HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 07/29/2025 - Memorandum from Kirk Longstein and Hannah Eining re Natural Habitat Buffer Zones: Project Reviews and Site InspectionsPlanning, Development & Transportation Services
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Fort Collins, CO 80522.0580
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Page | 1 Planning – Natural Habitat Buffer Zones
DATE: July 24, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
THRU: Kelly DiMartino, City Manager
Caryn Champine, Planning, Development & Transportation Director
FROM: Kirk Longstein, Senior Environmental Planner
Hannah Eining, Senior Zoning Inspector, NHBZ
RE: Natural Habitat Buffer Zones (NHBZ): Project Reviews and Site Inspections
BOTTOM LINE
This memo provides an update on the Environmental Planning team’s project review activities
and the integration of the newly established Natural Habitat Buffer Zone (NHBZ) Inspector into
the post-entitlement and permitting workflows. Following an overview meeting with
Councilmember Ohlson, Staff intends to answer the following key questions about the NHBZ
program:
1. Why site visits do not occur on every project
2. NHBZ review and inspection trends
3. Proportion of protected resources, and
4. Cross-training and staff redundancy to support program continuity.
BACKGROUND
Environmental Planning staff are responsible for reviewing development proposals to ensure
compliance with Fort Collins Land Use Code Section 5.6.1, which protects Natural Habitats and
Features. This includes evaluating proposed site plans, ensuring Natural Habitat Buffer Zone
(NHBZ) performance standards, and incorporating restoration and adaptive management
conditions into the final development agreement.
Prior to 2023, post-entitlement oversight of NHBZ was limited. Site inspections were conducted
only upon request from developers, often resulting in delayed identification of compliance issues
and limited ability to proactively enforce NHBZ protections or verify ecological restoration
progress. This reactive model constrained the City’s capacity to ensure that development
activities remain aligned with the Land Use Code’s ecological protection standards.
To address these challenges, the city hired a NHBZ Inspector in January 2024 within the Zoning
department. This role was designed to provide continuous, field-based enforcement of NHBZ
standards from permit issuance through project completion.
The NHBZ Inspector now works in close coordination with Environmental Planning staff to:
• Review NHBZ conditions of approval and security cost estimates for planned mitigation
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• Attend Development Construction Permit (DCP) meetings to identify and address field
constraints before land disturbance
• Conduct site visits at key milestones, including pre-seeding and vegetation establishment
inspections
• Monitor compliance with fencing, signage, and no-disturbance areas
• Document site conditions using GPS-enabled tools and share findings across
departments to support coordinated enforcement and escrow release decisions
This expanded inspection capacity closes the gap between policy intent and field implementation.
It ensures that ecological requirements are carried through construction, and that restoration
efforts are successful, verifiable, and aligned with the City’s long-term stewardship objectives.
Why Are Site Visits Not on Every Project?
Site visits focus on projects that disturb NHBZ, or ecologically sensitive areas as defined by Land
Use Code 5.6.1. Projects without buffer zones or significant natural habitat do not require NHBZ-
specific inspections. Prior to the NHBZ Inspector role created in 2024, inspections were
conducted only upon developer request, creating compliance gaps. Since the new position was
established, proactive visits occur for:
• Development site plans with a recorded NHBZ
• Active restoration and mitigation areas with a Development Agreement
• Sites with performance bonds awaiting security release
This targeted approach allows staff to focus inspection capacity on projects where habitat
protections and buffer requirements apply.
ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING PROJECT REVIEW TRENDS
The chart below illustrates the number of unique development projects reviewed annually by
Environmental Planning from 2019 to 2024. It distinguishes between projects with NHBZ
involvement—those requiring ecological review or mitigation—and those without. The data
highlights the consistent role of Environmental Planning in reviewing both traditional and
environmentally sensitive projects, reflecting the City’s ongoing commitment to integrating
ecological considerations into the development approval process. When a natural habitat buffer
zone is not present, the environmental planning team reviews landscape plans for compliance
with zoning standards related to native landscape plans, water conservation practices, industrial
contamination, and seasonal restrictions for protected migratory birds.
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NHBZ Inspection Trends
Environmental Planning project volume has increased steadily, driven by a focus on increasing
pollinator resources and more xeric planting pallets. The table below highlights the complimentary
work of inspection staff to ensure performance is met and NHBZ areas are managed correctly
into the future. The data below reflects the metrics since the inspection program became
formalized. Prior to this position, inspections were conducted by Environmental Planning staff
upon request by the developer.
Site visits occur throughout the growing season on a routine basis for NHBZ sites with remaining
escrows to help direct management responsibilities. End-of-year inspections occur annually,
beginning three years after the initial seeding of the NHBZ, to determine if the site has met criteria
for escrow release. Surveys, such as raptor nest checks or songbird surveys, occur during nesting
season at NHBZ sites or sites near future development to ensure wildlife resources remain
protected.
What Resources Are We Protecting?
Site-specific NHBZ reviews and protections focus on ecologically significant features, including:
Resource Type % of NHBZ-Related Projects
Wetlands & Riparian Zones 45%
Native Grasslands 25%
Wildlife Features (Raptor Nests, Prairie Dogs) 20%
Other Sensitive Resources (e.g. rare plant habitat) 10%
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Each of these resource types is assigned to buffer zone distance and mitigation requirements
per 5.6.1 (E) of the Land Use Code.
Cross-Training and Staff Redundancy
To maintain program continuity, the NHBZ Inspector cross-trains with Environmental Planners,
Utilities Environmental Regulatory Affairs Inspectors, and Natural Areas staff. Redundant
capacity includes:
• Shared data platforms and mapping tools
• Overlapping training on Natural Areas restoration standards, MS4 requirements and
NHBZ inspections
• Backfill capacity to cover NHBZ monitoring with 1041 project manager during absences
Cross-training ensures continuous compliance oversight even during peak workloads and staff
turnover.
NEXT STEPS
Staff will continue to improve coordination between Environmental Planning, Utilities, Natural
Areas Department, and Zoning Inspection to ensure the consistent and enforceable
implementation of NHBZ standards. Although the NHBZ program has been in place since 1997,
performance data related to restoration outcomes and buffer zone compliance has not been
tracked consistently over time. This has been due, in part, to changes in staffing, and the absence
of standardized reporting systems.
To address these gaps, the NHBZ Inspector now utilizes digital field tools to collect and document
inspection data. Additional reporting and tracking systems are being developed in 2025 to further
strengthen program accountability, support interdepartmental coordination, and inform long-term
ecological performance evaluations. These tools will help establish a more consistent framework
for assessing NHBZ effectiveness and guiding adaptive management decisions moving forward.
CC: Lori Schwarz, AICP, PDT Deputy Director/CDNS Director
Clay Frickey, Planning Manager
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