Organic Consumers Association, 17 March 2016
Boulder County, Colo. – At a public meeting today, the County Commissioners directed county Parks and Open Space staff to work with local farmers to develop a transition plan for phasing out the use of genetically engineered (GE) corn and sugarbeets on County Parks and Open Space agricultural lands within a time frame of 3 to 7 years, and for staff to bring a recommendation on the transition plan back for consideration as soon as practicable. Additionally, the Board expressed a preference for phasing out the use of neonicotinoids and greatly reducing the use of herbicides and pesticides on county-owned open space lands.
The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) further provided direction to staff to develop a work plan that includes the continued monitoring of soil health, water quality, and pollinator health on Boulder County agricultural land, and that also looks at developing an Agricultural Research Station in Boulder County, and studies other identified barriers to successful local farming in Boulder County. Finally, the Board requested information on what additional staff and resources may be necessary to make the transition successful.
Understanding that requiring a shift away from GE crops will have an impact on some of the county’s open space tenant farmers, the BOCC asked staff to set up meetings with the nine farmers who currently grow GE crops – or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) – on county open space lands to ascertain what impacts might occur from a multiple-year transition period, and to find out what sorts of resources farmers might need to move to eliminate GE crops from their current crop rotation.
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NEWS TAG: GMO BAN
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OSGATA, 20 March 2016
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