Following months of revision and debate, the Boulder County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an amended version of the county’s cropland policy during a public meeting Tuesday.
“As farming changes, I do believe that we have to support our farmers as they are the experts in their industry, and they have a deep connection to the land that they care for daily,” Commissioner Marta Loachamin said of her decision to support the new policy. “We all have to work on this together.”
Mike Foster, the agricultural and resource manager for Boulder County Parks and Open Space, presented to the board the newly updated policy, which was amended after receiving feedback from the public following the initial release of the 2021 cropland policy in October.
The policy has been an ongoing controversy dating back to before January 2012, when the policy was first formally adopted. The policy allowed the use of genetically modified organisms, as long as farmers followed specific protocols.
Since then, there has been concern over the use of those organisms, and a ruling in March 2017 determined that two GMO crops would be banned from being grown in Boulder County: sugar beets and genetically engineered corn. The crops would slowly be phased out of county-owned agricultural lands within a three- to seven-year time frame. The crops would thereafter be replaced with alternatives that were not genetically modified.
In 2019, the policy was amended once again, moving the phase-out date forward to 2021. In addition, Parks and Open Space was unable to come up with a viable alternative to the genetically engineered corn and sugar beet crops, therefore driving the decision to revisit the cropland policy again this year.
Between Oct. 1 and Nov. 22, Parks and Open Space and the Board of Commissioners office collected more than six hours of public feedback, in addition to 200 written comments about the updated policy. According to Foster, the takeaway from the community feedback included several main themes. The public seemed split over the part of the policy that would phase out GMO use, but there was broad community support for improving soil health, as well as eliminating pesticide use.
“There are many perspectives on this issue, and staff recognizes that this is a very difficult decision with many trade-offs to consider,” Foster said. “Staff believe that we have reached a middle ground that balances reducing pesticide use, promoting and encouraging diversity in farming practices, while focusing on principles to improve overall soil health.”
With that in mind, Foster and Parks and Open Space staff proposed three key changes to the policy, which includes allowing genetically engineered corn and sugar beet crops to be grown on county agricultural land; an amendment restricting the use of neonicotinoid pesticides, and including developing a soil health program.
The updated policy matches the 2012 version of the cropland policy, which initially allowed genetically engineered sugar beet and corn crops to be grown on county-owned agricultural land. According to Foster, in the past few years, Boulder County has invested more than $1 million in an attempt to find an economically feasible substitute for genetically engineered crops. The county brought in outside help from MAD Agriculture in 2019. However, it was concluded that more research needs to be conducted in order to find an alternative that is satisfactory.
The use of neonicotinoid pesticides have also been long debated in Boulder County, as they are water-soluble, can bleed into plant tissue and soil and can adversely affect pollinators including bees. Under the new cropland policy, neonicotinoids will be phased out beginning Dec. 31. However, according to Parks and Open Space, some use of neonicotinoids will be allowed for certain farms and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
The soil health program mandated in the updated policy will be developed alongside representatives from University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University, tenant farmers and other agricultural organizations to ensure soil fertility on Boulder County agricultural properties. The overall aim of the program is to promote sustainable farming practices and curb effects of climate change by sequestering carbon.
