The following statements are excerpted from the Geology Policies section of the Geology Element of the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan.
GE 1.01 The County shall strongly discourage intensive uses in Major Hazard Areas.
GE 1.05 The County shall require the evaluation of all geologic hazards and constraints where such hazards or constraints may exist in unincorporated areas of the County as related to new intensive uses. Such evaluations shall be conducted by a professional practitioner having expertise in the subject matter. Such evaluations should incorporate analytical methods representing current, generally accepted, professional principles and practice.
GE 3.01 The County shall render land use decisions consistent with the preservation or improvement of groundwater quality as well as the conservation of groundwater supplies.
The following are policy statements from the Wetlands section of the Environmental Resources Element of the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan.
ER 6.01 Land owners of existing significant wetlands will be encouraged to seek assistance from Soil Conservation Service or Parks and Open Space Department for the purpose of formulating management plans.
ER 6.02 The County will encourage applicants of land use proposals to avoid damaging, disturbing, or disrupting any significant wetlands. Where impacts to significant wetlands are unavoidable, the County shall request appropriate mitigation including restoration, enhancement, and/or creation of wetlands along with the implementation of a management and monitoring plan. Although requested protection measures for locally significant wetlands may exceed the requirements of other governmental agencies, the practices are intended to complement, and not negate, any other wetland requirements.
ER 6.03 Boulder County shall cooperate with the Soil Conservation Service's policy of providing no financial or technical assistance for the conversion of significant wetlands to other uses.
ER 6.04 The County shall cooperate and participate with other governmental agencies and other public and private organizations to develop regional approaches to wetlands protection. Where significant wetlands have been identified on public land, the County will pursue intergovernmental agreements to ensure the specific protection of these resources. Where significant wetlands exist within Community Service Areas, Boulder County shall provide assistance to municipalities for the establishment of wetland management plans to avoid the degradation of such wetlands.
ER 6.05 Significant wetlands, which in addition have been identified as critical wildlife habitats or critical plant associations or rare plant sites, should conform with the applicable goals and policies of the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan.
ER 6.06 Development proposals affecting wetlands other than those identified as significant, particularly those with high functional ratings, a large size, hydrologic connections, wildlife habitat value, or human interest, should also be evaluated for potential impacts and mitigation measures.
The County considers wetlands “significant” if they meet one or more of the following criteria:
The wetland performs at least three wetland functions to a high degree. Functions include: groundwater recharge, groundwater discharge, flood storage, shoreline anchoring, sediment trapping, nutrient retention and removal, food chain support, habitat, and active and passive recreation;
The wetland is significant in size, relative to other wetlands in the area, or in absolute terms;
The wetland contains a diverse array of wetland plant communities, hydrologic conditions, and features; or
The wetland is unique or important for other reasons (e.g. educational value; location; unique hydrologic conditions; presence of endangered, threatened, sensitive species; etc.).
The following actions should be taken by the County to facilitate the implementation of the wetland policies of this Element
ER 6.07 The Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department staff, volunteers and professionals shall research the County's wetlands to determine which are considered significant. Research shall be continually updated due to the transitory nature of wetlands.
ER 6.08 Conservation Easements pursuant to CRS 38-30.5-101 through 110, as amended, or other legally accepted methods between the County and landowners, should continue to be the acceptable development control, for the purpose of protecting significant wetlands on private property.
ER 6.09 The Land Use Code should be amended to require land use proposals which are determined by the County to have a potential for adverse impacts to significant wetlands include a report and map detailing such impacts. The report, to be prepared by the applicant, should include a delineation of the wetlands, an explanation of their value and functions, and an explanation of the proposed impacts to the wetland and adjacent upland areas integral to the wetland system. If impacts cannot be avoided, the report shall explain how the impacts will be mitigated, including a management and monitoring plan to assess the effectiveness of the mitigation measures.
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