HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 7/28/2020 - Memorandum From Zoe Shark Re: Lpt Follow Up On Conservation Agriculture Work Session July 28, 2020 (Agenda Item #2)
Natural Areas Department
1745 Hoffman Mill Road
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.416-2815
970.416-2211 - fax
fcgov.com/naturalareas
naturalareas@fcgov.com
MEMORANDUM
Date: July 27, 2020
To: City Council Members
From: Zoe Shark, Interim Natural Areas Department Director
Through: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Kelly DiMartino, Deputy City Manager
John Stokes, Interim Community Services Director
Julia Feder, Natural Areas Manager of Environmental Planning and Special
Projects
Re: LPT Follow Up on Conservation Agriculture Work Session July 28
The purpose of this memo is to provide a response to several Leadership Planning Team
questions about the July 28P
th
P Conservation Agriculture Work Session.
ULocation of Potential Conservation Agriculture Projects
The two natural areas being considered for conservation agriculture are Flores Del Sol Natural
Area (west of Timberline Road and south of Carpenter Road, in the Loveland Community
Separator) and a natural area yet to be named on West Vine Drive.
UGrazing
Grazing will not be included in the July 28 work session discussion. Natural Areas employs
grazing primarily as an ecological management tool. Grazing is utilized on intact or restored
grasslands, or occasionally to manage non-native vegetation, whereas conservation agriculture is
oriented to farmed agricultural fields.
ULand Conservation and Stewardship Board’s (LCSB) Position
While the LCSB had a number of concerns about conservation agriculture, it recommended that
it proceed as an experiment on Flores del Sol. However, the LCSB would like to see
conservation agriculture move to another City department as it views the practice as a distraction
and incompatible with the core purposes and work of the Natural Areas Department.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 9335B079-21B0-41DE-9CC6-3B2EBDA2303E