[0:01] We reached our start time. These meetings are held in
[0:03] virtual hybrid format via Zoom webinar in just a moment,
[0:07] we'll start the webinar. Please note that it typically takes
[0:10] about 30 seconds for Zoom to bring members of the
[0:12] public into the session as attendees. Just a friendly reminder
[0:16] to all PosTC members, presenters and public speakers, please make
[0:19] sure within two inches of the microphone. When speaking. This
[0:22] ensures we maintain an accurate public record. Members of the
[0:27] committee. Are you ready? We are ready. Wonderful. And let
[0:33] me just confirm. And we are recording.
[0:46] All right, welcome, everyone, to the Boulder County Parks and
[0:50] Open Space Advisory Committee for September 25. 2025. And my
[0:57] name is Janet George, and I'll be chairing the meeting.
[1:01] And our first order of business is roll call. So
[1:04] trace baker. President Carol Byerly present. And I'm present. Janet
[1:11] george. Christine johnson here. Vicky Lawrence. Present. Tony Lewis. Present.
[1:19] Joan Lutz? Here. Derek Turner? Here. John White. Present. All
[1:25] right. We got a full house. Everybody is here. Good
[1:27] deal. So the next order of business is approval of
[1:32] last month's minutes, which I thought Renata. Did a good
[1:34] job on. Thank you. Like usual. So do we have
[1:38] any discussion about it or any comment? Seeing none. Let's
[1:45] do a vote. All those in favor? Aye. Any opposed?
[1:49] Abstain. And we have abstention. Thank you. Another abstention. Two
[1:54] abstentions. Thank you. All right, moving along. We're going to
[2:00] have presentations. We have four presentations tonight. And they're all
[2:05] informational, so. We won't be voting on whether to recommend
[2:09] anything to the Boulder county commissioners. After each presentation. The
[2:14] way the meeting will go is we'll have time for
[2:16] Postac. Members to ask questions, and then we'll allow any
[2:21] public comment. And then we'll have another chance for POSAc.
[2:26] So that's kind of how each presentation will go. So
[2:29] our first presentation is the left hand outdoor challenge. Boulder
[2:33] county parks and open space teen engagement program. And our
[2:38] presenter is Sully. And I'm not going to tackle your
[2:42] last name or. Else. Help me out. Is it tuck?
[2:45] Tanaki. It's Tanaki. Tanaki. Thank you. What is Suli? Suli.
[2:51] Tanaki. All right, Suli. Thank you. I'm looking. Forward to
[2:53] hearing this one. And she's a park ranger community engagement
[2:56] specialist. Go ahead. Well, good evening, Posak. Thank you so
[3:01] much for having me here tonight. I'm super excited to
[3:04] jump in and talk about a program that is very
[3:07] dear to parks. And open space. I'm a park ranger
[3:11] and a community engagement specialist. And with Land stewardship and
[3:16] Resource Protection Team, the Lepan Outdoor Challenge program was created
[3:20] in 2012. And ever since 2012, it's been a very
[3:26] successful program for the youth that we intended. It for?
[3:30] So. What is the left? I'm so sorry. Let's see.
[3:33] So what is the Lepan? Outdoor challenge program. The Lap
[3:37] and Outdoor Challenge program is a free monthly outdoor youth
[3:41] program that is led by resource protection Rangers to connect
[3:45] Boulder county area teens ages 14 through 18 to a
[3:49] variety of outdoor adventures careers and resource management issues. This
[3:55] program kicks off every September. And ends in May and
[4:00] offers Wednesday meetings and Saturday challenges for all the Boulder
[4:04] county teens who have volunteered to be a part of
[4:07] this program for the next nine months. Also, the Lepan
[4:11] Outdoor Challenge program is led by adult mentors that support
[4:16] and guide the left on arter challenge teams as we
[4:19] start offering these monthly programs. So the lepon outdoor challenge
[4:24] program, like I said, is an outdoor leadership program for
[4:27] our high school students. And really. It's not just like
[4:31] any outdoor program that is being offered. We really try
[4:34] to be intentional with what we're offering our students. So
[4:38] myself and my predecessors as. We've been seeing. How our
[4:44] students are getting involved in the outdoors. We decided to
[4:49] make sure that our program. Has a mission that's going
[4:53] to guide us as we keep offering. Exciting new programs
[4:57] for our youth. So our mission for our lap and
[5:01] our challenge outdoor program is creating personal connections to the
[5:05] outdoors for youth to cultivate a sense of belonging, passion,
[5:11] and commitment. To nature and conservation in their lives. With
[5:16] that. We also wanted to make sure that as we
[5:18] are deciding on what programs we're going to be offering
[5:21] our students for the upcoming cohorts. We also decided we
[5:25] want to make sure that we're being intentional with those
[5:28] programs. So within our program, we came up with program
[5:32] goals. These program goals are to ensure that our challenging
[5:37] outdoor activities inspire resilient communities. And. Experiences apologize that we
[5:45] are offering. Are also in environmental education helps broaden perspectives
[5:50] and develop connections between. Humans and the land. And also
[5:55] challenging themselves through service learning fosters the personal sense of
[5:59] pride and autonomy. Developing a sense of belonging. So they
[6:05] can really have opportunities for leadership development. Learning new skills
[6:11] really helps explore outdoor careers and gives the tools to
[6:14] succeed on any career path. So we. Are really intentionally
[6:19] setting these goals so we can invest and cultivate the
[6:23] next generation of stewards for parks and open space. Another
[6:27] really fundamental piece to the left on outdoor challenge program
[6:30] that we wanted to make sure that is really guiding
[6:33] our students when it comes to outdoor leadership is we
[6:36] also wanted to give them opportunities to step. Into hands
[6:42] on experiences. And as they're kind of embarking in these
[6:45] challenges, we want them to really explore. How does outdoor
[6:49] leadership show up? Because it varies. As we all know.
[6:53] It really varies when it talks about. Our field. And
[6:57] so every single month, we decide, well, how can we
[6:59] have our students really recognize certain characteristics that we have
[7:04] observed. In our field and we decided to implement. A
[7:09] peer recognition program that we refer to As. The Lepan
[7:14] Arter challenge Lhoc character tokens. So the character tokens is
[7:20] another really important element to our program, where the objective
[7:23] is to celebrate peer growth and leadership through recognition. How?
[7:29] Well, today with me, I brought some of the tokens
[7:31] that we are highlighting this month. For September. And these
[7:36] wooden tokens symbolize the values that we want our students
[7:39] to look out for in one another, in themselves. When
[7:42] it comes to outdoor leadership. And we really end up
[7:46] highlighting different characteristics, like this month. We have. Adaptability, focus
[7:53] and teamwork. And so we ask our students every single
[7:56] month for them to really be on the lookout to
[7:59] look at these characteristics and these behaviors that they see
[8:02] in one another. And then every single month, we present
[8:07] this in a very special. Ceremony before the following month.
[8:12] So we can go ahead and award these to the
[8:14] peers that were nominated for these tokens. And we currently
[8:18] have 14 characteristics, characteristics that we like to rotate every
[8:23] single month, depending on what our focus is for that
[8:26] specific challenge, and once again, it's to really encourage that
[8:30] pure recognition and so they can see the growth in
[8:33] leadership. Between one another. And that way we're being intentional
[8:39] with students really understanding the importance of this program. So
[8:44] going back. To. Well, also having. This token program, so
[8:52] our peers are taking opportunities to really recognize one another.
[8:57] This is an outdoor leadership program. Like I said, that
[9:00] the intention was to really bridge the gap. Between. Our
[9:06] students, specifically our high school students who weren't having as
[9:09] much opportunities to engage in the outdoors because high school
[9:12] gets busy with demands of academic pressures, and so we
[9:16] wanted to make sure they got a chance to test.
[9:20] What it means and what it looks like to be
[9:21] a leader in the outdoors. But as. You start embarking
[9:26] on this journey. Our groups end up being very large.
[9:32] And so it can be a little intimidating when you
[9:34] come into a new space where you're already taking on
[9:37] chance on a new challenge to start meeting other teens
[9:40] across Boulder county and we implemented. Another really important element
[9:44] to the left and our challenge program, which is our
[9:46] squad leadership. Squad leadership. Really brings our big program into
[9:51] a much more. Smaller, comfortable space where our students are.
[9:57] There's about like 68 students, and they get a chance
[10:00] every single month to come together. And have really meaningful
[10:04] discussions on our topic for the month, reflect and then
[10:08] embark on different tasks. And projects. We also ask our
[10:13] students, as we are starting to put them into these
[10:15] smaller groups, we ask them to really identify what these
[10:20] squads really mean to them. And so that way, we
[10:22] can start. Fostering pride within the activities that we're offering
[10:26] throughout the nine month program. So we ask our teens
[10:30] here. We're going to start next month. Where we're going
[10:33] to start putting them into these groups. We ask our
[10:36] teams for them. To design. A flag, and I have
[10:39] one with me that I'm happy to share and kind
[10:42] of give you an example. You're seeing that picture on
[10:44] the presentation where we have them design. A flag that
[10:47] incorporates a name that means to them as they kind
[10:50] of start getting to know. One another, and that reflects
[10:54] our goals of the program. And then we also have
[10:57] them come up with a motto. That way they can
[11:00] start building ownership. Of what stands out to them about
[11:03] being to the outdoors and how they're connecting to the
[11:05] land. And then, like I said, they get very creative.
[11:09] Everybody has a say in it when it comes. To
[11:11] them building their squad flag. And on top of that,
[11:16] we want to give our squads and some of the
[11:20] members within those squads. If they also want to continue
[11:24] to test what leadership looks like, we offer. Two positions
[11:28] that can really test them to do a lot more
[11:32] of that exploration. So we have squad leaders and guards
[11:37] that really practice. How to organize their group. How to
[11:43] have everyone come to making a decision when it comes
[11:45] to task and projects, communicate and responsibility. Those characteristics and
[11:50] those skills that are very much needed when it comes
[11:53] to. Everyday life. And when you're out in the field,
[11:56] in the outdoors, Now, this piece here. Is also very
[12:05] important to why the left and outdoor challenge. In my
[12:10] opinion. Is very successful. Our students definitely bring in energy
[12:15] and curiosity. However, I do want to recognize that this
[12:19] program would not be possible without. Certain mentors, as you
[12:25] guys can see, that really step in and guide our
[12:29] students throughout the program. And who are our mentors? Our
[12:32] mentors are park rangers like myself. But. There's also my
[12:37] team members who will step in month after month, and
[12:40] we'll also help guide and teach outdoor skills to our
[12:44] students. We also have seasonal staff that will also step
[12:48] in and come help with reflections team building activities. This
[12:55] is our second year. Having a dedicated seasonal position that
[13:00] we now refer to as the seasonal community engagement coordinator,
[13:03] and this person really is instrumental to helping all the
[13:08] moving parts at our program. Really takes to be able
[13:11] to launch in September, come into fruition. And. We also
[13:17] have volunteers. That we refer to as our mentors as
[13:22] well. Who come out every single month and volunteers six
[13:27] to 8 hours, along with our students and we've been
[13:30] very grateful to have our El Hawk mentors who are
[13:34] also alumni who have been a part of this program
[13:38] throughout their high school careers, their, their journey, and then
[13:42] coming into it. Afterwards and still wanting to be a
[13:45] part of this program to mentor the next generation. So
[13:50] the mentorship, the mentors. It's a very important element to
[13:55] our program. And like I said, like I said earlier,
[13:58] they're really there to guide. Without not taking over and
[14:02] not really telling our students what to do. We want
[14:04] them to really figure it out on their own so
[14:07] they can grow that confidence. We model leadership through helping.
[14:12] We really want to inspire that within our students. That
[14:15] reflection piece is super important. When we are out in
[14:20] the field mentoring our students so we can really take
[14:22] time. To be intentional with the work that we're being
[14:26] involved in and then wanting to make. Sure that everyone
[14:29] has a balanced participation, so our mentors really are instrumental
[14:34] to that and lean into being able to support students
[14:38] wherever they need to be supported and foster that youth
[14:41] ownership along the way. Our mentors also. We assign a
[14:47] mentor to each squad, so that way, when we get
[14:50] into these much smaller groups, They have even more one
[14:54] on one support as we're going throughout the program. And
[14:59] we've seen that. That's been super instrumental to our team's
[15:02] confidence from the beginning of the program in September as
[15:05] we're wrapping up for the following year, like in April
[15:08] May. I also want to highlight. That a huge part
[15:16] of the Lefan Archer challenge? Is our partners. We really
[15:23] fostered relationships with partners within county and also some that
[15:27] are just neighboring right outside. Of county, and they've been
[15:31] able to really support our mission to connecting and cultivating
[15:36] a sense of belonging and the outdoors. We have a
[15:40] list of partners here that have been with us year
[15:44] after year. Our campaign that we just wrapped up was
[15:47] that the Cowwood Education center? And so that's, one that's
[15:51] been super instrumental to have. So our students can really.
[15:56] Find. A local organization that they can see themselves one
[16:00] day being an outrassessional in we also have, like I
[16:03] said, some other neighboring community partners like city and county
[16:07] of Denver, a Genesee spark specifically. And then the Boulder
[16:12] Play foundation. We're super excited to partner with them because
[16:15] we also like. To invite our community partners to come
[16:19] to our Wednesday meetings and share their experience and do
[16:22] some team building. So once again, creating kind of that
[16:25] connection so students can see how the outra profession really
[16:28] looks like outside of the traditional. Outdoor fields. We also
[16:34] have a great partnership with volunteers for Outer Colorado. Through
[16:39] the Karen program, which is a very similar program to
[16:41] the left and outer challenge. Thor nature. Kits Wildland Restoration
[16:45] volunteers their wild program is very similar to ours as
[16:48] well, and something that we did differently last year that
[16:52] I wanted to emphasize is super important to our teams.
[16:58] Is really giving them opportunities. To explore connection to the
[17:01] outdoors through. Different, nontraditional ways. So we decided to offer.
[17:08] A different program with Colorado Therapeutic Writing center, where we
[17:11] did a horsepower program. And so. We're really trying to
[17:16] tackle. Mental wellness so they can find different challenges when
[17:20] they're working with equestrian assisted programs. Another really great partner
[17:25] that we have been working with is Rocky Mountain Rescue
[17:29] group. They are instrumental to our winter skills challenge that
[17:34] I will talk a little bit about here in a
[17:36] bit, but we do end up taking our students out
[17:39] to Caribou Ranch where they get to learn outdoor skills
[17:42] and have rock and mountain rescue group really dive into
[17:46] what their work looks like and how to properly prepare
[17:49] for the outdoors and winter elements. Lincoln hills. And then
[17:54] we also have REI Women's wilderness, Boulder Mountain Biking alliance,
[17:59] and then the biggest one is youth exploring stewardship coalition,
[18:03] which is a coalition that has a lot of youth
[18:06] programs. Where we all come together to resource, share and
[18:09] offer. Some amazing programs that we weren't able to offer
[18:12] before. So we're community partners, are super instrumental and. We
[18:18] definitely are very grateful that. They're partnering with us year
[18:22] after year. So this year. Every single year when we
[18:29] are doing our pre program planning, myself and the ranger
[18:33] team in leadership. We decide. We want to offer. A
[18:38] theme within our programs to really guide. To make sure
[18:43] that we're staying on top of our mission and guide
[18:44] us throughout these next couple of months. And we like
[18:49] to come up with a theme that really helps us
[18:51] tie everything together and our theme this year is the
[18:55] stories that we create in the outdoors reveal our connection
[18:58] to the land. The community. We both gather around a
[19:02] campfire, and the resilience we discover in ourselves. When challenged
[19:06] in wild places. So every single month. When we're developing
[19:12] our programs. We also make sure that we are supporting
[19:15] this theme on top of our mission and our goals.
[19:18] So what we're offering this year for all of our
[19:20] students who are joining us is 16 programs that kicked
[19:24] off in September and would go all the way through
[19:27] next year in May. Out of those 16 programs, we
[19:30] have seven. Wednesday meetings that we refer to as base
[19:33] camps. And then we also have nine Saturday challenges, but
[19:37] those are pretty much all day programs where our students
[19:39] are out in the field engaging in different experiences. We
[19:44] accepted 31 youth, and we have seven adult volunteer mentors
[19:50] who are joining us this season. And like I presented
[19:54] earlier on the last slideshow, we have 13 community partners
[19:58] that we're working with for this upcoming cohort. So what
[20:02] we're offering our students is. The first camp out that
[20:08] we just. Sorry, I apologize. The first challenge that we
[20:11] did was to camp out, and we also incorporated a
[20:15] stewardship project with Cowwood, and that was just this. Past
[20:18] weekend. This upcoming month. We're going to go to Genesee
[20:23] park with city and county of Boulder. Sorry, city. And
[20:27] county of Denver and. We're going to do a challenge
[20:30] course. And then in November, we're partnering with WRB and
[20:35] doing a stewardship project. And then in December, we also
[20:40] wanted to offer really important skill to our students that
[20:43] is very applicable. In the outdoors, but also when they're
[20:46] starting to figure out. How this scope can be very
[20:49] relevant to their everyday life. And we wanted to bring
[20:53] back something we offered a couple of years ago, which
[20:55] is the first ACPR and ad. Workshop and where they're
[20:59] going to get their certifications. So just wanted to give
[21:04] you a glimpse of what this weekends look like at
[21:06] Cowwood. Like. I said before, it was a camp out.
[21:09] We called it our trailblazer camp out. Where? Students did
[21:16] an overnight camp out at the Aspen Glenn campground, and
[21:20] we also gave back to the land through Trellis stewardship
[21:23] project, where they ended up. Building. 200ft of trell. And
[21:30] afterwards, we incorporated other really important elements where they got
[21:33] a chance to build. Community reflect around a campfire. And
[21:39] then we ended our Sunday. With morning hike, where they
[21:43] also got a chance to do more reflection on our
[21:47] program's values and to get to know one another a
[21:49] little bit more. So next year, for the 2026 calendar
[21:55] year we have. A big challenge. That is kind of
[22:01] a partnership that we've been doing year after year. And
[22:04] we're doing a career exploration day with the youth Exploring
[22:08] Stewardship Coalition. Where we invite a lot of our partners
[22:13] to come and have a career day. But what we're
[22:17] really excited is to offer some learning sessions. With our
[22:21] partners for our students to really start navigating what the
[22:25] outdoor field really looks like so they'll get a chance
[22:27] to do some workshops. With how to build their resumes,
[22:32] how to get prepared for interviews, and also just. How
[22:36] the outdoor field can really be so diverse in terms
[22:38] of looking nonprofits, government and volunteer groups that are very
[22:43] involved in the outdoors, so that's going to be hosted.
[22:47] In. January 2026. And then one of our big challenges
[22:52] where we host. A lot of students, not just our
[22:55] students, is going to be that winter skills challenge in
[22:57] February. Where we go up to Caribou Ranch, have rock
[23:01] and Mountain Rescue group and some of our youth exploring
[23:04] stewardship partners come up there to learn some outdoor skills
[23:08] that are led by rangers as well. So we end
[23:11] up learning about how to build snow shelters and how
[23:14] to be prepared for winter. Activities. And then in March,
[23:18] we're focusing on a wellness day where we want our
[23:21] students. To experience yoga and forest bathing at the outdoors
[23:25] and also. Have some opportunities for them to express themselves
[23:32] through an art day and activities. Then in April 1
[23:36] of the programs that we piloted, this last cohort is
[23:41] we decided to offer two different. Challenges during the same
[23:46] month to our students. Who had a gender preference where
[23:52] our students. Who identified. As a girl and non binary,
[23:57] had the opportunity to do an indoor rock climbing program
[24:02] with women's. Wilderness. And our students who identified with their
[24:06] gender preference as a boy, a non binary, had an
[24:09] opportunity to do another rock climbing experience with another organization.
[24:15] And so this year we decided, because of a couple
[24:19] of changes we had to do to weather last year,
[24:21] we wanted to still offer rock climbing to our girls
[24:24] and non binary youth, but instead of offering the equin
[24:27] assisted program to all of our students. We're offering the
[24:30] equine assisted program. To our boys and non binary youth
[24:36] who identify with that specific gender preference. So we're going
[24:40] to offer that in April. And then as our last
[24:43] finale challenge, we're going to offer a Mountain biking clinic
[24:47] with Rocky Mountain Rescue Group and also incorporate stewardship project,
[24:52] which. Is trial restoration and. That's going to pretty much
[24:56] bring us to the end of our season of what
[24:59] we're offering our students when it comes to stewardship, the
[25:03] skills that we want them to. Build and leadership along
[25:05] with the other valleys of the program. And.
[25:15] I want all of you to get a chance to
[25:17] see the Lepon actor challenge in action. And hopefully the
[25:21] video works. We are very grateful that. We've had. Poria,
[25:28] who is. Our media person for parks and Opus space
[25:33] came out and filmed and did some photography over this.
[25:37] Last cohort and was able to really capture what the
[25:40] Lepan Archer challenge really looks like. In action. So I'll
[25:44] go ahead and see if it plays from here. Oh,
[25:47] no, it did not. So I'm going to escape. We
[25:50] have a plan B. Please bear with me. There it
[25:54] goes. All right. Thank you. It.
[26:06] 's not show. It's not showing. Plan c. Help. Here
[26:13] comes some help. It looks like. Let's see.
[26:23] No problem. So Easter island is not part of the
[26:29] left hand challenge. They're going to straighten. Easter island. Back
[26:38] up. They're just straight. Get them in a circle so
[26:41] they can commune. Yeah, no worries. You're fine. When I
[26:49] heard about Easter island. The people who live there. The
[26:54] population grew too large and. They just stripped it of
[26:58] resources. I hope that's not. That small. I'm afraid it
[27:04] might be. I know. But did you? Diamond book. Yeah.
[27:12] They have this card here. We go. Wait a few
[27:17] seconds and then. Hit the play button. I'm going to
[27:19] make sure the audio is going to be working. So
[27:23] where did you want me? A lot of
[27:33] people move too much. Okay, you can just click here
[27:38] in about a couple of seconds. Thank you for your
[27:42] patience. Technology. This is your challenge. Yeah.
[27:53] Absolutely. I think you said a couple of seconds. Let
[27:57] me see. Okay. Should be good. Dude, pulley. Nice.
[28:16] Welcome to the left on our door challenge, a youth
[28:19] outdoor leadership experience designed to inspire growth, connection and adventure.
[28:23] The left on outdoor challenge, also known as LHC or
[28:26] Elhock, it's a free nine month program for Boulder county
[28:30] youth ages 14 through 18 who are ready to step
[28:33] out of their comfort zone, take on new challenges. And
[28:36] explore who they are along the way. More than a
[28:39] program, LH OC is an opportunity for you to build
[28:42] your own story. One that is filled with courage, curiosity
[28:46] and the power of community. Each month, you'll join a
[28:49] group of teams from across the county. Volunteer program leaders
[28:53] called mentors. And outdoor professionals to build a lasting connection,
[29:01] serve the land and grow your confidence through handson outdoor
[29:05] experiences. Whether you're restoring trails, learning about wildlife, wilderness skills,
[29:11] exploring new landscapes, or engaging in conversation about land, culture
[29:15] and conversation, you'll gain tools that last a lifetime, along
[29:19] with over 40 volunteer hours. At LHC, we believe the
[29:24] outdoor should feel like a place where you belong, no
[29:27] matter your background or experience. Your story matters. We create
[29:31] a supportive, inclusive community where everyone is seen. Still safe
[29:35] can be themselves and aspire to lead.
[30:06] Since 2012, the Lefan Ardro challenge has helped shape passionate
[30:10] youth leaders who are grounded in nature, driven by service
[30:14] and committed to making a difference. Applications for the upcoming
[30:21] program are now open. With the first challenge kicking off
[30:24] in September. This is your moment. Are you ready to
[30:28] start your story. That's cute. All right.
[30:41] Thank you so much. If you have any questions or.
[30:49] Audio. We got lots of them. Nice job, by the
[30:53] way. Thank you. Start with you, Vicky. Okay. Nice. Presentation.
[30:57] Thank you, silly. I have two questions, the first one
[31:02] of which is, how do you advertise this to students
[31:04] so that they're aware of it. And the second one
[31:07] is, how do you choose? The students that you get
[31:09] applying? That's a great question. So we end up posting.
[31:15] The program on our discover platform, which is our volunteer
[31:21] platform that we use for all of our parks and
[31:23] open space, volunteer opportunities and programs. And so we work
[31:27] with our marketing team to ensure that. It goes live,
[31:31] and then we market it on social media. We also
[31:34] send it out to our community partners and surrounding schools.
[31:38] So they are aware that it's going to open up,
[31:40] and we usually do that at the end of June
[31:43] and leave. It up for about, like, a month. And
[31:47] then students do have to submit an application. Where we
[31:51] ask general questions that we need to know about. What
[31:54] schools are coming from, what grade, and then a couple
[31:57] of other questions to give us some insight of their
[31:59] interests within the program. And how much they have on
[32:04] their plate. So we like to ask, are you involved
[32:06] in any clubs are you working? So that way, when
[32:09] we're going through the selection process, we have a better
[32:12] idea of who. Has capacity to be able to be
[32:16] a part of this program. So as we're getting the
[32:20] applications through our discover platform, We also end up setting
[32:23] up meeting greets with our students for about 15 to
[32:25] 20 minutes. Long where they get to meet us virtually.
[32:30] And they get to answer questions. We get to ask
[32:32] them questions, and then at the end, We end up
[32:35] offering them a place within our program. And essentially that
[32:40] happens all of the month in July, going into mid
[32:43] August, when the application closes. And so. We haven't done
[32:48] a waiting list. Just because sometimes students who are turning
[32:52] in their applications. They sometimes don't respond to us, so.
[32:58] We haven't had to create a waitlist for the applications,
[33:01] but we do get a really good response from applications
[33:05] and our students to end up joining us for the
[33:07] season. Trace. Trace Baker, postac Suli. Thank you very much,
[33:14] both for your presentation and your work on this program.
[33:19] One question. You mentioned that. Different Rangers participate. Is that?
[33:27] A consistent subset. Do all rangers participate? How does that
[33:31] work out? Yeah. So since I am the program coordinator
[33:36] for the program, Before we launch our first challenge. In
[33:43] the summer months. At our team briefings, I do end
[33:46] up presenting to all of our ranger staff. What our
[33:49] theme is, what the challenges look like. And then with
[33:52] the leadership support. We prioritize giving this program. Our staff
[33:58] support. So I have a sign up sheet where I
[34:01] have certain rangers that will have an interest and sign
[34:05] up. And then I also end up reaching out to
[34:07] certain park rangers that I, that have supported that specific
[34:11] monthly challenge and kind of, kind of ensure that they're
[34:14] ready for that. Upcoming program. And so with the leadership
[34:18] support. And since the program has been here since 2012,
[34:25] I've been super grateful that our team has been very
[34:27] supportive to prioritizing giving that staff support that our program
[34:31] really does need. Thank you. Any more questions. Go ahead,
[34:38] christine. Christine johnson posak I was wondering. What determines. Your
[34:45] cohort size. In the past. What really determined our cohort
[34:50] size is our budget. That really impacts. Before, I think.
[34:57] Yeah. This is the first year that our budget was
[35:00] put into our parks and. Open space. Division. And so
[35:05] before we were getting funding through the Parks and Open
[35:08] Space foundation, and we've also gone through. Chris, which is
[35:13] a culturally responsive strategic planning committee. And so. Now that
[35:19] it's a part of our budget. And we are pretty
[35:23] confident that. We can support with our community partners now.
[35:28] We're able to plan to be able to have up
[35:32] to 30. We accepted 31. This year, but up to
[35:35] 30 students. And then we also do provide transportation for
[35:39] our Saturday programs and so we use our boulder county
[35:43] vans or twelve passenger vans. And before. Our park ranger
[35:50] staff and other parks and open space staff will volunteer
[35:54] to drive these fans and so that was another determining
[35:56] factor. But just this past year, we ended up having
[36:00] our volunteer mentors. Get van training. So now. That's been
[36:10] really helpful to ensuring that that's not another barrier that
[36:13] we have. To take into consideration. We're thinking about our
[36:15] core size. Do you do any tracking of outcomes? I
[36:24] think it's amazing that you've been doing this since 2012.
[36:28] Do you track? Do you keep in touch with your
[36:34] alumni? And. Not that you have to. Have. A yardstick.
[36:43] Look at our amazing alumni, what they're doing, but. I
[36:47] think about. How important and impactful. This is to the
[36:52] kids, and I'm wondering. How you're tracking it. So right
[36:58] now. This is my. I feel like I've been here
[37:02] longer, but this is, like, officially my third year, going
[37:05] on to my fourth with the program. And we've done,
[37:09] like, end of the year program surveys, but we are
[37:12] having conversations on how? We can really track that to
[37:16] see the impact that our program is having on our
[37:18] students beyond high school. And right now I do stay
[37:23] connected with some students who are off to college. We
[37:27] do a lot of letters of recommendations when they're applying
[37:29] to jobs during the summer. Internships. So from my personal
[37:35] experience as the program coordinator, I have been seeing a
[37:40] good amount of our students going. Into certain outdoor careers.
[37:47] And they're trying to kind of explore that. But as
[37:49] of right now, we don't. Have. An actual system in
[37:53] place where we can track it after high school. And
[37:57] I wanted to commend you and parks in open space.
[38:04] For the commitment to this program. I think that there's
[38:09] a lot coming at teens. In our world today. And
[38:14] this seems like exactly what kids need. And as everyone
[38:18] knows, my kids have been in youth corps, and it's
[38:21] had an incredible impact on their lives. And I'm really
[38:24] proud of parks and open space. For thinking about. Every
[38:30] part of our community. And youth are frequently left out.
[38:35] So thank you. This is a really informative presentation. Thank
[38:40] you, Bozack. And then, if it's okay, I did want
[38:42] to take a minute if we have some time to.
[38:45] I did invite one of our. Left and outdoor challenge
[38:48] mentors who has been a part of this program since
[38:51] high school and this is her 9th year that she's
[38:54] been coming back, and I wanted her to just. Quickly
[38:57] share kind of her experience and the impact it had
[39:00] on her throughout her high school and college curve if
[39:03] we have time. And her name is Julieta Rosen. Is
[39:08] that okay if she. Yeah. Thank you. Make sure to
[39:18] get the mic real close. Thank you for having both
[39:21] of us in the whole program here today. Yeah. Okay.
[39:25] There you go. Right here. Yeah. So, like Suley has
[39:31] said, I've been with this program for nine years, obviously.
[39:34] I think the time speaks for itself, that I love
[39:36] this program very, very much. Definitely through high school, Christine.
[39:41] Like you said, it definitely changed me and came in
[39:44] knowing no outdoor skills at all. I've gone hiking with
[39:47] my family, but. The program. Really? Brings very unique experiences
[39:53] for high schoolers. Really? I can't think of another opportunity
[39:57] where I would get to learn any of the skills
[39:59] I learned through the left hand outdoor challenge. So just
[40:03] in general. It's definitely brought a lot of skills to
[40:06] my life, but it's also brought an amazing community. It
[40:11] definitely opened me up as a person. And I can
[40:14] clearly say that. All of the mentors and all of
[40:17] the directors really have a passion and care for what
[40:20] they do. And that reflects on us teens. And I
[40:23] can say that for the teens we are mentoring right
[40:26] now, and I was a teen like them. And that
[40:30] really reflects on us, for us to care for the
[40:32] environment and for the people around. Us as well, so
[40:36] it's an amazing program. Thank you. Okay, any other questions?
[40:42] Postac comments. Okay, Tony. Tony Lewis. Just a shout out
[40:47] to Poria for the great video. Nice work. Yeah. All
[40:53] right. Thank you very much. A wonderful presentation. Thank you
[40:56] for the testimony and keep up the good work. Thank
[40:59] you. All right, we also have a podcast coming out
[41:02] here soon. So please be on the lookout. Okay, cool.
[41:08] All right, next presentation. Is behind the scenes with Boulder
[41:13] county parks and open space. It and business analysts. Do
[41:17] you have to have community comments. Oh, thank you for
[41:20] that. Yeah. Do we have any public comment? Yeah, hang
[41:25] on. I don't think we have anyone in the room.
[41:29] Do we have anybody online? We don't. Do we? No.
[41:32] Okay, you're free to go. Thank you for a reminder.
[41:37] All right, onto the IT and business analyst work group
[41:42] presentation. All right, Carl, you're on. Thank you for having
[41:49] me here tonight. I have a recorded presentation.
[42:03] You guys ought to get the it stuff right for
[42:05] sure. Helps coming.
[42:16] Yay.
[42:28] You said you do have audio. Yeah, it's recorded. Sure,
[42:31] I'll make sure that. That's situated as well. Thank you.
[42:52] Thank you for having me here tonight. And give them
[42:56] this opportunity to talk about. A little closer to your
[42:59] mic, please. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to
[43:02] introduce my team and tell you a little bit about
[43:04] what we do. And I'll be playing a recorded presentation.
[43:18] Today, I would like to introduce my team and our
[43:20] mission. I'll discuss what we do and what we have
[43:25] recently accomplished. I'll then talk about our current and future
[43:30] projects. We'll have some time at the end for questions.
[43:36] As the department business analyst, my role is to understand
[43:40] the IT needs of the department. And find technology solutions.
[43:48] Also the supervisor of the technical support team. Our team
[43:54] includes Fernando Polanco. Fernando has been with BCPOs for over
[43:59] four years. And leads our department's help desk. Lang Vang
[44:05] is our newest team member being hired just this year.
[44:10] He provides help desk support and will support new technology
[44:14] implementation. Our mission is provide excellent support services for BCPOs
[44:21] staff. Manage our current IT portfolio and to develop the
[44:28] best solutions for new technology needs. Our workgroup is responsible
[44:34] for a wide range of technology. We manage and support
[44:40] all the computers and office technology. Our group is also
[44:45] responsible for most of the software. And applications used in
[44:50] the department. We support the network infrastructure, remote connectivity and
[44:56] communications. In recent years. Technical support responsibility has shifted from
[45:05] county it to bcpos it. To support the fast growth
[45:11] and staff, remote work and new technology, we have added
[45:16] an additional technician this year. This has allowed us to
[45:21] increase help desk hours and support staff outside of normal
[45:26] business hours. Last year, we transitioned to a new IT
[45:31] ticketing system, Servicenow. We also have new remote desktop tools
[45:38] to support the various work locations around the county. In
[45:43] addition to supporting existing technology, We support it. Change and
[45:50] new solutions. This begins with understanding our department's needs and
[45:56] priorities. Then engaging in project planning. It procurement and contracting.
[46:05] And finally. Implementation, user training, and planning for ongoing. Technical
[46:12] support. I will briefly discuss a few of our recent
[46:17] projects. The ranger mdc project. Addressed the need for in
[46:27] vehicle computing and computer aided dispatch. It began with researching
[46:33] the best technology for mobile Internet connectivity and rugged laptops.
[46:41] The key improvements. Were upgrading to 5g cellular routers and
[46:47] switching from tablet style computers to laptop style computers. We
[46:53] also switched to a leasing model to ensure that older
[46:57] equipment gets replaced and is securely recycled. Last month, we
[47:04] completed upgrading the department's computers to windows eleven. This required
[47:11] testing all of our existing hardware and applications. We develop
[47:16] training materials and hosted learning sessions to prepare staff for
[47:21] the change. Our staff manage the upgrade deployment. And responded
[47:27] to technical problems caused by the upgrade. This was completed
[47:33] with very minimal computer downtime. One of the great joys
[47:38] of this work is to give someone a new computer.
[47:44] We were able to replace 32 aging computers this year.
[47:49] We replaced. A very old copier printer for our agriculture
[47:55] and reckon facilities staff. We have upgraded video conferencing and
[48:00] tv displays in our meeting rooms. We have implemented a
[48:06] new database application for tracking and replacing ranger equipment. This
[48:14] was a huge improvement over the Excel spreadsheet that was
[48:17] previously being used. It will also be used to track
[48:22] required trainings and certifications. We are receiving demand for technology
[48:29] innovation across the entire department. This is truly an exciting
[48:36] time to be working in it. We are developing a
[48:41] process to manage and prioritize new it requests while implementing
[48:47] county cybersecurity. And procurement policies. Everyone is asking for AI.
[48:58] Boulder county implemented a walled garden approach to ensure data
[49:03] privacy and security. Microsoft Copilot provides the features of an
[49:10] AI chat bot, an AI assistant. Copilot. Is integrated with
[49:17] our Microsoft 365 application suite and private cloud file system.
[49:25] It can improve productivity with automation and provide meeting notes
[49:29] and summaries. Data driven decision making requires user friendly analysis
[49:36] tools for nontechnical staff. We are currently researching body worn
[49:43] camera technology for the BCPOS Rangers. The use of body
[49:50] worn cameras has become a public expectation for transparency. The
[49:57] modern technology provides secure cloud evidence storage and AI transcription
[50:03] and search. Our goal is to complete this project in
[50:08] 2026. UAS and Lidar technology have applications across the department
[50:16] for understanding the properties and natural resources we manage. Processing
[50:24] this data requires computing power that the department does not
[50:29] currently have. We have developed specifications and worked with our
[50:34] vendor to purchase. A very advanced workstation. This will be
[50:41] implemented by the end of 2025. One of the biggest
[50:46] changes in it has been moving the computing from the
[50:50] office to the field. This has been made possible with
[50:56] better mobile devices. Offline capable apps. And improved cellular and
[51:02] satellite networks. Smartphone and tablet technology. Offer mobility for collecting
[51:11] data wherever we are working. Tablet computers allow staff to
[51:16] meet the public. At community events and to collect stakeholder
[51:21] input. Our new generation of apps know when they are
[51:26] offline and hold the data until they are reconnected. This
[51:32] allows them to be used anywhere. Our rural connectivity continues
[51:38] to improve. With satellite capable phones and satellite Internet at
[51:45] hall ranch. We are currently exploring satellite Internet service for
[51:51] the good hue farmhouse. All right. Thank you. Do you
[51:56] have anything else you want to say or are you
[51:59] ready for. Questions. I'm ready for questions. All right. Thanks
[52:07] for the presentation. Looks like we got. Trace. Trace Baker,
[52:11] postac. Carl. Thank you. I've got a few questions here.
[52:17] Does Boulder county still get services from or give services
[52:22] to. Parks and open space. Gets services from or gives
[52:31] services to Boulder county in general or you're completely separate
[52:34] at this point. I'm sorry. It services. Yes, it. Yeah.
[52:39] So we work very closely with. County it. So it's
[52:44] a partnership? I'm not sure if that's what. You're asking.
[52:49] Okay, well, yeah. Could you talk a little bit about.
[52:52] What you partner on versus what's totally separate. Yeah, sure.
[52:57] So Boulder county, it provides infrastructure. And enterprise applications. For
[53:05] all the departments in the county. And my team focuses
[53:10] on. The parks and open space. Specific technologies and helping.
[53:17] Implement changes. And getting services from Boulder county. It so
[53:22] we work very closely together. Okay. Thank you. And then.
[53:28] Does every staff member. In parks and open space. Who
[53:32] uses a computer? Do they all have laptops or do
[53:36] some people still have desktops. Yeah. During the pandemic. Obviously,
[53:45] we shut down and everybody kind of had to work
[53:48] from home. And so prior to the pandemic, we were
[53:52] probably 95% desktop computers. And now? We're probably 95% laptop
[53:57] computers. Okay. Okay. Thank you. No more questions for me,
[54:02] okay? Go ahead, Vicky. Vicky Lawrence, Posac. This is. Hey,
[54:06] Carl. Thank you for sharing all this. It's really interesting.
[54:10] I just have a question that it may seem kind
[54:11] of ridiculous, but when the rangers have cameras, if they're
[54:15] going to have cameras are those something that they are
[54:17] on all the time, or they turn them on when
[54:19] they start dealing with an incident. How does that work?
[54:22] I'm just curious about that. Honestly, I haven't gotten that
[54:27] far into it. Thank you. Fair enough. But this is
[54:31] something that we're working with the sheriff's office on. To
[54:36] get this technology, and in terms of the actual guidance.
[54:41] For? Is it always on or not? I know. That.
[54:48] The Rangers are having discussions with risk department in Boulder
[54:52] county about developing guidance and policies for the use of
[54:57] body worn cameras, so I think we're still working on
[55:00] that. Is there any concern about privacy issues with the
[55:04] public. Yeah, again. I know that we're having conversations with
[55:08] risk. And the county attorney has been involved. With working
[55:14] with the sheriff's office on that, and I just don't
[55:16] know the answer. Thank you. Tony lewis bozack. Thanks, carl.
[55:24] I want to follow up to Trace's question just a
[55:26] little bit. I'm just. Trying to understand. The county is
[55:30] providing kind of the infrastructure, some of the bigger enterprise
[55:33] pieces. And each department is doing their own it. When
[55:38] this department collects data. Is it shareable across other departments?
[55:44] Permits and planning? So I guess part of my question
[55:48] is, or worry, is that if we're siloing, the way
[55:52] data is collected or the way it can be shared.
[55:54] And I'm assuming there's some kind of common sharing format,
[55:57] but could you talk to that a little? Yeah. We
[56:02] have a lot of different applications. A couple of hundred
[56:05] different applications that we use. And most of it, I
[56:10] would say, is internal to our department, and it's not
[56:13] shared. But. I think that, for example, We use Microsoft
[56:20] Teams for all of our file storage, and we can
[56:24] share that much more easily. With other departments that we're
[56:27] collaborating with now by creating a team and having everybody
[56:31] on it. So in terms of file sharing, we have
[56:34] a lot more. It's a lot easier than it used
[56:36] to be when we had a file server. But a
[56:40] lot of our apps, we collect data for internal use,
[56:43] and I'm sure that there's ways that could be shared,
[56:46] but that's not. A very common situation. Okay. Yeah, I
[56:50] guess it strikes me that certainly the gis mapping and
[56:55] some of those things. Are either redundantly being done across
[56:59] departments or hopefully, are being somewhat shared. Yeah. So Boulder
[57:05] county has a GIS system that's used across the county.
[57:10] And so we have shared data, like street maps and
[57:14] things like that, that everybody uses, and then we have
[57:18] layers and park specific data. That could be made accessible
[57:23] to others. Yeah. It may have more internal use, but
[57:28] could be shared. Yeah. Cool. That's great. Thank you. Hi.
[57:33] John White, Prozac. What are you doing with Ladar? So
[57:38] lidar. Is we've been using it. With our uas, drones,
[57:46] and we've gotten great imaging. Of some of our historical
[57:52] buildings. And just getting vegetation maps is a lot of
[57:59] it for forestry. I'm not directly involved with the data
[58:03] collection. Or just like, providing. The hardware that is needed
[58:10] for this and supporting. The software purchases. That are needed
[58:16] to analyze the data, but I know. That our building
[58:19] Santa Star preservation team is using it, and our forestry
[58:23] team is going to be using it, and I believe
[58:25] plant ecology, and it's very good. For. We can fly
[58:31] over our properties and. Get densities of vegetation. And data
[58:37] like that so that's not shared with the county Gis.
[58:42] So, ultimately. The goal is that the data will end
[58:47] up in our GIS system. But it's also just used
[58:51] directly by those teams. To plan their projects and organize
[58:57] their work. Thank you. Anybody else? Okay, Carl, great presentation.
[59:06] And I appreciate what all you're doing. You're doing a
[59:08] lot of work and. Getting a lot done. I do
[59:10] have a couple of questions. On the lidar. Are there
[59:15] any other portions or agencies in Boulder county that are
[59:19] using Lidar and then the question following up with that
[59:23] is, is there interaction? I mean, could you share parks
[59:27] and open space? Lidar with another group that doesn't have
[59:30] that capability or vice versa. Yeah, I think that's a
[59:34] great question. And again, I don't have a great answer
[59:38] for you. I think that. We're sort of at the
[59:42] beginning of this process, and it's really exciting and. We're
[59:46] starting to collect data. But in terms of. How it
[59:51] can be used in a larger sense. I think we're
[59:54] not there yet. Okay, kind of the same question. My
[59:58] last question is a little bit the same with Rangers.
[1:00:02] CAD, the tough books that they have and also the
[1:00:06] body cams. Are you interacting with the sheriff's department. Is
[1:00:11] the same kind of equipment that. Could be compatible either
[1:00:14] way. Yeah. So with the MDC and vehicle equipment. We
[1:00:20] worked with them very closely, and we use the exact
[1:00:22] same equipment, the same vendors, the same. Software. The goal
[1:00:27] was to get on the same dispatch system. So, yeah,
[1:00:32] we're working hand in hand, and. We're trying to use
[1:00:36] the exact same equipment. Equipment? Okay, great. All right. Thank
[1:00:42] you. I have a question. Okay, Carol. Carol, byerly Poseack
[1:00:46] and I have a question for us. And does it
[1:00:50] make sense for us? To get briefed. As this policy
[1:00:56] regarding the cameras on the rangers. Is developed. Because that
[1:01:02] seems to be a pretty sensitive issue. And I would
[1:01:06] be interested to see how. It is being rolled out.
[1:01:13] And the advice of the attorney. And that kind of
[1:01:16] thing. Is that appropriate for us to ask for an
[1:01:18] update on. Yeah, I think that would be appropriate. Let
[1:01:23] me ask this question first. I'm sure the Boulder County
[1:01:26] Sheriff's Department has been using it for a while because
[1:01:28] most law enforcement agencies have. It's Colorado law. Enforcement has
[1:01:34] to use body warrant cameras, so. We're probably going to
[1:01:39] have a lot of discussions with them about their policies
[1:01:42] and what they've learned. And like I said, The county
[1:01:47] attorney has been involved in risk. And so. I'm not
[1:01:52] an expert on that, but I would be more than
[1:01:54] happy to come back. And report on all those details
[1:01:57] to you. Yeah. It would make some sense that there'd
[1:02:02] be some consistency between. Law enforcement agencies in the same
[1:02:08] area, or at least within the same like Boulder county
[1:02:11] sheriff's. Department. There may be some difference or not. That
[1:02:16] would be because. That's the kind of thing that. This
[1:02:21] Carol Byerly Posac. I would be interested. In getting updates.
[1:02:27] Okay. Yeah, I would be delighted to come back and
[1:02:30] give you an update when we're implementing. Thank you. Yeah.
[1:02:33] So consider. Official request from post act that we get
[1:02:37] an update on that. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. And
[1:02:41] I just wanted to mention that. I rely on just
[1:02:44] having such a fantastic team. And just my staff does
[1:02:48] incredible work and is extremely devoted to. Providing service to
[1:02:54] the department and to keep everybody working. Yeah. Cool. Great
[1:02:59] job. Appreciate it. Here, right? Yeah. And Fernando is here.
[1:03:05] All right. Thank you very much. Thank you. So we've
[1:03:12] had post that questions. Do we have anybody in the
[1:03:14] room? I don't. See anybody from the public. All right,
[1:03:18] come on up. State your name. And get close to
[1:03:25] the mic. Yes. Fernando Polanco, computing specialists for parks and
[1:03:30] open space. I just wanted to add on to what
[1:03:34] Carl said about the growth of the technology for parks.
[1:03:39] Being like. The first technician on his team. That was
[1:03:43] separate from the main county. It. Has really been just
[1:03:48] amazing to see the growth of it for support for
[1:03:51] parts specifically, because. Before I started. I knew that or
[1:03:56] heard that. The it support. Was kind of spares for
[1:04:05] the part, specifically just because of our location where we're.
[1:04:08] At. So there wasn't really any onsite support. And now.
[1:04:15] We've got pretty much around the clock support, almost. It's
[1:04:18] like. Anybody that has a problem. Knows that once they
[1:04:23] put in a request that we're going to respond as
[1:04:26] soon as we can and get. Their issue fixed and
[1:04:30] get their computers up and running and being able to
[1:04:34] help navigate the new technology. And give some advice. That
[1:04:40] all the experts use. Is really a special thing to
[1:04:45] be a part of, so for me, The day in
[1:04:49] and out is just fixing computers, but then. You see
[1:04:54] the amazing work being done? All the different programs. All
[1:04:59] the research. It's really good to know that my skills
[1:05:05] fixing computers can help. People just make our parts better.
[1:05:12] And offer more services. And really put our department specifically
[1:05:15] on the map, so to speak. And. Just. Let the
[1:05:23] subject, subject matter experts do their thing. So it's really
[1:05:27] good to be part of that. Okay. Thank you for
[1:05:30] your service. All your hard work and dedication. Oh, yeah,
[1:05:33] thank you. It's. My pleasure. All right. Do we have
[1:05:38] anybody from the public online just to make a quick
[1:05:41] check? That sounds like not all right. Thank you. Thank
[1:05:50] you. So we'll move on the next presentation. We have
[1:05:56] Aaron going to speak about working lands conservation.
[1:06:22] Good evening, Posack. Nice to be with you this evening.
[1:06:36] Okay. My name is Aaron Meyer, and I'm a senior
[1:06:43] agricultural resource specialist with Boulder county parks. And open space.
[1:06:47] Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak to
[1:06:48] you this evening about our new working Lands conservation initiative.
[1:06:53] The goal of the Working Lands Conservation initiative is to
[1:06:56] modernize the county's grazing lease program. By incorporating elements of
[1:07:01] regenerative agriculture and habitat conservation while synthesizing and prioritizing ecosystem
[1:07:07] services. We are working to develop an agricultural leasing program
[1:07:12] that will help Boulder County's farmers and ranchers contribute to
[1:07:15] food security for the county while meeting cultural, environmental, and
[1:07:19] economic sustainability goals. We also want to develop a best
[1:07:23] in class agricultural leasing program that improves upon our rich
[1:07:27] agric. Agricultural heritage while integrating cutting edge regenerative agriculture technologies
[1:07:34] and best available science. As we know what we do
[1:07:38] as land managers and the decisions we make are vitally
[1:07:41] important. To not only protecting environmental resources such as clean
[1:07:45] air, clean water, soil health, and native floral and funnel
[1:07:49] diversity, but also important for our community and the people
[1:07:52] that depend on healthy, affordable. And environmentally sustainable food. The
[1:07:58] quote at the top of the slide sums up the
[1:08:00] ethos behind our working lands conservation. Initiative. Quote, regenerative agriculture
[1:08:06] provides answers to the soil crisis, the food crisis, the
[1:08:10] health crisis, the climate crisis and the crisis of democracy.
[1:08:14] End quote. Scholar, philosopher and social activists Vandana Shiva's. Work
[1:08:20] is a reminder for us that what we do at
[1:08:22] the local level is everything. Importantly, we want to recognize
[1:08:27] indigenous ways in wisdom. We acknowledge that we are the
[1:08:30] caretakers of ancestral homelands and unseated territory of indigenous peoples
[1:08:35] who have traversed, lived in, and stewarded the lands in
[1:08:38] the Boulder valley for a millennia. Those indigenous nations include
[1:08:42] the aP. Apache, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Cya, Poni, Shishoni, sue
[1:08:51] and Utes. We honor and respect the people of these
[1:08:53] nations and their ancestors. We also recognize that indigenous knowledge
[1:08:58] oral histories and languages handed down through generations have shaped
[1:09:02] profound cultural and spiritual connections with Boulder. Area, lands and
[1:09:06] ecosystems, connections that are sustained and celebrated to this day.
[1:09:11] As aforementioned, this presentation will provide an overview for POsac
[1:09:15] of our new working lands conservation. Initiative. This will include
[1:09:19] an overview of what it is, a brief primer on
[1:09:22] regenerative agriculture and a discussion of why it's important, as
[1:09:26] well as a synopsis of how and what the agricultural
[1:09:28] division of parks and open space. Is doing to implement
[1:09:31] it. So why is now the time to take a
[1:09:35] new approach with our agricultural release program? Well, the reality
[1:09:39] is that we have some major challenges ahead with respect
[1:09:42] to fixing existing land management issues. The Working Lands Conservation
[1:09:48] initiative will help us take a holistic approach to setting
[1:09:51] future sustainability goals. While tackling. And fixing existing issues with
[1:09:56] the program. Some of these issues include overgrazed properties, mitigating
[1:10:01] against future wildfires, managing trail use on Ag lands, fixing
[1:10:06] stream and bank erosion, fixing and replacing aging infrastructure and
[1:10:11] reducing the footprint of invasive species. So what is working?
[1:10:15] Lands conservation. What we want to do is reframe the
[1:10:19] narrative we want to help Boulder County's farmers sustain communities,
[1:10:23] the environment, and ultimately our future. To state it more
[1:10:28] succinctly, we want to protect and enhance ecological services while
[1:10:32] providing an agricultural land base for local food security. So
[1:10:36] what are ecological services? Some examples of these services include
[1:10:41] the water cycle, nutrients cycling, soil health. Clean air, clean
[1:10:45] water, and wildlife habitat. Ecological services are the essential benefits
[1:10:50] that humans derive from nature. These services are critical for
[1:10:54] sustaining life on earth. Inf. Influencing our well being and
[1:10:57] ensuring the planet's long term health. They aren't just nice
[1:11:01] to have elements. There are fundamental processes that underlie environmental
[1:11:05] stability, agriculture in even our economies. When we appreciate these
[1:11:10] services, we begin to understand how interconnected human survival is
[1:11:13] with the natural world around us. We know that agriculture
[1:11:17] has a significant environmental footprint. It's associated with approximately one
[1:11:21] third of global land use and is a key driver
[1:11:23] of land use change globally. Food production is also associated
[1:11:27] with 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same
[1:11:33] time, global food needs are anticipated to grow as a
[1:11:36] consequence of increases both in population and in per capita
[1:11:40] demand. In response to these various pressures, many actors are
[1:11:45] seeking more sustainable ways of producing food. The farmer sas
[1:11:49] input. Windowbury has long argued that many of today's agricultural
[1:11:53] practices are detrimental to ecology, community, and the local economies.
[1:11:57] Windowberry argues that healthy forms of agriculture require attention. On
[1:12:02] the part of both consumers and farmers. Americans assume that
[1:12:05] there will always be enough money, clean soil and water
[1:12:08] to fulfill our desires. Advocates for regenerative agriculture, augury that
[1:12:12] we ought to live. We ought to recognize the limits.
[1:12:14] Of our world. And as Mr. Barry writes, live in.
[1:12:19] Its terms, not ours. During the early days of livestock
[1:12:22] grazing in the west, there is a significant reduction in
[1:12:25] grazing resources. Caused by overgrazing and the conversion of native
[1:12:29] range land to farmland. Additionally, the railroads brought into the
[1:12:33] west. Large numbers of people seeking land provided by the
[1:12:36] Homestead act of 1883. The deterioration of Western Ranges. In
[1:12:41] the latter half of the 19th century did not go
[1:12:43] unnoticed. Numerous reports of overgrazing were made by livestock associations
[1:12:48] and reporters in practically all parts of the west in
[1:12:50] the late 1880s. Earlier reports documented extreme range depletion in
[1:12:55] the southern and central great plains. In 1915, Frederick Clements,
[1:13:00] the famous Nebraska. Plan ecologist addressed the problems of range
[1:13:03] abuse. He recommended that rest controls season of use, reducing
[1:13:08] livestock numbers, controlling noxious plants and receding be used to
[1:13:12] stop range deterioration. Between 1910 and 1915, Arthur Sampson conducted
[1:13:17] the first grazing system experiments. In Oregon. He reasoned that
[1:13:21] deferment of grazing until sea maturity would allow for seedling.
[1:13:24] Establish. Establishment and help replenish carbohydrate reserves while regenerative agriculture
[1:13:29] is a modern day concept. It really does trace its
[1:13:32] roots back to land conservation in the early 19 hundreds.
[1:13:36] So what is this ethos behind regenerative agriculture and working
[1:13:40] lands conservation? Well, ethos. Can be defined as, quote, the
[1:13:44] characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested
[1:13:48] in its beliefs and aspirations. End quote. You see this
[1:13:52] in real time with the regenerative ad community. Here in
[1:13:54] Boulder county all far. Farmers, young and old. From the
[1:13:59] left to the right on this graph, we want to
[1:14:01] move from a degenerating. Land use system to a system
[1:14:05] that's restorative and regenerating to the land. There is no
[1:14:09] single definition of regenerative agriculture that I could find as
[1:14:12] a philosophy and holistic approach to land management. Regenerative agriculture
[1:14:17] asks us. To think about how all aspects of agriculture
[1:14:21] are connected through a web, a network of entities who
[1:14:24] grow, enhance, exchange, distribute and consume goods and services. Instead
[1:14:29] of a linear supply chain, it's about farming and ranching
[1:14:33] in a style that nourishes people in the earth with
[1:14:35] specific practices, varying from grower to grower and from region
[1:14:38] to region. there is no strict rulebook but the holistic
[1:14:42] principles behind the dynamic system of regenerative agriculture are meant
[1:14:46] to restore soil and ecosystem health address inequality and leave
[1:14:50] our land in waters and climate in better shape for
[1:14:53] future generations many of the concepts and fundamentals which comprise
[1:14:57] our understanding of regenerative agric Agriculture stem from a historical
[1:15:01] narrative regarding sustainable farming and ranching that have roots extending
[1:15:05] back long before today. It's important to appreciate that this
[1:15:09] is not a new idea. In fact, indigenous communities have
[1:15:12] farmed in nature's image for a millennium. According to the
[1:15:15] natural Resources defense counsel, the regenerative agriculture movement is the
[1:15:19] dawning realization among more people that an indigenous approach to
[1:15:23] agriculture can help restore ecologies fight. Climate change, rebuild relationships,
[1:15:30] spark economic development, and bring joy. Regenerative ag in many
[1:15:35] ways, can trace its roots back to Aldo Leopold's land.
[1:15:37] Ethic, which he wrote about in the 1930s. While some
[1:15:41] may think that regenerative agriculture is just a repackaged version
[1:15:44] of what we used to call sustainable farming, or holistic
[1:15:48] grazing. It involves way more than this. So why should
[1:15:52] we care about working lands conservation right here in Boulder
[1:15:54] county? Well, to start, we're located in the central flyway
[1:15:58] for migratory birds in the west. We only have about
[1:16:02] one half of the grasslands left that were historically here
[1:16:05] and far less in Boulder county. Bird numbers are declining
[1:16:08] at an astonishing rate. As you can see from the
[1:16:12] graphic on this slide. Grassland birds have experienced a greater
[1:16:16] than 50% decline over the last 50 years, representing the
[1:16:20] most significant decline of bird species within any major ecosystem
[1:16:24] in North America. Additionally, several grassland birds are projected to
[1:16:29] lose another half of their population in the next 25
[1:16:32] years. Grassland birds are facing a crisis. So the question
[1:16:37] is, how can we achieve significant, lasting change at scale
[1:16:41] to reverse population decline? What does our role in Boulder
[1:16:44] county have in all of this? Last fall while checking
[1:16:49] cattle in the southern part of the county on the
[1:16:51] Saharius property. A small group of sandhill cranes flew overhead.
[1:16:55] These large, beautiful birds migrate through Colorado and route to
[1:16:59] the Rio Grande valley to the south, where they will
[1:17:01] spend the winter. The agricultural lands that we manage for
[1:17:04] parks and open space. Provide incredibly important refugia for migratory
[1:17:10] birds as they rely on our native grasslands as a
[1:17:13] buffer from intense urbanization and development that occurs further to
[1:17:17] the east along the front range. Being out there that
[1:17:21] afternoon was a stark reminder for me of how important
[1:17:24] it is that we manage our rangelands in a way
[1:17:26] that maintains the health of these grasslands moving forward. With
[1:17:31] that in mind. A key tenant of the Working Lands
[1:17:34] Conservation initiative is developing our grazing lease programs so that
[1:17:38] native habitat, such as that shown on the previous slide,
[1:17:42] is managed in a sustainable way that prioritizes ecosystem services.
[1:17:47] The mission of the grazing program is to manage the
[1:17:49] county's agricultural lands. For livestock raising in a manner that
[1:17:53] aligns with. The vision, mission and goals of Boulder county
[1:17:56] parks and open space. A core focus is sustainability, which
[1:18:00] is one of Boulder County's guiding values. The county defines
[1:18:03] sustainability as, quote, the use, development, and protection of resources
[1:18:08] in a way that enables Boulder county residents to meet
[1:18:10] their needs and maintain a high quality of life without
[1:18:14] compromising the ability of future residents to do the same.
[1:18:18] The three primary goals of the new grazing program are
[1:18:21] to one, protect and enhance the ecological integrity and climate
[1:18:25] resilience of grazing lands managed by parks and open space.
[1:18:30] Two to collaborate across parks divisions and eliminate institutional barriers
[1:18:34] in order to include all staff in setting working lands,
[1:18:36] conservation goals. And three to maintain the agricultural heritage of
[1:18:41] Boulder county while incorporating equity and belonging for all leases.
[1:18:47] Therefore, we want a grazing program that supports the community.
[1:18:51] We want a grazing program that is regenerative. We want
[1:18:55] a grazing program that is economically viable and supports local
[1:18:58] food security. We want a grazing program that is fair
[1:19:01] and equitable and we want a grazing program that supports
[1:19:05] all ecosystem services, including preventing overgrazing, so that wildlife and
[1:19:10] native plant diversity. Can thrive. The following map shows the
[1:19:14] county's open space lands in dark green. Most of our
[1:19:17] agricultural lease properties are located east of the foothills towards
[1:19:21] East county line Road along the boundary with Weld county.
[1:19:24] According to the 2022 USDA Ag census, there are 826
[1:19:29] individual farms loc. Located across 74,000 acres in Boulder county.
[1:19:36] Of that Boulder county parks and open space manages 26,000
[1:19:40] acres, which constitutes approximately one third of all agricultural land
[1:19:45] in Boulder County. We currently have 62 leaseholders with 128
[1:19:50] total leases in our program. About half of the lands
[1:19:53] we manage are farmed, while the other half are grazed
[1:19:56] by domestic livestock. Most are smallish. Properties, some are large
[1:20:01] grassland properties. Types of production varies and includes conventional, certified
[1:20:07] organic. Market farms. And specialty goods and services such as
[1:20:11] wildlife viewing, education and outreach, agricultural heritage tours, and even
[1:20:16] pumpkins. In addition to livestock, principal crops grown are the
[1:20:21] big three corn, wheat and barley. In addition to grass,
[1:20:25] alfalfa, hay, sorghum in vegetables. Of the 26,000 acres in
[1:20:31] our program, we have 28 grazing leaseholders across 12,259 acres
[1:20:37] on 81 separate properties. Specifically with our grazing leases. Each
[1:20:42] lease will have a grazing plan. Moving forward, these will
[1:20:46] be developed for each lease and property in concert with
[1:20:48] our leaseholders. This will be a collaborative process where we
[1:20:52] will work with our ranchers to develop grazing plans with
[1:20:55] sustainability goals in mind. These plans will set. Stocking rates
[1:21:02] at appropriate levels for the lands and will incorporate regenerative
[1:21:05] grazing practices. These plans will help us prioritize habitat protection
[1:21:10] for grassland birds, allow us to use cattle grazing for
[1:21:14] wildfire fuel reduction. In overall vegetation management. With enhanced management
[1:21:20] of grazing resources and using the right combination of the
[1:21:23] five grazing fundamentals science and experience has shown that domesticated
[1:21:27] remnants can be used to produce higher permanent soil cover
[1:21:30] of litter and plants, which are effective in reducing soil
[1:21:34] erosion and increasing that biophysical carbon accumulation.
[1:21:42] Fertilizers
[1:22:01] and biocides. This results in better overall soil health. Additionally,
[1:21:46] incorporating forages and remnants into regeneratively managed cropping systems can
[1:21:51] also elevate soil organic carbon and improves soil ecological function
[1:21:55] and reduce production costs by eliminating the use of annual
[1:21:59] tillage. Inorganic fertili. Ecosystem services that are enhanced using regenerative
[1:22:03] land management includes soil stabilization and formation. Water infiltration carbon
[1:22:09] sequestration, nutrient cycling and availability, biodiversity and wildlife habitat. These
[1:22:17] services cumulatively result in increased ecosystem. And economic stability as
[1:22:22] well as resilience. I think this fits pretty well with
[1:22:25] our understanding. Of regenerative agriculture. Each grazing plan will focus
[1:22:29] on the five grazing fundamentals, timing, frequency intensity, duration and
[1:22:35] rest. An example of this in practice is working with
[1:22:39] our wildlife group to develop grassland bird species list for
[1:22:42] our properties. This allows us to use the five grazing
[1:22:45] fundamentals. Timing, frequency, intensity, duration and rest to protect migratory
[1:22:51] birds that rely on our grazing properties. The following graph
[1:22:57] shows the relationship between prairie vegetation, the lifecycle needs of
[1:23:01] specific prairie bird species and livestock raising intensity. Livestock grazing
[1:23:06] intensity and associated vegetation is shown from left to right.
[1:23:13] Where the left side of the slide represents more grazing
[1:23:15] and the right side represents light or no. Grazing. As
[1:23:19] you know, livestock can mimic the role of bison in
[1:23:22] other native grazers. Restore ecosystem functions and nutrient cycles that
[1:23:26] rebuild soil, conserve water and fuel plant growth. All of
[1:23:30] this helps create a diverse mosaic of habitat across. The
[1:23:33] landscape. The goal is to develop a grazing management system
[1:23:37] that creates a rest rotation mosaic to establish a variety
[1:23:41] of spatial and temporal grassland cover and canopy types to
[1:23:45] support a suite of priority bird species. Certain species, such
[1:23:49] as the mountain plubber, burring al horn lark and Kildare
[1:23:53] prefer heavier grazed areas, whereas species such as the lark
[1:23:57] bunting and western metal arc may prefer taller grass. And
[1:24:00] or areas with mixed canopy layers. We are also working
[1:24:05] with our habitat biologists to develop grazing systems to meet
[1:24:08] the needs of the prebbles meadow jumping mouse, which is
[1:24:11] listed as a candidate species under the endangered species. Act.
[1:24:15] The photo on the right of this slide shows one
[1:24:17] of our properties where we are limiting grazing to help
[1:24:19] protect the mouse during the. Growing season while opening up
[1:24:26] the property for properly time grazing in the fall to
[1:24:29] help promote native riparian plant species diversity along the south
[1:24:32] branch of St. Vain Creek. Monitoring and ecological data collection
[1:24:37] are a vital part of our working lands conservation initiative.
[1:24:41] The photo in the lower left hand corner of the
[1:24:44] slide shows a vegetation cage we had built that allows
[1:24:47] us to measure the amount of forage removed by grazing.
[1:24:50] This helps determine the amount of forage. Utilization and overall
[1:24:57] grazing pressure within a property. Additionally, we are working with
[1:25:01] the wildlife group to collect bird Point count data on
[1:25:04] our grassland properties. In order to develop a priority bird
[1:25:08] species list, which, coupled with better grazing systems, will help
[1:25:12] protect migratory birds. We are also collecting soil health, vegetation
[1:25:17] and other wildlife data to better understand and eval. Evaluate
[1:25:20] the ecosystem services that each of our properties provides. And,
[1:25:25] of course, the Working Lands Conservation Initiative, along with our
[1:25:28] Soil Health grant program, will incorporate the five principles of
[1:25:32] soil health. Soil armor, minimizing soil disturbance, plant diversity, continual
[1:25:40] live plant roots, and livestock integration where appropriate excuse me.
[1:25:45] Yes? Sorry to interrupt. Carol. Byerly Posac. What is soil
[1:25:49] armor? Thank you. Soil armor. Could be rock cover. It
[1:25:55] could be biological crust lichen. And things like that. Anything
[1:26:00] that provides a buffer from hard raindrop impact and that
[1:26:03] kind of. Thing. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. These soil
[1:26:08] health principles work together to create a resilient soil ecosystem
[1:26:12] that supports plant growth. In overall environmental condition. We also
[1:26:17] want to be on the cutting edge of climate solutions.
[1:26:23] An important collateral benefit of working lands conservation is using
[1:26:26] regenerative grazing as a natural climate. Solution. This includes both
[1:26:31] climate adaptation and climate mitigation. Properly managed properties contain healthier
[1:26:36] soils, greater plant diversity and productivity. And residual vegetation that
[1:26:41] prevents excess runoff. Grasslands that retain more water can enhance
[1:26:45] resilience to extreme weather events. It's estimated that up to
[1:26:49] 50% of soil organic carbon is emitted. Into the atmosphere
[1:26:52] upon land conversion. Therefore, the lands we protect and steward
[1:26:56] through our program will help. Protect against a changing climate.
[1:27:00] We have a lot going on in the agricultural division
[1:27:03] right now. We are working on our leasing. Program to
[1:27:05] incorporate working lands conservation goals. Revisions to these leases will
[1:27:10] require our leaseholders to follow certain practices, such as limited
[1:27:14] stocking rates, deferred grazing or complete rest. We are also
[1:27:21] working on predator and coyote coexistence strategies to minimize calf
[1:27:25] losses while encouraging producers to use nonlethal predator mitigation techniques
[1:27:31] over the past couple of years. We've had soil health
[1:27:34] funding available. These critical funds are used by our leaseholders
[1:27:37] to put into practice the working lands conservation initiative. Including
[1:27:41] improving soil health and protecting ecosystem services. We are also
[1:27:46] working with OSMP, open space and mountain parks to evaluate
[1:27:50] a ridification on agricultural lands across the county, partnering with
[1:27:54] CSU extension and importantly, getting ready for the soil. Rev
[1:27:58] conference, which will be held on December 11 this year.
[1:28:03] To register for the conference, please go to Soilrev. Dot
[1:28:06] for more information. This is a really awesome conference that
[1:28:09] brings together farmers, ranchers, regenerative practitioners, researchers. And the general
[1:28:15] public with an interest in working lands, conservation and regenerative
[1:28:19] ag right here. In Bowler County. To conclude, I'd like
[1:28:23] to finish with a quote from Dan Flores, who's a
[1:28:26] retired professor at the University of Montana and author of
[1:28:29] several notable books. Quotes there is a line of argument
[1:28:35] in cultural anthropology that goes this way. Great ideas and
[1:28:40] great innovations are relatively rare events in human history. But
[1:28:44] once exposed to the world, the really valuable ones have
[1:28:47] a life of their own and cannot be contained. They
[1:28:50] spread. Diffuse is the term in anthropology, from person to
[1:28:53] person, group to group. Little packages of new information transforming
[1:28:58] reality, end quote. I believe that regenerative agriculture and working
[1:29:03] lands conservation as a concept. Idea, practice or framework is
[1:29:07] spreading diffusely throughout Boulder county and within the US writ
[1:29:12] large and it does seem to have a life of
[1:29:14] its own, as Dan Flores states, Thank you, Posak. That
[1:29:19] concludes my presentation. Thank you. Thank you, Aaron. You covered
[1:29:23] a lot. Of ground there. Yeah. Awesome presentation, and I
[1:29:27] am sure we have some questions. So we'll start here
[1:29:31] with John. John White Poseack. Thank you. I think this
[1:29:37] awesome presentation. I don't know how awesome I think it
[1:29:41] would be if I was a rancher. And had to
[1:29:43] limit my cattle. What kind of feedback do you get
[1:29:47] about that? Yeah, that's a great question, John. I appreciate
[1:29:53] that. So we're working through this process right now. My
[1:29:58] approach to having these conversations with our producers is to
[1:30:02] start collaboratively, step by step. And impress upon them the
[1:30:06] need that our goal here is to keep agriculture on
[1:30:09] the land to make sure that our practices are farming
[1:30:12] and ranching practices are done right through time moving forward.
[1:30:17] So that 510 20 years from now we can keep
[1:30:20] agriculture in place and minimize any potential degradation. That's happening.
[1:30:25] So the goal. Is sustainability in working with them over
[1:30:28] a period of time to make those cattle adjustments to
[1:30:31] reduce stocking rates to look at out of the box
[1:30:34] options, other properties that might be available, those kind of
[1:30:37] things. How cooperative. How much buy in do you get
[1:30:41] from the ranchers? I'm not trying to be argumentative. Well,
[1:30:47] it's a mixed bag. Mostly good. Mostly good? Yeah. I
[1:30:50] think most of our producers want to see improvement in
[1:30:53] the condition of our properties. Most of our producers recognize
[1:30:56] that they want to have properties that they can rely
[1:31:00] on moving forward. So I'm hopeful and optimistic that we'll
[1:31:05] have a suite of producers. That are coal line with
[1:31:07] our sustainability. Vision moving forward. Thanks. Okay, I'm going to
[1:31:14] keep looking this way. Derek. You got it. Derek Turner.
[1:31:19] Pozak. Along those lines. So you mentioned the 28 grazing
[1:31:23] leaseholders? And they have to have a grazing plan. Is
[1:31:27] it kind of a carrot or a stick situation? Is
[1:31:29] there an incentive? That you're offering with this plan, or
[1:31:34] is it kind of a mandate? Here's the plan that.
[1:31:37] We need you to adopt. Yeah, we definitely don't want
[1:31:42] to impose a mandate up front because that's a pretty
[1:31:44] good way to get people to run the other way.
[1:31:48] And having these conversations. It starts with trust building. It
[1:31:51] starts with letting them know that I'm. On their team
[1:31:53] that I'm trying to make this work, but I also
[1:31:55] have to prioritize our conservation goals moving forward by protecting
[1:31:59] those ecological services. That are so vital. That the people
[1:32:04] of older county want to have in place and that
[1:32:07] are regionally important like migratory bird habitat. So it's definitely
[1:32:11] a collaborative process for sure. And the timeline. For signing
[1:32:18] these plans or approving the plans. The next two years
[1:32:21] is going to be a major push, and we're starting
[1:32:23] to have those conversations right now in real time. One
[1:32:28] more question. I'm thrilled to see this. And it looks
[1:32:34] like you're starting with the grazing. Lands. But you also
[1:32:37] mentioned in general, the regenerative, a focus on regenerative agriculture.
[1:32:41] I happen to live pretty close to Olin Farms and
[1:32:45] Mark Gutridge and Kenna. Are very much preaching what they're
[1:32:51] doing there as regenerative, and I'm curious about the focus.
[1:32:56] Of how that focus could be expanded. Or is there
[1:33:00] a plan to look at the other leaseholders that are
[1:33:02] the traditional farms and offer incentives for leases or rewards
[1:33:07] for folks that are really doing that work. Yeah. This
[1:33:10] is obviously not a mutually exclusive program, limited to grazing
[1:33:14] properties, all of our agricultural lands. Have some degree of
[1:33:17] habitat. Center, pivot corners, wetlands, ephemeral drainages all run through
[1:33:24] farming properties. And in fact, we see a lot of
[1:33:28] biodiversity on many of our farming properties. Just because we
[1:33:31] have a lot of edge effect. And they're located to
[1:33:34] other properties that do have that biodiversity. So even though
[1:33:37] my focus is on grazing lands. My hope is to
[1:33:41] incorporate these principles with all of our farming properties through
[1:33:44] time. Great. Thank you. Christine. Christine johnson posak. While I
[1:33:53] find this really interesting. And I'm a little curious about
[1:33:58] the timeline because I would have liked to have heard
[1:34:00] about it. Or about. The development of it. When we
[1:34:05] talked about soil health. At our retreat this winter. You
[1:34:11] mentioned. A lot of indicators. Of ecosystem health,
[1:34:21] of soil health. And to me, that implies a lot
[1:34:25] of data, and I'm wondering. Are you going? Are you
[1:34:30] planning? To collect data. Are you going to be analyzing
[1:34:35] that? Are you working with researchers? Is this on? The
[1:34:38] farmers. Is it in collaboration? Tell us more about that.
[1:34:44] How are you going to measure your success? Yeah. Thank
[1:34:48] you for the question, Christine. Ecological monitoring, obviously provide us
[1:34:52] with benchmark data to make decision points moving forward. We
[1:34:57] have a lot of work to do. And we will
[1:35:02] need time and money to collect data. I would love
[1:35:06] to have a soil health testing program. Across much of
[1:35:09] our agricultural lands so that we have real time data,
[1:35:12] whether it's nutrient data, infiltration data, soil carbon data, that
[1:35:16] kind of thing. So we're beginning to have those conversations
[1:35:20] right now to see what that data collection process looks
[1:35:23] like how much help we can get, not only internally,
[1:35:26] but partnering with. CSU extension, the conservation district, private landowners.
[1:35:34] The Citizen of Soil Health initiative. And folks like that.
[1:35:38] So it's very much going to be kind of an
[1:35:40] all hands. On deck process. To evaluate. What kind of
[1:35:45] data we need to see if we're actually achieving what
[1:35:48] it is that we want to achieve. Go ahead. Hi,
[1:35:52] Therese Glob. I just wanted to interject a few other
[1:35:57] things, too, with the two last questions that you had.
[1:36:01] We are participating with Dr. Lundgren. It's 1000 farms soil.
[1:36:07] Research project. So we have some of our agriculture producers
[1:36:11] that have participated in that for several years. In our
[1:36:16] Krapland policy, and I know that. That was before most,
[1:36:20] if not all of you were on POSAc. We outlined
[1:36:23] a host. Of different monitoring that we would do. And
[1:36:28] I'll be honest. It is very complex. We tried. We
[1:36:35] have some long term soil monitoring. Certainly for our crop
[1:36:40] lands. We have been monitoring grasslands for over 20 years,
[1:36:43] like the vegetation on our grasslands. So we know the
[1:36:48] complexities and how much time it takes and. We also
[1:36:54] try to balance that with understanding that we're practitioners. We
[1:36:57] are not researchers. So what I would like to just
[1:37:01] emphasize is, as much as we love to have great
[1:37:03] goals, of monitoring, monitoring, monitoring. I think a lot of
[1:37:07] the information that Aaron presented. Is monitored by other people
[1:37:12] and. It is understood that this is the best way
[1:37:15] to move forward, so I would just encourage us all
[1:37:18] to think about. Let's get more of these practices on
[1:37:20] the ground rather than focusing all of our time on
[1:37:23] monitoring, monitoring, monitoring. And. The question just before that about
[1:37:30] how are we going to be working with our conventional
[1:37:33] farmers so that's our soil health program that we launched
[1:37:36] four years ago. Where? We are supplementing. We are providing
[1:37:42] grants to farmers who are implementing any of those five
[1:37:46] soil health projects. Practices. So we have been trying this
[1:37:51] soft approach for a while, and now, I think with.
[1:37:57] Aaron. As relatively new specialist, and Aaron's just extensive knowledge
[1:38:02] and. Great strategies going forward. We look forward to seeing
[1:38:07] a whole lot more adaptation from our farmers adoption from
[1:38:11] our farmers. And adaptation. I have one last question. Given
[1:38:20] that. A lot of these goals overlap. With climate goals.
[1:38:27] Is there collaboration going on with Oscar? Yes, there is.
[1:38:31] So we recently wrapped up a joint project with OSMP
[1:38:35] Oscar in a consulting firm. Doing, and I think I
[1:38:39] mentioned this in a slide. We did a kind of
[1:38:42] a high level eridification desertification study. Looking at not only
[1:38:48] parks and open space properties, but also OSMP properties. So,
[1:38:54] looking at Lidar data, looking at satellite imagery, looking at.
[1:39:00] Moisture. Data, things like that, and coming up with a
[1:39:05] ridification score. And Oscar provided some very valuable insight and
[1:39:11] input into that process. Thank you. Teresa. Yes, Aaron. Trace
[1:39:19] Baker Poseack. Thank you. And I know it's getting late,
[1:39:23] so I'll ask you. To. Respond briefly. In the handout
[1:39:30] you gave us, you talked about. The grazing plan changes
[1:39:35] are being implemented. Quote, in conjunction with necessary changes. To
[1:39:41] the county's grazing lease program. Could you tell very briefly
[1:39:47] what those changes were and how they drove changes to
[1:39:50] the grazing plan? Sure. So each agricultural lease will now
[1:39:55] have a section that has a grazing plan inserted into
[1:39:59] it. And within that section, it's not going to be
[1:40:02] a dissertation, it's going to be a very brief set
[1:40:05] of criteria that has the five, four or five grazing
[1:40:08] fundamentals. So timing, season, restoration, et cetera, and. It's going
[1:40:13] to be very simple. It's not going to be overly
[1:40:16] wordy, et cetera, something that the producer and both the
[1:40:18] county can understand moving forward. Okay. Thank you. Joan. Joan
[1:40:24] loots posac and I just love all of this, and
[1:40:27] I'm so glad that. We're addressing invasive species and stream
[1:40:34] bank erosion, for example. And so I'm wondering, if a
[1:40:37] grant might go to fencing cattle away from certain streams.
[1:40:44] So that they're only entering at one point. Yeah, we
[1:40:47] are looking at all of our riparian areas. And hopefully
[1:40:52] the goal is to develop better grazing management strategies. Within
[1:40:57] our riparian corridors. With that, we obviously have to have
[1:41:00] the right fencing at the right. Place to be able
[1:41:02] to do that. And so part of my goal is
[1:41:05] to literally go out and walk the properties. In conjunction
[1:41:09] with our plan, ecology and our wildlife staff and identify
[1:41:12] where that fencing needs to go. And then figure out
[1:41:14] how to get that funded, either through grants or through
[1:41:17] cast funding request or through internal money that we might
[1:41:21] have available. And then for farming. Is anyone considering the
[1:41:28] use of these perennial grains like Kernza from the land
[1:41:32] Institute? Although it's not native, but many of these crops
[1:41:36] aren't made of to minimize soil disturbance. My expertise is
[1:41:42] not in. Yeah, actually. Sure. Hi. Cassandra Shanar. I'm with
[1:41:48] the ag division at parks and open space. Exciting that
[1:41:52] you say that. We just hired an agricultural resource specialist,
[1:41:56] and her PhD work was with Kernza. So. Once she
[1:42:01] comes back from maternity leave, I'm sure we can take
[1:42:04] a look at that. Okay, great. It'd be really nice
[1:42:08] if it was a native plant, but in talking with
[1:42:10] the people, at the lane institute, apparently. What they've tried
[1:42:15] so far. Has. Been overly consumed by, in fact, The
[1:42:21] need of plants, which makes sense because the native insects
[1:42:25] are here, and if you had them, all in one
[1:42:27] monocrop. So, yeah, we will be looking at all kinds
[1:42:32] of things. Thank you. Vicky. Vicky Lawrence Posak. Aaron, thanks.
[1:42:38] Gosh, what a lot of information. I'm sort of assuming
[1:42:42] that this question is a no brainer. Will these lease
[1:42:48] contracts with the grazers? Have. An addendum or something around
[1:42:55] the amount of moisture that we get in any particular
[1:42:58] year. That would impact. So instead of just having a
[1:43:01] blanket thing for that property that says you have so
[1:43:04] many cattle will it be? Wow. But if we're below
[1:43:06] this amount of precipitation, Those cattle are going to have
[1:43:10] to be cut back. Yeah, absolutely. Any land management plan
[1:43:14] pertaining to these kind of things. Obviously, it's seasonally dependent
[1:43:17] and. They're going to be evergreen grazing plans. So any
[1:43:22] rancher who really knows this stuff in and out will
[1:43:25] sit down with precipitation data. We'll look at their property.
[1:43:29] We'll? Have, hopefully have vegetation data in real time to
[1:43:32] recalibrate. Either readjust those stocking rate numbers and or destock
[1:43:38] if conditions weren't. And so that's very much going to
[1:43:42] be a part of this program. Thank you. Aaron tony
[1:43:46] lewis. Thanks for the great presentation. I'm fairly stunned, actually.
[1:43:55] At the magnitude of what you're doing, and I'm super
[1:43:57] excited about it. And I'm a little worried because I
[1:44:02] don't think you guys have enough resources. To actually pull
[1:44:05] all this off. Not that it's a lack of good
[1:44:09] intent or hard work or anything else, but. I'm concerned
[1:44:13] that POS hasn't put enough money into agriculture to give
[1:44:17] you. The resources and the capacity that you need to
[1:44:19] actually do this, because when I hear that you're going
[1:44:22] to walk every property, you're going to get all those
[1:44:25] fences mapped, you're going to create specific plans for each
[1:44:29] property. It's a lot of work. Right? I agree. For
[1:44:35] sure. I just want to say. From my position or
[1:44:39] perspective. I want to advocate for you guys to get
[1:44:43] more resources in your budget, because I don't think we
[1:44:46] can actually do this. And do it with fidelity unless
[1:44:50] we put more resources towards that. I'm curious about. A
[1:44:59] specific property because. I walked it and I was disturbed
[1:45:02] about it. We talked about it in July and that's.
[1:45:05] The Cushman property. That property is fairly devastated. It's had
[1:45:10] a year off or a season off. Mike Foster wrote
[1:45:15] us a note that said it was going to be
[1:45:16] released back to the Cushman's. Or back to Dwayne. To
[1:45:22] lease again, starting 1126. With a specific grazing plan. And
[1:45:29] conditions on that permit. So I want to check in
[1:45:31] with you all, and if you don't? Have the answer.
[1:45:33] Now, that's totally fine, but I'm worried. That what we
[1:45:39] heard from Mike. And I have the email here I'm
[1:45:41] happy to send. It to you is not going to
[1:45:42] be actually followed. Cassandra. Sure. Property is over off 75th
[1:45:50] and Highway 66. Yeah, it's north of Longmont. Kind of.
[1:45:57] Southeast of Rabbit Mountain. So. Yeah. Cassandra. Sharian parks open
[1:46:03] space. No, that's not accurate. That. Our intentions are. To
[1:46:10] work with the property for a while. And probably then
[1:46:14] an open bid process. There's not an automatic any. Lease
[1:46:20] that we have intentions of leasing it to. So whenever
[1:46:24] we decide it's ready, or rather, whenever Aaron decides it's
[1:46:27] ready, then it would be. Either an open bid process
[1:46:32] or we're looking at keeping some of our lands back
[1:46:34] to use for emergency grazing in case of flood, fire,
[1:46:39] things like that, especially. Some properties. We might want to
[1:46:44] only have grazed once every few years. Or portions of
[1:46:47] them that are more delicate. So this year, that property.
[1:46:53] We tried to get a contractor out there to do
[1:46:55] prairie dog control, because that's a. Big part of the
[1:46:58] property there. Our team has been trapping there, and then
[1:47:01] we'll do control, and then next year we have funding
[1:47:04] in place. Or requested to. Do re vegetation. Great. And
[1:47:10] then we'll see how long that takes. Another property in
[1:47:13] kind of the same area. We reseeded, what, two years
[1:47:18] ago, I think. Debarry. We receded two years. Ago and.
[1:47:23] We're still like, no, it's just going to sit. That's
[1:47:27] great to hear, Cassandra. Thank you. I want to make
[1:47:30] sure that. Just given. This memo that Mike sent to
[1:47:36] Posac outlining. This alternative reality or plan. I want to
[1:47:43] make sure that Dwayne Cushman and his family are very
[1:47:47] aware. Of what you just said, and I just want
[1:47:51] to make sure that. There's no confusion out there. No.
[1:47:55] Erin and I met with them last week. Okay, cool.
[1:47:58] That's great. Just out of curiosity, Aaron, how long have
[1:48:02] you been with the AG division? Just over two years.
[1:48:05] Okay. You have a great talent for knowing all this
[1:48:09] stuff. Very quick answers. Thank you. Well, I guess the
[1:48:14] last question I have, and maybe for both of you,
[1:48:17] I'm not. Sure. There's been talk about how to use
[1:48:25] grazing to help restore some of our other lands. Both
[1:48:30] range land and farmland. And it strikes me that oftentimes
[1:48:35] we only think about. Grazers and. Livestock as something that
[1:48:41] they get to graze the land. They need to pay
[1:48:44] pos. And I'm really curious if we've considered pain grazers
[1:48:49] to restore the land. I know we do. Certainly goats
[1:48:53] with weeds. But I think there's opportunities for us to
[1:48:56] actually. Hire cattle. To help restore some of the land
[1:49:01] and do some regenerative ag. Have you guys had any
[1:49:05] thoughts about that? We have. Yeah. I mean, payments for
[1:49:09] ecosystem services is a model that's used pretty widely. These
[1:49:12] days. We've had discussions about what that looks like with
[1:49:17] our program. It's got pros and cons. But I think
[1:49:21] there are many opportunities within our program where traditional grazing
[1:49:25] is maybe not appropriate either. Because of spatial limitations or.
[1:49:30] Just because of the vegetation or the condition of the
[1:49:33] property. And I've had conversations with those contract razors in
[1:49:37] the county and a few new ones as well about
[1:49:40] what kind of options and ideas that they might have
[1:49:42] or bring to the table. To look in the payments
[1:49:45] for ecosystem services, which would include that kind of thing.
[1:49:49] Great. That'd. Be awesome. It'd be great to explore. Thank
[1:49:52] you, guys. I really appreciate the direction. You're headed and
[1:49:55] the plan to have. Thank you. You're welcome. Anyone else?
[1:50:00] No. And I'll reiterate that, too. I like to see
[1:50:04] this as going I've seen a lot of grazing properties.
[1:50:07] I live next to them, and I think you guys
[1:50:10] are. Headed in a good direction. The only question I
[1:50:13] have is about the leases. And I did listen to
[1:50:17] some testimony at the Boulder county commission meeting. I don't
[1:50:21] know. A month or two ago. But about the leases.
[1:50:24] How long are they? And it seems to me. With
[1:50:29] grazing. I'm not going to talk so much about the
[1:50:32] other kind of egg, but. With grazing. You would want
[1:50:37] to have a balance between having. A lease that's flexible
[1:50:42] enough to obtain what you need for goals, but also.
[1:50:47] Gives the tenant some incentives. Length of time to make
[1:50:52] investments in the land and not just try to take
[1:50:55] whatever they can. Get because they know it's only going
[1:50:58] to be a short term lease. Can you speak? It
[1:51:00] all to that. What kind of incentives can you give
[1:51:03] to tenants to have them really get invested in the
[1:51:07] properties that they're using. Yeah. Thank you for that comment,
[1:51:11] Janet. So the most important thing with grazing is knowing
[1:51:16] the land and knowing the seasonality. Knowing what? Grows, what
[1:51:20] comes up, what invasive species. Might be a problem if
[1:51:25] you're an agriculture or producer. What kind of wildlife you
[1:51:29] might have in a property. And so, naturally, short term
[1:51:33] leases, aka one year leases. Kind of prohibit. Our producers
[1:51:39] from really getting to know the property over time, so
[1:51:42] I'm very much of an advocate, with exceptions for longer
[1:51:46] leases. That. Foster an agrarian mindset, a stewardship mentality. And
[1:51:56] really allow our tenants. To be a part of our
[1:52:00] sustainability goals and kind of co share the same vision
[1:52:04] that we have as parks and open space staff with
[1:52:07] these properties. How the length of the leases fit in
[1:52:11] with that? I can't answer that because I'm not a
[1:52:14] lease specialist, but I will say that when I go
[1:52:17] out and speak to new people in particular. What I'm
[1:52:21] asking questions of them about. Are. How well do you
[1:52:24] know the land? If you were to become a part
[1:52:26] of our program? What kind of investments you would make.
[1:52:30] As a private business into making that land. As good
[1:52:34] as it can be. Okay. Well said. Thank you, Cassandra.
[1:52:38] Did you want to add to it? I thought maybe
[1:52:40] you look. Like you're about. You don't have to. No,
[1:52:42] it's okay, I think. Aaron did a great job. They
[1:52:46] know our grazers very well. But like everything in agriculture,
[1:52:50] it's about trade offs. And so the longer lease terms
[1:52:54] are great for many reasons, and then also. Shorter lease
[1:52:59] terms have benefits in the sense of. We want to
[1:53:04] see. We, being the county as a whole, wants to
[1:53:07] see. Availability and access to land. Trying to have those
[1:53:13] imbalance can be a really difficult thing. Thank you. It
[1:53:20] looks like Tony's got. Sorry, did Tony Lewis Post? Just
[1:53:23] one last request. Can we. Get your slides. And Renata,
[1:53:27] is it possible to get slides from each of the
[1:53:29] presentations sent to us? Something we can do. That'd be
[1:53:34] great. Thanks. In fact, following on that, you've covered enough
[1:53:40] ground. Is any of this written up? This is a
[1:53:42] big initiative, so. Is any of this in documented writing?
[1:53:47] Because I'd love to see it. Yeah. Last year I
[1:53:50] was sort of working on kind of a draft grazing
[1:53:52] program document that captures some of these concepts that needs
[1:53:55] to be updated. I haven't worked on it in a
[1:53:58] while. Just because I've been focused on this presentation and
[1:54:02] everything else that we have right now. But yeah, the
[1:54:04] goal is to have an actual document. So future folks
[1:54:08] and or people who are just interested in what it
[1:54:10] is that this kind of presentation contains can actually look
[1:54:14] it up. Okay, that'd be great. Yeah, I'll look. Forward
[1:54:17] to seeing it when you get it in shape. All
[1:54:21] right. Anything else? All right. Thanks very much. Very informative.
[1:54:26] Oh, right. Hang on. How about the public? I don't
[1:54:30] see anyone here, but if you want to speak. And
[1:54:34] do we have anyone online? No one online, so thank
[1:54:39] you very much. All right, thank you. All right, our
[1:54:43] fourth presentation is from the Boulder county wildfire partners and
[1:54:48] parks and open space. And it will be Jim WEBster
[1:54:51] that's going to give it. And Jim, you're with the
[1:54:53] wildfire partners, right? All right.
[1:55:07] Thanks for the invitation. It's a real pleasure to be
[1:55:09] here. Jim Webster with the community. Planning and permitting department.
[1:55:13] And I'm here to talk about wildfire partners and that's.
[1:55:16] Boulder County's wildfire mitigation program. I'm going to hit a
[1:55:20] few highlights. If you want to learn more, our website
[1:55:23] is wildfirepartners.org. So this is a picture of the 2010
[1:55:30] four Mile Canyon fire. So I've been with the county
[1:55:35] for 15 plus years. And the Community Planning and permitting
[1:55:39] department, I might say CPP is our acronym. We've recognized
[1:55:43] that we've entered into a new era of climate driven
[1:55:45] wildfires, and we need to adapt. So it's just not
[1:55:48] land managers that climate change is a big influence for.
[1:55:52] But for homeowners and residents in the built environment. So
[1:55:56] we can't look at the past to predict the future.
[1:55:58] The next 10, 20, 30. Years, we're going to see
[1:56:00] dramatic changes in the size, number of wildfires. So the
[1:56:04] idea is we need to prepare and mitigate. Talk about
[1:56:08] a public opinion survey here. Back in 2022, after the
[1:56:11] Marshall fire, we asked the county asked residents what's the
[1:56:15] most important issue facing Boulder county today? And you'll notice
[1:56:18] number two up there is more wildfire mitigation, which I
[1:56:22] think is pretty significant. In terms of if. You look
[1:56:28] at other environmental issues or open space issues up there?
[1:56:31] We do have environmental issues, general. 3%. But I think
[1:56:34] the message here is our community understands, right? They didn't
[1:56:38] ask. For more fire trucks. They asked for more mitigation,
[1:56:40] so that's an important distinction. You also notice? It is
[1:56:44] time dependent there. In 2018 and 19, no one said
[1:56:47] wildfire mitigation, so. After four mile fire event or after
[1:56:51] we've had some fires, people pay attention and we have
[1:56:53] an opportunity to act. And so, based on this public
[1:56:56] opinion survey, in the survey, we also asked about ballot
[1:57:01] measures. Commissioners do this regularly, and the survey said this
[1:57:04] is the number one issue. We'd support. 75% said they
[1:57:07] would support a sales tax for wafar mitigation. So that
[1:57:09] jumped. Over the housing number one issue there and the
[1:57:12] single most important issues. The housing question now was a
[1:57:15] smaller 55%. So. With that polling, the Kipsners decided to
[1:57:21] put on the ballot a wildfire mitigation. Tax. And it
[1:57:24] passed with 72%. They sort of looked at that 75%
[1:57:28] number in the poll. And say, yeah, this has got
[1:57:29] strong support. They also asked in perpetuity or in ten
[1:57:33] years the polling founded that. Asked for in perpetuity because
[1:57:37] it really doesn't change the support that much, so. That
[1:57:39] was important finding. And so the taxes in place for
[1:57:41] Boulder county since that ballot measure passed and we have
[1:57:45] that funding in perpetuity, and that raises about, depending on
[1:57:49] the sales tech revenue between eight and $9 million a
[1:57:51] year. And I'm here to talk about wildfire partners, but
[1:57:55] just wanted to mention that of course, parks Open Space
[1:57:57] is a number of wildfire mitigation initiatives, and we collaborate
[1:58:00] together. And we support what parks and open space is
[1:58:03] doing. We just heard about some you're familiar with. The
[1:58:07] force management and the Community Forest Resort Yards, I will
[1:58:10] highlight one initiative you might not be familiar with. Back
[1:58:14] post flood, a FEMA grant was obtained and parks and
[1:58:17] over space worked with us and they mitigated. Infrastructure. So
[1:58:23] there's a pitcher. Highle Valley Ranch Kevin Grady caretaker House
[1:58:27] was mitigated with these principles I'm going to talk about
[1:58:30] in terms of hardening the structure. Creating defensible space. In
[1:58:34] this. Success story where that mitigation helps survive the home.
[1:58:38] So the idea is we live with fire, we mitigate.
[1:58:41] And it was a great example of parks open space
[1:58:43] being a model for the community that, hey, we're going
[1:58:45] to mitigate our infrastructure and preach and practice and be
[1:58:49] the model. So that was really an important initiative that
[1:58:51] parks and open space. Undertook, and we collaborated together on
[1:58:56] that. So we are working together with parks and open
[1:58:59] space, but really? We're on the other side of the
[1:59:01] fence. We're working in the built. Environment with communities, and
[1:59:04] we'll talk about a couple of the initiatives here. Excuse
[1:59:07] me. Excuse me. Carol Byerly Posac. Can I just interrupt?
[1:59:11] Can we go back to that slide, because. I would
[1:59:14] love to hear what specific. Mitigation measures. Did that. Right.
[1:59:22] And so it's complicated. We look at every vulnerability and
[1:59:25] every pathway, so we have 50. Questions in our apps.
[1:59:28] We look at everything and then make sure. Whether it's
[1:59:32] the roof, the windows, the siding, if there's any vulnerabilities.
[1:59:35] We're going to mitigate for that. So there is, we
[1:59:38] could go back and look at all the actions that
[1:59:39] Kevin and parks took on that property, and then it's
[1:59:43] important to maintain that over time. So once you do
[1:59:45] that initial mitigation, there's ongoing maintenance of pine needles and
[1:59:50] grasses and things. Like that. So there's a great story
[1:59:54] in terms of the evacuation, also the Oaks, the people
[1:59:57] on high valor ask we mitigated with wildfire. Partners and
[1:59:59] their homes survived in large part to that mitigation as
[2:00:02] well. So there's great information and story and details, and
[2:00:06] we've got some case studies written up about some different
[2:00:08] things that we can provide additional information. But. There's quite
[2:00:13] a bit of action to take to look at those
[2:00:15] pathways and vulnerabilities. So why community planning and permitting got
[2:00:20] involved and why we're leading the wildfire mitigation efforts. Just
[2:00:23] a little history. We got involved in 1989 to prohibit.
[2:00:30] New shake shingle roofs was sort of the entry, and
[2:00:33] that's really where the regulation and the building code and
[2:00:35] land use code are housed in our department, and so
[2:00:38] that's really the start of the mitigation experts historically, in
[2:00:41] 1993, all new homes constructed, an unincorporated Boulder county had
[2:00:45] to meet those ignition resistant construction requirements in the defensible
[2:00:49] space, and so we've been doing. This since 1993, and
[2:00:52] we've been adding things over the years, the most recent
[2:00:55] with the short term rentals requiring mitigation. So when we
[2:00:58] have an ability with our land use and building codes.
[2:01:01] We implement some of the regulations that way. And so
[2:01:05] we've done a good job on the new homes in
[2:01:07] terms of. With the science and the improved technology. The
[2:01:11] new homes that are being built have very low ignition.
[2:01:14] Potential. They're very hard to ignite. Think of a campfire
[2:01:17] with wet wood and no kindling. Those are really hard
[2:01:20] to ignite. So we look at those principles and we've
[2:01:23] had success. Just in those two recent fires, we had
[2:01:26] 19 homes, all of them survived. That had gone through.
[2:01:30] That regulatory process. Sort of. Same with the four mile
[2:01:33] fire. Here's some examples. Good success with new homes, but
[2:01:39] after 17 years of doing those regulations, we only had
[2:01:43] 10%. Of the homes in the fire that were new
[2:01:46] homes. And so we can't just have regulations on new
[2:01:51] homes to address this problem. We have those tools, and
[2:01:53] that's what we're doing in our department. But we need
[2:01:55] to address the existing homes as well. And so that's
[2:01:59] where wildfire partners come in. Wildfire Partners is the regulatory
[2:02:03] and the voluntary program. It's combined, but we can't. Just
[2:02:06] do the regulations and so. We created wildfire Partners in
[2:02:10] 2014. It was really. The first parcel level certification program
[2:02:15] in the country. So it was a different philosophy in
[2:02:17] terms of how we approach this. Not just education, but
[2:02:20] to work with the private sector in the past. Insurance
[2:02:25] companies doing one thing, public sector doing another, not talking
[2:02:28] uncertainty for homeowners. We created a partnership to work together,
[2:02:32] and insurance is one element. So we've helped hundreds of
[2:02:34] homeowners obtain and retain insurance. By recognizing that mitigation to
[2:02:39] a standard. So we've really trying to focus on action
[2:02:43] and reducing that risk through that home. Hardening and defensible
[2:02:47] space. And this is a picture of. A recent Stone
[2:02:54] Canyon fire homeowner recently had performed mitigation required by the
[2:02:59] insurance company did a lot of work. The fire came
[2:03:02] at homeowners convinced, and we have the science, and we
[2:03:05] looked at all the details that that mitigation really made
[2:03:07] the difference in that home surviving. So it's based on
[2:03:10] the science of how homes ignite. We're. Really looking at
[2:03:13] those detail. Details and then implementing sort of a comprehensive
[2:03:17] program. And some of you might be familiar with energy.
[2:03:19] Smart with the energy audits. There's some parallels with this
[2:03:23] program, so we're giving homeowners that individual customized assessment and
[2:03:27] report, and then we're following that up. With inspections and
[2:03:31] this recognition with the yard sign and then the recert.
[2:03:33] Recertifications, then people provide that certificate to the insurance company
[2:03:37] and that helps them obtain insurance. So we're looking at
[2:03:41] mitigating those individual homes. And the idea is this. National
[2:03:45] goal of live with fire. We can't eliminate fire that
[2:03:48] doesn't work. And so how do we live with fire?
[2:03:51] Is we adapt and. We build communities and we retrofit
[2:03:55] and hardened home so they can survive a wildfire. There's
[2:04:00] a lot of numbers here. I'm not going to go
[2:04:01] through them all. But these are some of the metrics
[2:04:04] after eleven years of the program. And it's hard work.
[2:04:07] We don't tell people. This is simple, right? If it
[2:04:09] was simple, it would. Have been already done before and
[2:04:11] were some of the leaders in the country. It's hard
[2:04:13] work. And so you'll notice here, I'll just start at
[2:04:16] 06:00 here. The cost that people. This is 1000 people
[2:04:21] reporting. Between the time of their assessment and the final
[2:04:25] inspection, we've got a 9000 over. $9,000 of cost. As
[2:04:30] average and 103 hours of work. So it's a lot
[2:04:33] of effort to obtain the certificate at 1.2 years is
[2:04:37] the average amount of time people go at their own
[2:04:39] pace. Some will get it done in a few months
[2:04:41] and some will take longer. But the idea is to
[2:04:44] make progress and to reach that certification standard. A couple
[2:04:48] of their numbers up there, the. Average is eleven measures
[2:04:52] that they're required to do. Some have to do more,
[2:04:54] some less. So you sort of asked what had been
[2:04:56] done at Hill, and so they had to complete several
[2:04:59] items based on their customized list. It's different from everyone,
[2:05:03] and that's one of the differences with partners is that.
[2:05:07] It's not a cookie cutter. Everybody here's a piece of
[2:05:09] paper. Go out and. Spend $9,000. It's helping people do
[2:05:13] exactly what they need to do. On their property based
[2:05:15] on their biggest vulnerabilities. And so. Last year, we had
[2:05:20] over 3900 assessments, and so. We've started and really working
[2:05:25] in western Boulder County. Where this is focused. And just
[2:05:32] that Home assessment and certification program is the first program
[2:05:35] we started with, but now we've added a number of
[2:05:38] different programs with the mitigation tax, so you may have
[2:05:41] seen the buses? Anybody seen a bus ad out there
[2:05:43] with wildfire partners advertising our rebate? Program or things like
[2:05:47] that, so. We do have a grant program for fuels
[2:05:50] mitigation, forestry projects and grassland mowing, grazing. Projects. We have
[2:05:56] rebates. Get your $500.06. Calls to action that we're working
[2:06:00] on. That's junkie of Juniper. And screener vents and that
[2:06:05] 1st 5ft we have things about that home base that
[2:06:08] really first six inches declutter. So we're getting people to
[2:06:11] take action. We've got precommittee shipping for anybody in the
[2:06:14] county. To maintain their defensible space and get rid of
[2:06:18] those that slash. We have a community mitigation program. We
[2:06:22] have youth services, so we have our own. We don't
[2:06:25] work with your youth corps. We work with sort of
[2:06:27] the mile high youth quarantine? Sync because. They have chainsaw
[2:06:31] crews and they're doing mitigation with us to offer free.
[2:06:33] Services to vulnerable communities. And so. Just that gives you
[2:06:38] a little bit of a taste. We have our two
[2:06:41] departments working together. You're on the open space side. We're
[2:06:45] really on the built environment side, but we need to
[2:06:48] communicate and coordinate and collaborate together so that's what we're
[2:06:51] doing more and more with some of your programs and
[2:06:55] providing some support through the MIT tax to help fund
[2:06:57] some physicians and some programs. So we wanted to let
[2:07:00] you know? A little bit about another department, community planning
[2:07:03] and permitting. And happy to take some questions. And it's
[2:07:09] been a great partnership working together with open space over
[2:07:12] the years, and we look forward to a lot more
[2:07:14] collaboration in the future because we really are very high
[2:07:17] risk community. As we know about and we expect more
[2:07:20] fires. It's not if, it's when. And so we need
[2:07:23] to prepare. I think one of the other philosophies is
[2:07:27] there's. A lot of finger. Pointing. Or they can be
[2:07:30] sometimes. And people pointing at open space. Okay, open space
[2:07:33] is the problem. And our really message, and this is
[2:07:36] started with a forest service, not parks and open space.
[2:07:38] It's like, in the past every month. So it's the
[2:07:40] forest service problem, but. It's also residents and homeowners problem,
[2:07:43] too. We need to get residents engaged that's really what
[2:07:46] partners is doing, is working with homeowners to say, hey,
[2:07:49] we start with the home in mitigation, and you're responsible.
[2:07:53] It's not that fire district's responsibility to come and save
[2:07:55] your home. You as a resident in a high risk
[2:07:57] area, take responsibility and prepare and adapt, and that means
[2:08:01] maybe taking some action to remove those trees that are
[2:08:04] coming out of your deck or to clean out some
[2:08:06] of those gutters. And so that's what wildfire partners is
[2:08:09] doing. Thanks, Jim. Thanks for doing that and all the
[2:08:15] work you do. And I will say on a personal
[2:08:17] note, I got the card from wildlife partners about the
[2:08:20] $500 rebate, which I'm not. Going to do, but I
[2:08:23] did junk her junipers close to the house. We have
[2:08:26] two. Thanks. For the motivation and the information. Posack. Any
[2:08:30] questions? Okay, let's start with. I'm with trace. Trace Baker.
[2:08:34] Hosak. Thank you very much, Jim. Very informative. And in
[2:08:40] the examples you gave in your slides. Were all more
[2:08:45] rural homes. I live in urban Boulder City, but I'm
[2:08:51] only two blocks off city open space. So would your
[2:08:57] program apply to my home or other people's urban homes,
[2:09:00] too? Great question. And historically, we started our wildfire regulations.
[2:09:07] In the western portion of the county and. There are
[2:09:10] in general larger lots. We have some historic town sites,
[2:09:15] but the science of wildfire mitigation tells us that in
[2:09:20] terms of reducing that risk. So we're trying not to
[2:09:23] let flames contact the house. Or the radiant heat or
[2:09:26] those embers. Having 100ft is the standard defensible space. Aspect.
[2:09:32] And so having a larger lot gives you control over
[2:09:36] your wildfire risk. And if you have other fuels on
[2:09:39] your lot. If they're trees, you have the ability to
[2:09:42] thin those trees. And so in the urban environment, where
[2:09:45] we have structure, separation, distance that are very small. The
[2:09:49] fuel is the neighboring home. And so, while farm mitigation
[2:09:53] is not equal, not everybody has the ability to reduce
[2:09:56] their wildfire risk the same. So we have different strategies
[2:10:00] in different places. And so, just because some urban homes
[2:10:04] with very small structure separation distance have a limited defensible
[2:10:08] space. Really, the strategy is a little different there. We
[2:10:13] want the embers that can travel over a mile. We
[2:10:15] don't want that initial. Ignition to result from embers. So
[2:10:19] homes in higher density areas, we first look at. Okay,
[2:10:23] we don't want that ember ignition. You don't want to
[2:10:26] be the first home. In the neighborhood to ignite. But
[2:10:28] it is true. Once a home ignites and there's. A
[2:10:31] very close neighbor. The mitigation is going to have very
[2:10:34] limited impact based on the flame length and the heat.
[2:10:38] So we understand there's different strategies for different communities. Our
[2:10:42] program. Is started in unincorporated Boulder county, and now we've
[2:10:45] expanded. So right now the city has a program that's
[2:10:49] a little different. Our rebates are available to the city
[2:10:52] of Boulder, and our shipping is available, but most of
[2:10:55] our programs are in unincorporated county, and the real strategy
[2:10:59] is to get the folks that are west of you
[2:11:03] mitigated. We have lots of fires. We have lots of
[2:11:06] examples of sunshine. Igniting and expecting it to come to
[2:11:09] Boulder. But the mitigation. That we did in sunshine helps
[2:11:12] have some protection for Boulder in the case. If we
[2:11:15] could have mitigated a little better in that Marshall fire
[2:11:17] area, we would have taken some pressure off. Lewisville and
[2:11:19] superior. So we want to mitigate in that western edge.
[2:11:23] And so. Good question. But very complicated. It's not easy.
[2:11:26] Thank you. And I'm totally in favor of junking tunipers
[2:11:31] around buildings and so on. I think this is what's
[2:11:38] happening. I hope that there are plenty of places on
[2:11:42] open space where we can allow the junipers. To grow
[2:11:45] because certain species, like towns and salsiers, are very dependent
[2:11:49] on them. So that's all. It's within 30ft. We really
[2:11:53] focus close to the home, so it's a good question.
[2:11:57] Oh, go ahead. Viculore's posac. Living in Superior, having been
[2:12:05] a third of a mile from the Marshall fire. Unfortunately,
[2:12:08] my house still stands. But my house is a tinder
[2:12:11] box in many ways. Where did my question go? I
[2:12:18] hate being old. Marshall fire so. Never mind. I forgot.
[2:12:26] If I remember, I'll come back. We'll come back. Great.
[2:12:29] Sorry. Tony Lewis pose. Jim, thank you for coming, and
[2:12:35] it's a great program I had you guys come out
[2:12:37] to our house. East of 36. And. Had great advice
[2:12:44] on hardscaping, so thanks. I'm curious if you could talk
[2:12:47] a little bit more about the private public partnership piece,
[2:12:51] because I wasn't quite clear how that worked or who
[2:12:54] the private part was. Right. So as the name implies,
[2:12:59] where wildfire partners. So we started with over 40 organizations
[2:13:02] and so it wasn't just the county. We led the
[2:13:04] program so private sector could include insurance. Companies, realtors. I
[2:13:09] mean, McGuckins Ace hardware. We have a realtor program. Individual
[2:13:14] rows so that we train and sponsor and the one
[2:13:18] most people focuses on our insurance and they're a really
[2:13:21] key partner. So they're part of. We worked with their
[2:13:24] scientist. In the beginning, and they're people to make sure
[2:13:27] that the work and the certificate gets honored. And so
[2:13:31] in the real focus here was on. Insurability, not affordability,
[2:13:35] because we didn't come up and say without them knowing.
[2:13:38] Us, give us a discount. And that was, I mean,
[2:13:40] fire chiefs were going to insurance companies trust. Me everything's
[2:13:42] safe. Give us a discount. But the idea was to
[2:13:45] work with the insurance. Company so it would be recognized
[2:13:47] in the homeowners efforts. Would be have some benefit. So
[2:13:51] we sat down with insurers and their researchers and developed
[2:13:54] the program and had the credibility with their standards. Our
[2:13:59] mitigation specialist at the beginning were PhDs and former fire
[2:14:02] chiefs and former district foresters. We had to build the
[2:14:04] credibility that this was not just a piece of paper,
[2:14:07] but it was actual risk reduction. I mean, you saw
[2:14:09] the numbers of. Hours and time. And so we worked
[2:14:13] with them. But the idea is there should be some
[2:14:15] recognition. For that work. And so getting insurance companies to
[2:14:19] do that was part of that partnership, and it continues
[2:14:21] today, there's legislation that was passed. State law was signed
[2:14:24] this year in Lewisville. About? We're working towards discounts. That's
[2:14:28] a long term vision where. The pricing of insurance becomes
[2:14:33] more reflective of the homeowner mitigation actions. Great thing.
[2:14:44] Vicky Lawrence Posack. Sorry. Oh, jeez. So my question maybe
[2:14:48] is more of a comment, being in Lewisville, having been
[2:14:52] not directly, thank God, impacted by the Marshall fire, but
[2:14:54] very closely. I was somewhat frustrated, and I think I
[2:15:02] understand that. Maybe you can clarify this to me that
[2:15:04] the city tried to put in pretty stringent requirements on
[2:15:07] the new homes that they would be fire mitigated, and
[2:15:10] people fought back against that. And I think a lot
[2:15:12] of. The city, let people go by, get by with
[2:15:15] other things. And I had initially thought, this is great.
[2:15:18] I'm going to have a fire boundary. Fireproof border west
[2:15:22] of my house with these new homes that have to
[2:15:25] all be hardened and now they're not. And is there
[2:15:30] a push to try and get that happening in an
[2:15:33] urban environment when you have a fire. It just seems
[2:15:35] ridiculous that they could build back. With wood siding and
[2:15:39] some of those kind of things. We had three jurisdictions
[2:15:42] in the Marshall fire. Lewisville superior and unincorporate Boulder county.
[2:15:46] And people comment that some of the toughest times to
[2:15:50] pass new regulation. This is right after a crisis, when
[2:15:53] people are hurting and financial hardships and underinsurance. So since
[2:15:58] then, Lewisville has taken some action to pass some code
[2:16:01] requirements, and there's a new state minimum code that was
[2:16:03] just adopted and will have to be adopted. So part
[2:16:06] of it is timing, but essentially it's a political decision.
[2:16:11] Amongst town councils and boards. How do we want to
[2:16:13] recognize and for the county Orland corporated county. We immediately
[2:16:17] expanded our regulations countywide, and we had the hearing and
[2:16:21] we didn't. Have one public comment in opposition or in
[2:16:24] support. Sometimes building codes don't get the attention of some
[2:16:28] of the issues you deal with, but Lewisville has taken
[2:16:31] action recently to look at the code and adopt some
[2:16:35] things. But at the time right after the fire. It
[2:16:37] was a difficult decision for the community, and they had
[2:16:40] to make those calls. Okay. Thank you. Anybody else? All
[2:16:47] right, trace, ask my question. All right. Well, thank. Well,
[2:16:51] hang on just a minute. Let's check with the public.
[2:16:55] So. We got anybody? Inside. I don't see anyone. Do
[2:17:00] we have anybody online? No. So. Thank you, Jim. Great
[2:17:06] presentation. All right, so we'll move on. I doubt we
[2:17:10] have anything for public comment, period, for items down on
[2:17:13] the agenda. Do we have anyone? Here's your chance. Online?
[2:17:20] Anyone? No? Okay. So next item is postec members comment
[2:17:27] period for items not on the agenda. Carol. Carol Byerly
[2:17:34] POSac I've been saying this to anybody who's listened. To
[2:17:37] me, but I'm going to say it here. And Boulder
[2:17:41] county open space is my good news place. And I
[2:17:46] went to the land conservation awards this week. And they
[2:17:52] were wonderful, all of this wonderful activity. In so many
[2:17:57] different ways that. Are being fostered by our community. And
[2:18:03] then this evening, these four. Excellent presentations. So I am
[2:18:09] gratified to be a witness to this and to be
[2:18:12] part of it. And also to be a Boulder county
[2:18:15] taxpayer. So there's a lot of bad news in the
[2:18:19] world, but this is my good news. Place. And I
[2:18:23] just want to say that publicly. Instead of individually to
[2:18:27] anyone who comes up to me. So thank you. Thank
[2:18:31] you. Great comments, carol. Yes, go ahead, christina christine Johnson
[2:18:36] Posack then I'm going to go on the record and
[2:18:39] just say that I thought that. The presentations that we
[2:18:44] had last month from Therese about the budget. And from
[2:18:49] Janice about real estate. Were like, knock your socks off.
[2:18:54] Good. And that we're lucky to have staff, that we
[2:18:58] have, so thank you. Very good. Anybody else down this
[2:19:02] way? Tony. I know Tony's got something. You know, I.
[2:19:06] Always have something. Tony Lewis Posak I have a couple
[2:19:10] of things. First great presentations tonight. It was really great
[2:19:14] to see the amazing work going on and the dedicated
[2:19:18] staff that are doing that work. So thank you all
[2:19:21] not to forget the video. And. It's all a part
[2:19:25] of it. And to that end, I know Teresa has
[2:19:29] announced her retirement, and I just wanted to call out.
[2:19:34] Thank you from all of us. For your dedication and
[2:19:38] your hard work, and I'm sure there will be plenty
[2:19:40] of time. And celebrations to honor you with. But I
[2:19:45] also wanted to acknowledge it now. That we appreciate all
[2:19:50] the hard work you've put into pos and your leadership,
[2:19:53] so. Thank you. I also want to return to
[2:20:02] the topic of agriculture. Because it's one of my favorites.
[2:20:10] And to acknowledge that Mike Foster is gone as the
[2:20:13] lead of agriculture. I don't know, but I've heard it
[2:20:19] rumored that perhaps that position would be. Filled prior to
[2:20:23] a new director coming on. And perhaps during your closing
[2:20:28] comments or your director's report trees you could maybe talk
[2:20:31] about. That a little bit. It has a little concern
[2:20:34] for me that a new director would have the opportunity
[2:20:38] to hire their new leadership in that area seems logical.
[2:20:42] But I also understand. It's difficult to operate without somebody
[2:20:46] in that position for several to many months too, so.
[2:20:50] Just curious what your thoughts are. And then lastly. I
[2:20:55] don't know. Have you missed last month's meeting? If there
[2:20:59] was any talk. About. The transition for the new executive
[2:21:02] director. Or the new director of parks and open space.
[2:21:07] And that process. And I'm curious what role. Post act
[2:21:12] plays within the process of interviewing. Candidates. In the past.
[2:21:19] I'm not sure if Posec did. I know there were
[2:21:22] plenty of community sessions where it was open to all
[2:21:25] citizens. But it feels to me like this is a
[2:21:29] group that was vetted by commissioners. Represents different areas. Of
[2:21:36] the Boulder County. And might play a good role in
[2:21:40] hosting some of those conversations and Q and A's with
[2:21:44] potential candidates. And again, maybe you could speak to that
[2:21:49] junior director's report. Thanks. Anyone else? Okay, so I want
[2:21:58] to give a shout out to. We had a great
[2:22:01] tour and some of you went on that some of
[2:22:03] the postac members up to the Prescott wetland and then
[2:22:07] over. To the work that's been done near caribou, and
[2:22:11] it's awesome to see that kind of work, even in
[2:22:12] places where access is a little. Tough like Prescott. For
[2:22:20] big equipment to get in there. So thanks for all
[2:22:22] the work, and thanks for putting together a tour that
[2:22:25] was a little bit off the grid and took a
[2:22:29] little extra help. So it was a great tour. I
[2:22:32] really enjoyed it. Yeah. So with that. How about. I
[2:22:38] was going to say something about Terese, but I don't
[2:22:39] think I. Can top. Tony's. And so, Teresa, you're up.
[2:22:44] For directors comments. Therese Gloankie, parks and open space thank
[2:22:51] you for those very nice words and thoughts. I do
[2:22:54] appreciate that. And it's certainly. Yes, there will be more
[2:22:59] time for me to say my thanks, but. A night
[2:23:02] like tonight? Certainly. Exemplifies why. I have loved my job
[2:23:06] for 26 years, and I want to thank all the
[2:23:08] staff here that gave these fabulous presentations. I'm very proud
[2:23:12] of all of you. And it really is. It just
[2:23:16] shows the breadth of what we do with parks and
[2:23:18] open space. And how we are using the taxpayers money
[2:23:21] to really make changes, really important changes. In how we
[2:23:25] manage our open space and how we outreach to our
[2:23:28] community, the youth. And all. And. I just must have
[2:23:35] let my computer sit here too long because I just
[2:23:38] got logged out with my director's updates. Where's our it
[2:23:43] guys? No, what I'm going to need. Hang on a
[2:23:46] second.
[2:23:58] And we do have security here, so I have to
[2:24:00] run into my phone. Thank you. And for those who
[2:24:05] don't know. We do collaborate with wildfire partners over the
[2:24:12] dinner table. Jim Webster is my husband. And Stefan. His
[2:24:18] wife also works for wildfire partners, so we have two
[2:24:21] of us in park. Service space with Walfar partner partners.
[2:24:25] I really do appreciate all of the presentations. Aaron's presentation
[2:24:30] got me thinking, so as I'm heading out the door.
[2:24:33] I'm going to put some ideas in your heads and.
[2:24:36] In staff's heads when he showed the pictures of the
[2:24:39] CNT cranes. And then Joan when. You were talking about
[2:24:46] the insects. I think some things that we should start
[2:24:49] thinking about. Park service space is farming for Sandhill. Cranes
[2:24:52] and farming for insects. Both of those need help, and
[2:24:56] we could do it if anyone could. Park snippets base
[2:24:58] could. So now on to the real update. And I'm
[2:25:03] not joking on that, by the way. I think that
[2:25:05] that is something that we can do. Okay, so Prairie
[2:25:09] run is moving forward. The kind of commissioners just approved
[2:25:12] the contract. It's called Goodland Construction, and they're going to
[2:25:16] start building the southwest parking. Lot and 1 mile of
[2:25:19] trail in the next couple of weeks. So that big,
[2:25:22] brand new property is going to start. Under construction. Prince
[2:25:29] Lake. You may remember it's the big agricultural storage near
[2:25:33] Erie that has been underway. Now for about a month.
[2:25:36] If you are out driving around there, this is the
[2:25:39] $4 million. 3 million of which FEMA is paying. That
[2:25:44] is underway. It looks great. I think it is going
[2:25:47] to be wonderful wildlife habitat for sure. When I was
[2:25:49] out there, there were all kinds of wetland birds. And
[2:25:53] it's really going to enhance the safety of the community
[2:25:57] that lives right downstream from there. The monarch Trail. It's
[2:26:03] part of the Lobo Trail monarchs, north of 52 and.
[2:26:06] Just east of the diagonal. That's going to get resurfacing,
[2:26:09] so there's. Going to be a big portion of the.
[2:26:14] Low boat trail that would be closed for several. Weeks,
[2:26:16] perhaps months, even for resurfacing on the regional trail. So
[2:26:20] if you hear anything. About that. It's our project, and
[2:26:26] we'll have reroutes so that. If you were a low
[2:26:28] boat trail commuter, you'll be able to get around there,
[2:26:31] but we're looking forward to that trail being resurfaced. So
[2:26:36] many things on these updates intersect with what we heard
[2:26:39] tonight. Buildings and historic preservation is using a new shake
[2:26:44] shingle like roof so that we can meet our historic
[2:26:48] preservation goals of having it look historic, and yet. These
[2:26:54] new fabricated shakes. Or shingles. Are wildfire resistant, so it's
[2:27:01] expensive. We're going to try it out, but. The lifespan
[2:27:04] of those are supposed to be, like five times what
[2:27:06] a normal shake. Shingle roof. Would be. So we are
[2:27:10] doing our part for welfare partners. Yes. For those of
[2:27:14] you who have not heard, Mike Foster, who was our
[2:27:17] ag division manager for over four years. He resigned this
[2:27:22] past month or this month? September. And so we've had
[2:27:26] that question a couple of times, like, should we wait
[2:27:29] and refill that position after a new director gets there.
[2:27:33] What I would say is. With our reorganization, we now
[2:27:37] have a deputy. The deputy level. Stefan is now in
[2:27:41] charge of resource management. And agriculture. So it's no longer
[2:27:47] the director's direct report. And without knowing how long it's
[2:27:53] going to take to recruit and hire and have a
[2:27:57] new director on board and not knowing whether it's someone
[2:28:00] in house or someone from across the country. I think
[2:28:04] that we need to move forward with an agricultural division
[2:28:07] manager, and I think that with our agricultural staff. The
[2:28:09] experience like we saw tonight, the expertise we have, I
[2:28:13] think that they will. Be. Fine. They'll be in a
[2:28:18] good place to have. A new division manager to take
[2:28:21] the agricultural program in the right direction. Back to what
[2:28:27] is happening with the director's replacement that is really in
[2:28:31] the hands of my direct supervisor. Who is Jenna Peterson?
[2:28:35] She's the county administrator. She works in collaboration with. The
[2:28:42] county commissioners on a process. It will not likely it
[2:28:49] will kick off soon, I would say, but I don't
[2:28:52] have any more details on. Is it a consultant that's
[2:28:55] going to be doing it? Is our HR department that's
[2:28:58] going to be running the process of hiring, but I
[2:29:00] do like the suggestion of how can we engage posac
[2:29:04] in that hiring process? And perhaps it is something that
[2:29:07] we could think about. That the finalists have to come
[2:29:11] and give a presentation to you. So I will recommend
[2:29:15] that to Jana. And I will also look to Stefan
[2:29:18] and Jarrett, who are sitting here listening in case it
[2:29:21] happens after I'm gone, that perhaps they could also put
[2:29:24] it on the list of something that could be a
[2:29:26] useful step in the hiring process, because I do agree,
[2:29:29] I think that with your expertise and you representing the
[2:29:32] public could bring. A very valuable perspective to. A new
[2:29:36] director. CSU extension just launched a landscape leaders program again,
[2:29:43] something new. And innovative. They trained eleven leaders that come
[2:29:51] from hoas. So it's basically a train. The trainer and
[2:29:55] it's in sustainable landscapes. So that includes water wise landscaping
[2:30:00] and wanfar partners. So again, another example of amazing stuff
[2:30:06] that we are continuing to do. With our csu extension.
[2:30:12] And then you've heard about the flood buyouts. We had.
[2:30:17] 14 flood bios that we designated. To private landowners. These
[2:30:22] were properties that were destroyed. The homes on the properties
[2:30:25] were destroyed in the 2013 flood, FemA or HUd bought
[2:30:29] the properties and they turned them over to Boulder county.
[2:30:34] And these are dispersed throughout the county. We, as open
[2:30:38] space managers, took the ones that. Were adjacent to open
[2:30:41] space, but the ones that are in the middle of.
[2:30:44] Four mile canyon or up sunshine or something. We went
[2:30:49] out with a competitive bid process, and we designated. A
[2:30:53] new owner. So some of those are neighbors and some
[2:30:57] of those are community partners like the harvest of all
[2:31:00] first Nations. And. Indigenous people's community church, which is the
[2:31:05] Apache nation. So twelve of those 14 have already gone
[2:31:10] through the whole process, and the land title has been
[2:31:12] turned over to the new owners. And. It is our
[2:31:19] first. Time in Boulder county parks and open space history
[2:31:23] that we have turned land back to indigenous communities. So
[2:31:26] that's a big win. A big win, and I hope.
[2:31:30] It is just the first step in what maybe. A
[2:31:34] long. Adventure of land back here in Boulder county. Did
[2:31:40] you have a question? Thank you. Lawrence posek. I have
[2:31:42] a quick question. So the land that got turned back,
[2:31:44] not to the indigenous people, but. To other neighbors or
[2:31:47] whatever. Are they able to build on that property again?
[2:31:50] No. They have very strict requirements. They cannot build any
[2:31:55] permanent structure. So. Their flood plane. It's expanding the floodplain.
[2:32:02] And they have to treat their weeds. Joan. And you
[2:32:10] mentioned earlier. The conservation awards. We celebrated that on Tuesday.
[2:32:16] Thank you to Renata. She coordinates. The whole, both the
[2:32:19] nominations and the selection. And then the ceremony was a
[2:32:23] wonderful ceremony, and just to tell you. You've seen some
[2:32:27] of the projects before. That were winners. One. Is the
[2:32:32] Linda Hollyubar synabria property. It's this Bruce gulch property. That
[2:32:36] we partnered with. Cu for their research station. And we
[2:32:39] have the backup concept. We have a conservation easement. Dave
[2:32:43] Sutherland, who is longtime open space and mountain parks. Naturalist
[2:32:48] who now has his own. He's retired and he just
[2:32:51] does naturalist programs. So if you're ever interested. Google Dave
[2:32:55] Sutherland. Nature hikes. He does them all over Boulder. Boulder.
[2:33:01] Wonderful, wonderful opportunities for you to go out and learn
[2:33:04] from him. Harvest of all first nations. Their founder, Andrea
[2:33:09] Yolo. Tio Nawaje got it for the cultural award. Stephanie
[2:33:17] Wendorf, who lends for animals to the ag Heritage center,
[2:33:19] which Janet feeds on Sunday night. She got an Ag
[2:33:25] conservation award. And then volunteers Amy Iwata and Roberta Johnston
[2:33:31] were the two volunteers, so. That is the conservation awards.
[2:33:39] Trace was a winner last year. So keep your, when
[2:33:43] you see that advertised, if there are people that you
[2:33:45] know that you would like to nominate. Keep. It's for
[2:33:48] anyone in the whole community to nominate, so keep that.
[2:33:51] In mind next year as it rolls around and then
[2:33:53] one more plug, that four revolution conference that Aaron talked
[2:33:57] about December 11. You can register for it right now.
[2:34:00] Boulder county parks and over space. Partnered with the Natural
[2:34:02] Resources Conservation Service and OSMP ten years ago to launch
[2:34:07] the first one. And I have been to everyone for
[2:34:10] the last ten years, and it is the best. 8
[2:34:14] hours of your year. You've learned so much, you get
[2:34:16] inspired to do things like. What Aaron was talking about.
[2:34:21] I would encourage you, if you're around on December 11,
[2:34:24] sign. Up now. And block that date on your calendar
[2:34:27] for the soil rev conference. And it's held at the
[2:34:32] Boulder Jewish. Community center. On a wrap up, and that
[2:34:38] is all I have for you tonight. Any questions? Trace.
[2:34:44] Trace baker, postac. Slight correction, Teresa. Last year I received
[2:34:50] something like a volunteer of the. Year of the war
[2:34:53] volunteer of the year award, not conservation award. Well, Trace,
[2:35:00] I looked at the picture today, and you were standing
[2:35:03] there at our conservation awards, and that's what it is.
[2:35:05] It's. Our conservation awards are a big picture, and you
[2:35:08] were the volunteer of the year award in our conservation
[2:35:11] awards. Okay. Thank you. It's a both. And be sure
[2:35:15] you. Take it away. All right. I believe that's it.
[2:35:24] Thank you, Terese, and thank you, everybody. And we are
[2:35:26] adjourned. Thank you. Oh, I got to use the gavel.
[2:35:31] Yeah. Okay.