Hearing – 4 p.m., Monday, June 3
    The Boulder County Commissioners will consider public comments received over a four-week period and deliberate on the proposed plan. Additional public comment will be taken at this hearing. The hearing will be webstreamed and archived on the Open Meeting Portal. 
  • Written comments may be submitted through the online Cropland Policy Comment Form by noon on Wednesday, May 29, in order to be considered by the Board of County Commissioners prior to the June 3 public hearing.

The public hearing will be held in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room:

Boulder County Courthouse
1325 Pearl Street, 3rd floor
Boulder, CO 80302

To view the Proposed Revised Transition Plan, submit public comments, and view additional background information and history, visit boco.org/CroplandPolicy.