HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 6/21/2016 - Memorandum From Kent Leier, Land Conservation And Stewardship Board, Re: Proposed Sale Of Natural Areas Land To Hageman Earth CycleNatural Areas Department
1745 Hoffman Mill Road
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.416.2815
970.416.2211 - fax
fcgov.com/naturalareas
DATE: June 16, 2016
TO: Mayor & City Councilmembers
FROM: Kent Leier, Chair, Land Conservation and Stewardship Board
CC: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
RE: Proposed sale of Natural Areas land to Hageman Earth Cycle
The Land Conservation and Stewardship Board (LCSB) voted unanimously on June 8, 2016 to oppose
the sale of a portion of the Running Deer Natural Area for a non-natural area use-i.e. sale to Hageman
Earth Cycle (HEC). We encourage the Council to protect our valuable Running Deer Natural Area by
opposing this sale.
The Board opposes such a sale based on the following:
1. The Board believes that the Natural Areas Department (NAD) being urged to sell natural area
land for a non-natural area use sets a negative precedent that is a breach of trust of our citizens
who voted overwhelmingly to tax themselves to conserve open land.
2. Such a sale is not in keeping with the mission of the Natural Areas program. The primary
mission of the Natural Areas Department is the conservation and restoration of land and habitat.
It is not to provide private business opportunities regardless of the use or the City's support of
that use. The previous landowner sold this land to NAD with the understanding that it would be
preserved as open space and habitat. It is extremely important that NAD maintain the trust of
willing land sellers for the program's future success.
3. When restored, these 15 acres of Running Deer Natural Area will provide valuable upland
habitat in close proximity to the riparian areas of the Poudre River. These restored acres will add
significant habitat diversity available to wildlife along this key segment of the river.
4. If the sale of this property to Hageman were to move forward, the process would be void of
transparency and proper public input.
5. Previously, the LCSB/NAD has operated in good faith agreeing with the temporary rental of this
property with the future goal of habitat restoration. It was made very clear that these leases
should be temporary and Hageman Earth Cycle was asked to locate other property if necessary to
augment their currently owned property along Prospect Road. They have had many years to
pursue other options.
2
In the spirit of compromise, the LCSB would be willing to recommend that NAD grant another 10-
year lease along with the possibility of two 5-year extensions of leasing this land to support the
City's sustainability goal of yard waste mulching. This gives the City and Hageman Earth Cycle
ample opportunity to search for a permanent solution that does not involve City Natural Area lands.
We encourage the City to pursue a possible partnership with Larimer County's Solid Waste
Department as there are advantages of co-locating organic waste recycling with other waste
management activities. An appropriate future site for mulching operations could, be on a publicly
owned, privately operated resource recovery site.