Transcript

0:00:15All right, commissioners, are you ready? Yes, we are. And we are recording. Bunnos. Yes, we're here. In Boulder county for a meeting at the board of county Commissioners. Today is Thursday, December 4, 2025 and we are at the third floor hearing room of the county courthouse, 1325 Pearl street. All three county commissioners are present this morning, and I'm going to go ahead and call our meeting to order for item number one and move us to item number two, which is our public comment session. There is a call in option here. That number is 833-356-8864. And the meeting has been noticed. This is for any public comment in regards to anything that folks would like to bring to us each speaker, and we've got it set up for ten. People. Has three minutes each. There's no pool time for this session we have in person, and.

0:01:08We also have virtual public comment. We are going to hear from more than ten people. But I just wanted to kind of give a plan. Because it sounds like we have more than that signed up. So we're going to do ten people here in the room and then ten people virtual, and then come back to the room. Depending on how much we can do. We do have a stop at 950. Because we have a 10:00 meeting behind this. So that'll give commissioners if there's any comments that folks want to make, you'll have an opportunity to do that. Too, before we close the public comment. So we're just going to try and move along. A reminder for speakers. Please do. If you're in the room, get close to your microphone. So that folks can hear you, but also so the information can be archived and you'll state your name. And then just please do pay attention to the clock, because I'll have to move you. Along so we can get to as many people as possible.

0:01:54So with that, let's bring up our list. For folks who signed up in the room. And if you're listening in right now or just came in. We are going to do ten people here in the room first, then go to ten people virtually and try and get back to the room. So first is Eric. Apologies, chair Losheman we do have a member from our parks and open space staff who has joined us. This morning. Great. Thank you. Okay, so we have. Is it Stefan Reinhardt? So do you want to go? Ahead and come up to the podium then if you've got some comments, I know. We've got. 500 plus emails in regards to one topic. And so that's, I think, why Stefan's? Here this morning, so go ahead, Stefan. Thanks. Great. Can you hear me?

0:02:35Yes, thank you. So. Good morning, commissioners. My name is Stefan Reynold, deputy director of Boulder County Parks and open space, and I oversee the land stewardship branch. I'm here this morning to provide some. Information related. To the upcoming drone and weed treatment at Highle Valley Ranch in the Red Hill area. It is a closed property. The location of the treatment. So I just want to give some feedback here. So the integrated weed management plan was approved by the BOCC and signed on November 8, 2024. Per state law, this plan will be reviewed every three years ahead of the 2027 review date. We will coordinate with the BOCC to schedule a public hearing and present any recommended updates or revisions to that plan if needed. And as a reminder, final decisions rest with the Bocc. Related to this plan. So we are implementing the integrated wheat management plan as approved, and all of the herbicides that we use comply with EPA approval. Colorado Department of Agriculture Registration. And in addition, we have used the World Health organization. 's classification, and we're only using chemicals that are found on tables four and five. Both the chemicals that we are going to be using on the Red Hill project. In Daziflam and Emzepik are both classified under table four, which is considered slightly hazardous. Both state and federal

0:04:05law require all of our applicators to follow all label instructions and guidelines, which includes preventing drift from impacting off target areas. The Red Hill drone herbicide project at Highle Valley Ranch targets chee grass that's the main invasive that we're targeting, and one of the main reasons is this is a high biodiversity area, and we want to maintain that biodiversity. And the Cheegrass is outcompeting our natives. We have seen through past treatments that we're seeing a two to one increase of natives. In treated areas versus untreated areas. This is the reason that we are doing this project. so we want to protect these high biodiversity is a very flammable grass and it dries out sooner than other grasses and leads to an increased fire season. So that is something that we would like to remove from the ecosystem. So, as for our drone applications, there's multiple reasons why. We chose drones. So this area was chosen due to access and operability issues. While there are a few areas inside the polygon that we can get to. Or use equipment on the majority of the location is really difficult to access and steep slopes. Jones were also chosen due to the slower, controlled speed and pre programmed flight pass. So we can target more specific small areas. We have a 660 foot buffer from homes, a

0:05:4150 foot buffer from property lines. Given studies and previous applications when using drone technology. The 50 foot buffer we have instituted will minimize any drift due to environmental conditions. Wind as well. Drone operates eight to 12ft above the ground with downward force rotors, forcing the herbicide down onto the ground. Use of large droplet nozzles is required by the product labels. And that actually adds weight to the drop, so they also reach the ground. The contractor is adding an organic drift reducing additive that also adds weight to these droplets. So the water will reach the ground and minimize drift, and they're also required to use an angled spray that keeps. It so the rotors can push that material down. There'll be no spraying and winds greater than. 10 mph or during air inversions. As for water safety, no open water or major drainages. Are in the spray zone. Runoff. Modeling for both of these herbicides shows low risk, and studies show that there's a low probability of movement within the soil, so I just wanted to give you guys that update. And I guess I can take questions. Natalie. Thank you. Stefan. Yes. You can be available if the board has any questions following comment. Great, thanks. Stefan. Thank you. Information. Before you move, I just want to make sure there's no questions. For you. No

0:07:08questions. Okay. And I may have questions later, but I do want to get us a public comment. I appreciate you being here today. Great. Thank you. For more information. Thank you. Okay, thanks, everybody. Let's go. Air and Meshki. Perfect timing. And just a reminder to state your name when you get up to the microphone and the clocks. Up there for you. Good morning, commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Aaron. Meshki I live in boulder and represent myself. There are so many things that I could address from Mr. Reinhold's presentation. That took valuable community time, but I will only address one. Main thing. slightly hazardous ratings are based on manufacturer testing trust you have been inundated with emails and communication. About the upcoming aerial spray at Red Hill. In case you thought people didn't care about this issue anymore. Obviously they do. Despite your two to one vote allowing drone applications into the 2024 we management plan the community still does not agree. Many people contacting you were involved before. But.

0:08:09There are people who didn't know about this issue in 2023 and 2024 who expressed their concern. Now, when 81% of survey respondents were clear about wanting no drone use and a drone application is finally scheduled, and scheduled within such a wide time frame, you should not be surprised. Nor should you feel like you can hide behind the weed management plan you passed against the will of. Your constituents. As a member of many regenerative farms around Boulder County, I want the quality of my food to be preserved and the time and effort my farmers put into naturally stewarding. Their land to be honored. I have spent many hours at yellow barn. Love their work and have enjoyed meat produced by Dar and the invaluable soil stewardship. They provide around the county. The threat. Posed to their farms by this aerial pesticide application is unacceptable. A 50 foot property boundary is just ridiculous. And we've said this over and over again. Buffers for drone spraying are a policy that limit county liability but doesn't actually control the greater impact to the surrounding ecosystem from pesticide. If the spray had occurred on Monday, the snowy received yesterday would certainly carry the pesticides downhill and downstream as it melted.

0:09:17Not to mention the potential for evaporation and redistribution through rainfall or snow. While there are other things in the 2024 weed management plan many of us wanted to change the main reason for the pro se lawsuit currently against the commissioners in BCPOs brought by 22 individual plaintiffs and almost 300 individual or additional group plaintiffs. Was the inclusion of drone applications and the continued use of Rejuvena. And the main thing we wanted. Was the removal of those things. You could have been true representatives of your constituents and heated, overwhelming community input, but you still have the power to do this now, please protect local farms, landowners and consumers and stop this application from happening. Thank you. Thank you. Next is Samuel Cochrane. And I will ask. I appreciate people being here for public comment, but it really makes it challenging. For someone who might not share the same opinion to feel safe and comfortable. So let's just all try and keep our poker faces and our support for or against to ourselves for this. Morning. Thank you. Thank you, commissioners, for the chance to talk today.

0:10:19Thank you. Aaron. My name is. You may want to move that mic just a little closer, please. Thank you. My name is Sam. Cochrane I'm a student and CEO of regenerative agriculture and local food systems. I represent myself today. I think at Boulder, we're lucky to have the foresight. To protect land as open space in the way that we do. But we should not be misled by the notions of borders and distinct uses. I want to echo that sentiment about the 50 foot buffer. Being a bit unusual in this context. And we know here that we're all interconnected, that land use decisions often have cascading effects on the wider community of human and nonhuman people. As we consider how to best manage our public lands, let us be moved not by the interests of chemical manufacturers and status quo, but by the will of the people who steward and use this. Land. Thanks. Thank you.

0:11:19Next is Karina Fisher. Good morning. My name is Karina Fisher. I farm 72 acres north of the county, so I represent myself. And my farm, Yellowstone Hill Farm. We have horrible situation in front of us when we are being so incredibly short sighted about the impacts of any amount of hazardous material. Low hazard. Is still hazard. That's completely unacceptable. To be applying to. Our lands when we have other options. We have experts, so much science, so much experience in this county, and instead of utilizing those resources, we're outsourcing and feeding millions of dollars into an industrial complex that does not care about us. It does not care about our futures. It does not care about our children. As a regenerative farmer. And my other regenerative farmers in the area were young people. We are not 80, 90 years old looking to sell on for water and figure out how to retire.

0:12:33This is our future. This is our soil. We've invested our entire lives. Every single thing we have ever worked for into regenerating our soils that we can rehabilitate. Our earth and our communities and sustain this forever. Not in these very short sighted bursts. Of application sprays. When we can be reallocating those funds towards, I don't know, food sovereignty. As opposed to continuing to feed. These massive complexes that do nothing for our local economy. We could be hiring local land stewards. And putting this money back into our own economy as opposed to putting it out and poisoning our soils. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next is Noah Goldstein. Good morning, commissioners. My name is no Goldstein. I'm a doctor of chinese medicine and acupuncture. I have three young children. I live right next door to highle ranch on left hand canyon, and we spend a lot of time out there. I'm here because this decision, in my mind, violates the principles of ecological health community. Consent and the precautionary wisdom that should guide land stewardship. I appreciate that there's a desire and an intent to create a healthier ecosystem. But it seems that the way that the county is trying to go about that is very mis. Misguided. In dazzaflam is a broad spectrum, pre emergent herbicide that doesn't target invasive species. It inhibits.

0:14:11Seed germination across many plant types, including native grasses and forbes. Essential for post fire recovery and research shows that these effects can persist for years. And in some ecosystems, impacts have been documented five years or more, raising serious concerns about long term soil health and in sometimes creating what ecologists describe as moonscapes, When you prevent seeds from sprouting, ecosystems cannot heal. The results in multiple documented cases has been expensive bare ground and failed receding efforts. Our fire scarred lands deserve better than chemicals whose long term ecological impacts in post fire environments can remain harmful. There's no one here to speak for the plants. There's no one here to speak for the animals. There's no one here to speak for the water. There's no one here to speak for the earth. We're trying to do that on behalf of all of them. It seems like again.

0:15:17I hear that there's some research that's showing that there's some positive. Impacts, but the negative potential impacts seem to outweigh that. And we have so many people here. Farmers. Concern citizens that are asking for this to be terminated, paused, and to find better, much better solutions. That are possible. Thank you. Thank you. Next, Isabella Cone. Isabella. Next, we'll go to julie Naster, and then for anybody who's joined in, while she's coming up, we'll take the first ten people who are on that. List, and then we're going to go to virtual and try and come back just for awareness. Good morning. My name is Julie Naster. I am a county resident upon Magnolia Road, and I've also volunteered and supported various regenerative farms in that area. In other parts of Boulder County. So. I'm not going to summarize what's happening. I think. The thing that has really jumped out at me. I didn't really know about this until Tuesday, two days ago. And understanding that.

0:16:26There is a close relationship between. Bear, a former csu student. And somebody who actually did research, I assume, for his advanced degree on endazoplam and. Who's now a bare employee and a county weed management official. That's really concerning. And one of the reasons it's really concerning for me is that bear is well known for its aggressive marketing tactics. Bear is responsible now. It used to be Monsanto, but it's now responsible for Roundup. We know that. Roundup. Has depleted soils all across our country, and that farmers. Are having to double down on their inputs because of the destruction of soil. It's not even really soil. It's some sort of dirt medium that they add fertilizers. To grow stuff. So anyway, that really got my attention. So as I started to think about what I wanted to say to you folks, I decided to start with the county website. And lo and behold, there is tons of information. About regenerative agriculture, about your commitment to that, and I don't know if it's a personal commitment of U three. But when you are elected by us. To be county commissioners. It's your job to put forth those commitments.

0:17:49So I just want. To remind you of a few things that I found on your website. One of them. Guide to climate action page on regenerative Agriculture says healthy soils and natural carbon reserve. But roughly one third of the world's soils are now moderately or severely degraded. Agricultural lands are also under increased pressure from rising temperatures, erratic and severe weather, and inconsistent water cycles. Regenerative farming helps enrich soil, improve water cycling, and boost biodiversity, all while building resilience to changing climate requires hard work but dedicated stewards, which we clearly have in this room around across Boulder county and beyond are already bringing degraded cultural agricult. Agricultural land back to life. There's also a soil health initiative, cropland policy, sustainable agriculture. Vision, which I don't have time to go into any of that, so I'm. Here to remind you that it is your job to make sure that those commitments are met. We have people in this room who can regenerate this land without using. This chemical. Please consider that. Thank you. Thank you. Next to Cindy Johnson. Good morning. My name is Cindy Johnson.

0:19:08I'm from Boulder county, and I'm here. To update you on the public open ride at Boulder County Fairgrounds. I'll start with the background and advocacy efforts first, for over a year, I have dedicated, many of us have dedicated. Significant time attending numerous public hearings with the parks and open space advisory committee and the board of county commissioners. Throughout this period, my primary focus has been advocating for the reinstatement of public open ride at the Boulder County Fairgrounds indoor riding arena. This initiative specifically targets the winter months. With rise proposed on Wednesdays from November through April. Community benefits and current status. The YMCA, through Riders Fund, has expressed willingness to lease the facility and regentstate public open ride. This initiative presents a valuable opportunity not only for the agricultural community, but also for the YMCA's camp equestrian program. The challenges faced during this process. Joe and Terese continually resisted our efforts while their concerns were acknowledged the advocacy. Continued. Meetings with commissioners, Loachman and Stoltzman eventually proved productive and Ashley provided encouraging news regarding our progress.

0:20:24At the end of June this year, we received unanimous approval from the commissioners to move forward. We were authorized to proceed with a base priced lease for our nonprofit organization. Despite this positive development, we waited for over four months for Joe and Terese to provide the necessary information to finalize. The lease agreement as. It was at the time, nearing November, this delay had become. A significant concern. Finally, later in November, the staff reached out to the YMCA and said they needed more time to speak with Commissioner Loachman. After. Staff met with commissioner Loachman. The response to this unanimous decision was to lease the indoorna for 2500 to three. $500 a day. This is what staff claims it costs to operate. The indoor horse arena. Today. And we're just wondering if we can get a line item breakdown of that cost that you are quoting us because this is not economically feasible for a nonprofit, the YMCA and Riders Fund. It also is not what the policy manual states. Not positive, but $250 to $350 a day is a reasonable price for nonprofit use. Meanwhile, your indoor arena sits empty for another year. Riders Fund grant to Head Start program of $10,000 this year is an example of its limits. I ask you to move this proposal forward in a meaningful way. To rent at a

0:21:55nonprofit rate like the four h to benefit the agriculture community. Also. This should include a message to staff to get on board. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next. Is Carmen porter. Good morning, commissioners. MY name is carmen porter. I live in unincorporated Boulder County. I own horses, and I'm on the board of directors. For the Boulder County Horse Association. I have spent considerable personal effort advocating for the fairgrounds indoor arena to be made publicly available. For horse riding. During the winter after the open space director and the fairgrounds manager made the decision to cease public writing sessions for the 2024 to 2025 winter season. It was my understanding that the arena would be available through the winter this year. Not as a provided opportunity, but through leasing. In our role. Of advocacy for the Boulder County Horse community. BCHA was happy to hear this news and stood ready to assist with marketing. The winter sessions and helping to provide the required supervision. I cannot fathom the latest news, which. Is an open space. Told Cindy in the YMCA that the lease price would be $2,500 per day. When the Fairgrounds policy manual states that the fee is $150 a day for a nonprofit organization and even a standard commercial rate.

0:23:51On a weekday would be $300 a day. I can only conclude that the open space. Is opposed to providing the arena for public riding during the winter months under any circumstances. Bcha and the broader boulder community horse. Broader Bowler county community. Horse appealed to the commissioners to help us resolve this and find a way to make the indoor equestrian arena available for the horse community. Use during the winter months. The weather today is a perfect reminder of how important it is to have a public indoor arena. For horse owners to use during these months that don't have access to nice private arenas. BCHA stands ready to help make the restoration of public. Writing sessions a reality. And that's what I came to talk to you about today. Thank you for your time. I appreciate it.

0:24:54Thank you. Next is Nick Diamondico. Good morning, commissioners. I really appreciate this time to speak on behalf of myself. Our organization, dry land. Zagger, ecology research. Our other local regenerative farmers in the area and speaking on behalf of the native ecologies today. So I just want to speak to you all from my own lived personal experience. If you don't mind just stating your name? Yes, sure. Nick D. Domeneico. Excuse me. I'll go back and say I want to speak again from my live day to day. Experience. I've lived in this county for 35 years, my entire life, and I've spent the last ten years of my life dedicated to stewarding and managing healthy ecosystems in this area. And I want to first mention that in my experience, lived experience, the management of cheat grass. Is actually quite simple. It's extremely palatable in its early stages by cattle, sheep, goats and other ruminants. I want to remind you all that for millennia, these native, healthy grasslands existed in harmony without the use of toxic chemicals.

0:26:01To me, the answer is simple. Using timed, thoughtful grazing in these areas is a basic solution that would not only support your community economically, ecologically and socially, where at the same time we're. Pouring our money into these chemical companies that have no interest in our communities. Furthermore, I want to. Presence that all of the studies being quoted by the county, or many of them, have been funded. By bear and funded by land grant universities such as CSU. That choose to diminish the potential negative effects of these chemicals. Whereas we know, like many have stated already that these chemicals, their intention is to harm land. That's what they do. When you put them on land, they harm the life that's there. These chemicals. Clearly harm the ecology in every way and are unnecessary. And why would we use chemicals that are not essential for the management of these grasses. Third party studies of these chemicals. Note that they kill the native seed bank, toxify groundwater, and harm native aquatic invertebrates. So when we have basic, simple solutions that not only produce food, Empower local residents, grow our local economy, such as timed, thoughtful grazing and other stewardship practices. Why would we go as far as to enlist companies such as Bear to pour their toxic chemicals?

0:27:30On our lands. The lands in which I steward somewhere in the range of a couple. Hundred acres and then help consult to another couple of hundred acres directly adjacent to this Highle ranch area. These areas that we steward and we live are directly below in a watershed of these areas that are going to be sprayed. And I'm thinking about my son. I'm thinking about our children. And the future generations while we continue to toxify our groundwater and poison our land, please. Hear our requests, and I encourage a new mentality and thought process around the stewardship of. The local lands. Thank you very much. Thank you. Next is Janice Hallowell. And then after. Janice will go to the. Virtual folks. Good morning. My name is Janice Hallowell. I've lived in Boulder county for 46 years. If you can move that microphone. Just.

0:28:33Thank you. Closer. Thank you. i live a little more than a mile as the crow flies from the proposed rejuvenous spring on red hill i own a farm think it's clear from the swell of letters you've been. Getting that. Approving aerial spraying of Rejuven Red Hill and the environments it does not align with. Your constituents values. That's a really important thing to grasp. We don't believe in this. The people that live there, as you've seen by the outpouring. Number two, you've been getting bad advice on weed management from that hill, your lead weed. Specialist is a propaganda tool for Bayer Corp. And he's made Boulder County a propaganda tool. For them, too. He's on record at Bayer conference in 2022 boasting that Boulder county is ground zero for. Riduva. This would seem to be a conflict of interest and grounds for dismissal of the current plan to spray rejuven Red Hill. Third, when it comes to herbicides, the label is the law. Studying the label, one can immediately see that Rejuvena has not been found to be safe for humans. The label says it's inconclusive. Also, there are several geographic conditions that make very likely make using rejuvena in Boulder county distinctly off label.

0:30:00In other words, against federal law. In other words, illegal. This should be reviewed by a non biased group of experts, not a shield for Bayer and before any of the spraying of Rejuvena is planned. Four Boulder County Weed management plan, which calls for exhausting all other cultural mechanical wondering if you followed the 2020 Section 4.3.1 says when herbicides are deemed necessary for use. BCPOs selects herbicides whose active ingredients have the lowest human health and environmental impacts. That will achieve the management objective. Where's the evidence of what other safer methods have been tried? At Red Hill. Those results should be made public before. Any spraying is scheduled. Rejuvena is used for cheat grass specifically for fire prevention. However. Tim Cstep, professor emeritus at CU, published a paper in early 2025 that makes a solid argument that cheat grass does not increase fire danger and that most of the accepted studies were based on the great basin, not the great plains where we live. So they're erroneous. And at high time we learn to live with cheek grass. As nuking it with herbicides will only make it come back stronger. Reduver is a terrible wild card and has not been designated as safe. We know that it's devastating for pollinators. When it was sprayed near my house in 2022, it killed all the honeybees. We're

0:31:41going to go to virtual. It looks like the folks that are listed there in yellow. Are not available right now, so we'll go next to Haley Porter. So you interrupted me. But not other people. I'm sorry. Yeah, lots of people did. Haley Porter. Hello? I'm here. Am I able to turn my video on? Yes, you are. Wonderful. Good morning, and thank you so much for having my input, as well as my seven year old son's input. My name is Haley Porter. I was born and raised in this area. Can you guys hear me okay? Yes, we can. Okay, wonderful. I think that the fact that. This is up for debate is really heartbreaking. I don't know if any of you here have read the book, the Lorax. That could be a good homework study this evening. For anybody that is still in question. If this is an ethical or okay thing to do, my son, and I have read the Lorax many times, and. I think at this day and age, where the earth is, this shouldn't be a question. Of are we spraying chemical toxins in the air? I also think it's really a beautiful coincidence that the neighbors of this land. Are dar and yellow barn. Mr. Nick D. Who just spoke, is an expert. They are experts in weed management. And I

0:33:08don't think we should focus necessarily so much on what's wrong with the chemicals, because the women that just spoke before me. That was beautiful. Thank you so much for doing that work. To help unveil the toxicity. and i know sometimes that's where humans can butt heads is it toxic or is it not i think maybe let's set that aside and then let's focus on goats and let's focus on cows and focus on the animals i live with 20 goats they are the most fantastic grass mowers and they actually don't cost a penny i would happily has a traditional goat herding staff. We would volunteer. Our time to walk with the goats around, and I know that Nick would do the same, and. I know that many other people would volunteer their time to help with a really safe, effective way. To manage this grass. I think it is unacceptable to spray the toxins, and I think we need to focus on better solutions. Boulder is known in the US as being this really conscious, eco friendly place. And having lived here, over the last 34 years of my life. I'm actually pretty disgusted at how many pesticide signs I see going up that's heartbreaking. I would invite people to read the Lorax this evening. I would invite you to maybe. Just watch a couple of

0:34:25YouTube videos about how effective goats are. They eat everything, and we can just simply let the goats run free before the grass goes to seed. It's so effective. I mean, just watch a couple Instagram videos or a couple of YouTube videos. And the reality is that the bees. Are destroyed and killed. As the woman before me was just cut off, maybe she could be allowed. To continue a little bit more with her b knowledge, but if the bees die, we die, and so this is actually not an act or a question of are we spraying this chemical? Is, are we choosing to destroy humanity? Or are we choosing to preserve humanity and take care of one another? Thank you so. Much. Thank you. Next is Dan Michaels. Just a reminder for folks, there's a three minute clock in front of you, so if you want to take a look at that while you're speaking? That's super helpful for the ones who are behind you waiting.

0:35:17Okay, I am here, but I can't get my video turned on. We can hear you. Just fine. Okay. I'm here. This is Dan Michaels. I live in Boulder county. I'm just near. Hygiene. I'm here to call. Attention to something that's been going on in the county for equestrian centers, and that is that the assessor is running around changing. The assessments of our properties from ag to ag commercial. My wife and I own and operate Rabbit Mountain Equestrian center, which is a horse boarding and training. Facility. Here in Boulder county. It's on our property. The Rabbit Mountain. The question center is an animal husbandry operation, which means we care and feed. For horses. We profit over the last seven years. Just averaging annually over $5,000 per year. The proposed tax increase. From the assessor changing. Our value. Our assessment from AG to commercial. The increase in taxes is approximately $25,000 a year, which. Is clearly injurious to our operations. Our subject property is a ranch according to title 39 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. Therefore it should stay as agriculture. Agricultural. Ranch is defined as land for grazing of livestock for monetary profit. And all the land. The land in its related structures are all deemed agriculture. And livestock is defined as animals for human consumption, breeding, draught or profit. Now. We were assessed as ag.

0:37:21As in 2000, when we started our facility. The assessor reassessed us in 2004 and in 2023. Every time. We were considered an ag property. So all our horses are in service, which means that. They're draft forces. Our animal products. Are sent away to help sustain agriculture. And in any case, I need you all to reconsider. This effort on the assessor. To get us processed. As. Commercial operations. Were not. Barely surviving as it is. And in fact, all of our boarding facilities. Are in support of education. And public support. Thank you for your time. Thank you. Next is Taisha Adams. Thank you very much for having me on the call today. My name is taisha Adams, and I serve on the city of Boulder City Council, although my remarks today are my own and are not reflective of the full council. As a former commissioner for Colorado Parks and wild. Wildlife. I. Had the opportunity. To.

0:38:50Do a lot of learning and activation around herd management and habitat restoration. Every plan included habitat loss, our wildlife, our insects don't respect our human created boundaries and borders. The climate chaos we are experiencing is human caused. We know that we only have right now to make painful, inconvenient and costly repair through the water, soil and air. Who has been compromised in the decisions of past humans, of select past humans. Regenerative agriculture builds on the ancestral wisdoms and traditions of our indigenous and tribes who were able to sustain these lands for millennia. This knowledge must not be lost. And although it was wonderful to have our county commissioners provide land back to indigenous. Peoples to restore. Those efforts. Do not align with decisions to poison the land and the water with pesticides that have not been vetted. Outside by independent council and researchers. We know we owe a massive debt to our tribes, into our indigenous people. We also owe an incredible debt to the land, the water, the air and the soil. I implore our county commissioners to reconsider this decision. And align with the needs of our present and our future. We are the earth defending itself. Thank you so much. Thank you.

0:40:32Next is Mary Ken. Hello. Good morning, everyone. My name is Mary Kin. I am here. To speak on behalf as much as I can. On behalf of my child, who. 's three and ten programs at Yellow Barn Farm. On behalf of his children and their children. And my children's children's children. Seven generations forward. I'm going to be quick. But I inherited a t shirt from my grandfather. A big red t shirt that said, stop the spray. And it reminds me that. We've been saying no to this. For a very long time. And it's so disheartening that. With all of our teams and technologies that we're still considering poisoning the earth. This is never okay to poison the earth. Never. And. When we get lost in this idea that. Making a solution. Doing something. That will hurt just a little to save something bigger. That's a problem. And we can see it everywhere. Our world is in utter chaos because we have forgotten that. The earth is our body. And when we poison the earth, we poison ourselves. So, please. To protect our food, our water, our bees, our children, ourselves.

0:42:33The beauty of this planet, which is so miraculous. There are no other planets like this. Please. Find another way. And it seems like we have some pretty good leads. There's a lot of people who care about this. A lot. So let's. Rally troops. Let's get volunteers out. Let's do something other than putting harmful chemicals on our planet. Thank you. Thank you, Nexus teague and blakely. All right. My name is Tegan Blakey. I live in unincorporated Boulder County. And. I would like to echo a lot of support for the comments you've already heard today. Regarding the concerns with spraying in the Red Hill area. This is not just concerning. It seems like a very reckless thing to be doing, especially given. The immediate proximity of. So many regenerative agricultural operations. Right next door to where the spring is proposed by Boulder County. And we know that once we put something out in the environment, it doesn't just stay where we put it. It spreads either through the water, through the wind, through runoff. And being so close to. These regenerative agriculture operations, the odds are that they're going to be affected by this by Boulder County's actions. And so I'd like to ask the county if you're prepared to pay for the damages? That these agriculture operations are likely going to experience as a

0:44:48result of Boulder County's actions. I know Boulders County's budget is already extremely tight this year. And. I don't think boulder county. Has. Should be considering the need to put money towards remediating actions that are not necessary in the first place. As you've heard today, there are so many other options. To address concerns regarding weens in the fire scar area. Even what is being proposed by Boulder county does not address that concern. In Desaflam as the mean ingredient in the herbicide that's being proposed. Not just kills, quote unquote bad seeds, but it sterilizes the soil and could remain active for five plus years. This is not what you want. In a fire scar. This is what would set the stage for something like the floods in four mile the year after. The four mile fire. That soil hadn't had a chance to recover yet. And what you saw was a second disaster after the first. If you create a moonscape on top of a fire scar, you are setting the stage for. Another event that Boulder county is once again going to have to pay for remediation. So I'm asking you that you look at the other options on the table. You listen to. The community.

0:46:14Who you are representing. And find a solution that supports the regeneration of the soil. The long term. Ecology and potential of that land, as well as communities and the farms surrounding it. Thank you. Thank you. We're going to try one more here of Tiffany Boyd. We're at 948. Hi. Can you hear me? Yes. Hi. My name is Tiffany Boyd, and I live in county. The teacher in Boulder Valley School District for 27 years, and now I work with classrooms for climate action. Our goal in classrooms for climate action is to educate students with the data and the science behind. Why we need to preserve and protect. And manage not only the ecological. Issues facing our world, but the climate issues that are facing our world. So thank you so much for the work that you're doing as commissioners. I know it's. Extremely difficult, and you are often faced with difficult decisions such as this. I know that Mr. Reinhold said that this is not going to be reconsidered. Officially until 2027. But. Some really important wisdom I think we all need to follow is when you know better, do better. And we have teaching students around. Many issues connected with soil health, rotational grazing. Protecting.

0:47:53Protecting wetlands, protecting. Aquifers, protecting our water. And many of these. Issues around fire mitigation around. With invasive species. There are lots and lots of regenerative agriculture practices that address all of. These out chemicals. In the words of many people that have shared, let's please be proactive instead of reactive. Many of these practices can be managed with the amazing stewards that we have in our county that are doing regenerative practices. Many people are willing to. Loan their goats and their cattle. To do much, this mitigation that is needed, that preserves our soil health, that preserves our water that allows our soil to absorb carbon, to retain moisture. Here we are. In a difficult drought in the west. And everything we can to preserve our soil health. We obviously heard about this only two days ago, so we weren't able to get students. To give public comment, but this is exactly what we do. We lift up student voices so that they can participate and know the science behind what's happening in their communities. For years we've been letting corporations lead, and it has led to a lot of ecological damage it has led to climate change.

0:49:29And we know better, so we should do better. So thank you so much for facing this difficult decision. And even though officially we're not supposed to. Change till 2000 and. 27. I think there's plenty of people that would like it to change today. Thank you. Thank you. All right. We're going to have to stop just from a time stamp. We had noticed that we'd have ten people, and we've got more than that. And we knew that we weren't going to get through everybody. I'm going to ask you all to please find some order. There is the quorum. In a hearing room. We are here to listen. We publicly notice for ten, but we did allow. For more people. We have read over 500 emails. Our staff gone through them and then they got sent to us individually. As well. I did want to just give commissioners an opportunity. If there's any responses and if commissioners would like to hear a couple more people. I have to be out at ten for the next meeting, which I know everybody else does as well. So commissioners. Pleasure of the board. I think you announced how we were going to proceed, and I think we should stick with that. Plan. That's our standard process, Commissioner Soldman. That's fine.

0:50:45Okay. Any comments or response. I'll make just a couple of comments. I think. I've lost total count here on the number of emails I've received. Last night. Checked, it was about 800. Obviously, this. Is a very. It's an issue. That a lot of people are very interested in and concerned about and. We heard from many of you. When we were considering the integrated weed management plan. Just for myself and the vote that I took on that plan. I considered these concerns that have been raised today, and I considered the other information that our staff brought to us. Other information that I read. Myself in studies that. I researched. On the use of endaziflam. And I did my best to balance those competing interests and the information. To reach a decision. I do want to say that if you read our integrated weed management plan, You'll see that approval of chemicals is not just based on what our staff says and we've heard the complaints about some association between our staff and bear. We rely on who. Classification to make sure that it has been externally peer reviewed. We also. Specified that there needed to be three other independent reviews before a chemical could be put on the list for use. We made a very considered decision. We have a three year review period. I fully

0:52:42expect all of you to be back here again. When we consider where we are with the plans that we had for being able to decrease the acreage on which we would spray. We will be getting an annual update soon, I believe, from our staff on our progress on reducing the incidence of cheat grass. I want to just touch briefly on the indoor riding arena issue. I believe I must have been on vacation when the commissioners had that discussion. About. The why and that use. I am aware that the horsemen's association approached the why. And I had spoken with Chris Coker. And just said, look, see what you can work out. If you can work something out, great. But. The reason you didn't hear my name in conjunction with that is, I believe I was. Out of the country at that time, but. I'm supportive of seeing. What the gap is between what staff believes is necessary. And what a nonprofit can pay. And I know Commissioner Lo Chimeen is very involved in that, and I'm happy to just defer to her lead on that. I think. Just one more thing about the assessor. We do not direct the assessor's work, and I hear the concerns.

0:54:06I understand. The increased cost. But the assessor is an independent elected official. And she has to apply the statute as written. So thank you for making us aware of this, but we really don't have any control. Over how the assessor works. And your best option is. To speak with the assessor directly. Thank you. And we've just got a couple of minutes, but I wanted to make sure. You had something you wanted. Yeah, certainly. Thank you. Just to add on to that point, around the assessor. I just wanted to clarify. For the record. I mean, the description of the assessor was running around changing things, and I. Just don't think that that's a fair description. RSS or doesn't arbitrarily change land types. And so I know sometimes when you're talking. Use language casually, but just want to clarify that along the lines of what Commissioner Levy was saying. The office follows a very prescriptive process that's outlined by state law, and they have an appeals process that you can work with the assessor on, and it's.

0:55:08In a separate elected office, but just wanted to clarify that I didn't think that that. Language was quite fair in the description of our elected assessor. That works really hard for the community. And Cindy, thank you and others for continuing to work on the open writing issue. And all of you in the room, I think, know that I have a different perspective on the integrated weed management plan. I don't support the spraying that's currently happening. I didn't support the plan. I think it's a very easy decision that as Boulder county we should not be spraying synthetic herbicides on our public lands or any lands. The couple of things I want to elevate from the comments, and I'm really thankful for all of you coming out. The plan does require before using chemicals that we have exhausted other methods, and I don't. Believe the commissioners have any evidence that that was done in this case and the plan and the previous plans require annual updates on the status of the eradication of invasive species, and the board of commissioners has never, since I've been on the board, received an annual update. So those are just a couple of comm. Comments I would make. Thank you. And I'll be as brief as possible. I heard an ask for specific. Budget line items, so let's have staff. Just

0:56:18address that question so we can respond to Cindy on that. Please. Dan Michael's contact the assessor's office directly. Logistically, my question in less than 30 seconds is I have some grave concerns. About what's? Been brought up in regards to this spraying that's happening. And didn't have enough time to talk to Stefan in regards to questions, an overlay. Map to find out what's really happening here. I did have a question in regards to the timing of the review and had asked the board, which we just were unable to discuss. In 24. And so. Could we move this conversation for the board to have some discussion about what we heard today to the business meeting on Tuesday. I support that. Yes. Commissioners, Natalie Springer, Commissioner's deputy. For the record, I'm happy to coordinate with Jana Peterson, your county administrator in parks and open space staff, to make sure that we can accommodate that as a discussion item on next Tuesday's business meeting. Thank you. And. With that, I'll adjourn our meeting. Thank you.