On Thursday, January 25, in a victory for the wildlife and habitats in Prairie Run Open Space, the Commissioners directed County staff to change the plan to remove all trails and amenities from the species-rich northeast section of the area, which means that area will not be opened to public access, and to prohibit dogs on the entire property.

Chances are that you’ve enjoyed OSMP trails and the native wildlife OSMP supports! Are you ready to give back and take a more active role in guiding its future? If so, consider applying for appointment to the Open Space Board of Trustees.

Lights out for spring migration, Redtail Ridge vote for Louisville residents, and CU-South upcoming vote for city of Boulder voters.

This edition concentrates primarily on major water issues that have reached a crisis level. The background, of course, is the major, multi-year drought affecting the southwestern U.S. We know from tree-ring studies that such droughts occur periodically in our region and sometimes last for decades. This is, of course, complicated by the addition of human-caused climate change, which is projected by experts to increase the frequency and severity of such droughts.

For this issue of Conservation Corner, it seems appropriate to consider new developments regarding the proposed expansion of Gross Reservoir, and the associated problems affecting the Colorado River.

Locally, the most important issues that have arisen are those connected with the property known as CU-South and with management of the Boulder Reservoir and the adjacent wetlands.

New conservation easement on ag property in the city of Boulder and more on the CU South ongoing annexation activity.

In February, the County Public Works department made an ill-conceived and disastrously prepared application for a special use permit for an industrial-scale composting facility on county open space at the site of the former Rainbow Tree Nursery Site, east of US 287 and north of Lookout Road.

Many of the issues that have been important in 2020 continue to require attention in 2021.

At the state level, depending on the election results, we may be looking towards active reintroduction of the gray wolf, which is currently almost extirpated in Colorado. In the next few months we may also see resolution of some issues regarding management of Greater Prairie Chickens on State Land Board properties in southeast Colorado, which are being pursued by the Audubon Colorado Council.

Over the last few decades, the Boulder County Commissioners have been particularly astute in creating oil and gas regulations that provide maximum health and environmental protections without overreaching and provoking court rulings that would limit their flexibility and authority.

In the time of the novel coronavirus, decision-making bodies on local environmental issues are all on hold while local and state governments concentrate on those parts of the crisis for which they have to assume responsibility.

Black-tailed prairie dogs once occupied a territory hundreds of miles wide, stretching from Mexico to Canada. We have now converted nearly all of that grassland to cropland for wheat, corn, other crops; pastures of European grasses; or paved it over for homes and shopping centers. We also introduced sylvatic plague (bubonic plague in humans), a disease that did not exist in North America and for which prairie dogs are not evolved to deal with.