Dear Council Members,
We support Bill No. 15-12, Modifying Permitted Uses in Waterbody Buffers. Thank you for considering this matter.
Bill No. 15-12 prohibits impervious surfaces, open shelters and pole structures in waterbody buffers, and stipulates requirements that must be met for trails, roads and utilities to be located in buffers. As such, this bill is an important step in the right direction. Better protection of the county’s waterbody buffers has many benefits including:
• Improved infiltration, which is key to replenishing ground water supplies;
• Moderation of water temperatures to support fish habitat, especially for trout;
• Improved water quality as pollutants are filtered;
• Reduction of erosion as runoff from development is slowed; and
• Avoidance of costly restoration projects that never fully repair the damage from pollution, erosion and loss of forest.
Recognizing these benefits, the Board of County Commissioners passed an ordinance in 2008 that provided strong protections for waterbody buffers. Unfortunately, the ordinance was significantly weakened in 2013. We are pleased that the Council is now considering ways to improve protections. We support this effort, and encourage you to consider additional steps to restore the provisions of the original 2008 ordinance.
