Mountain Sustainability keeps track of all the activities in Boulder County mountain communities in order to share ideas, collaborate and provide resources toward Sustainability initiatives in the mountains, including offering relevant county programs and services to mountain residents.
Zero Waste USDA Mountain Outreach
To help create a Zero Waste county, the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded a 2011 outreach program to mountain communities. The project’s overall goal was to double the waste diversion rate in eight targeted mountain communities from an estimated 12.5 percent to 25 percent. This was estimated to equate to 900 tons recycled, a figure surpassed by more than 240 tons during 2011.
As a continuation to the 2011 USDA-funded project, Boulder County has received another grant from the USDA Rural Utilities Program to help five targeted mountain communities (Nederland, Allenspark, Jamestown, Ward and Lyons) move toward Zero Waste. With work to be performed from October 2013 – October 2014, the goal of the project aims to increase the overall waste diversion rate from approximately 31% to 35% by implementing steps of Boulder County’s Zero Waste Action Plan.
Waste Collection in the Mountain Communities
There are several challenges to waste collection in the mountains, including rough dirt roads in residential areas, spread out development and wildlife hazards such as bears and other wildlife from getting into containers. In most cases, residential collection is not an option, so Boulder County has created transfer stations and recycling centers in the mountain communities for residents and small businesses. We continue to expand our hours of operation, increase materials collected and streamline processes to make it more convenient for residents to properly sort waste and divert organic and hazardous materials from landfills.
- Allenspark Transfer Station and Recycling Drop-off
- Nederland Transfer Station and Recycling Drop-off
- Recycling Drop-Off Centers
Wildfire & Forest Health
Boulder County’s Forest Health promotes forest sustainability and stewardship of the land through outreach and education with private landowners. The Fourmile Fire in 2010 taught us that wildfire disasters cannot be prevented without homeowners actively creating and maintaining effective defensible space and safe home ignition zones. Every year, more and more homeowners are taking personal responsibility and performing wildfire mitigation measures. Learn how to keep your forest property healthy, prepare for a wildfire, perform wildfire mitigation work, and create defensible space.