Boulder County, Colo. - The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) is urging community members to help identify those responsible for a series of vandalism incidents on leased agricultural lands, where someone has repeatedly cut livestock fencing over the past several months.

Since the first report on June 15 and the most recent on Sept. 3, OSMP staff have documented more than a mile of intentionally cut fencing across 10 agricultural properties north, south and west of Boulder, including properties near:

• Eagle Trailhead
• South Boulder Creek West Trailhead
• Fern Canyon Trail
• Greenbriar Connector Trail
• Lehigh Connector Trail
• Lower Big Bluestem Trail
• South Boulder Creek Trail
• South Shanahan Trail
• Greenbriar Road
• Marshall Road

This fencing is essential for containing cattle that graze these properties as part of OSMP’s agricultural lease program, which supports the reduction of wildfire fuels and healthy grassland ecosystems. When fencing is cut, livestock can escape onto neighboring land or roadways, creating serious safety risks for motorists, hikers, recreational users and the animals themselves.

“Cutting livestock fencing is not only destructive, but also dangerous,” Dan Burke, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks Department Director said in a statement. “Loose cattle can wander into traffic or onto busy trails, putting people and animals at risk. These incidents also create a significant financial burden for the department and for our agricultural partners.”

OSMP is asking residents who live near affected open space areas to review their home security camera footage for suspicious activity, especially during nighttime hours. Community members are encouraged to report individuals who repeatedly access agricultural areas at night, or anyone seen near livestock fencing carrying tools, backpacks or other equipment.

Officials emphasize that residents should not approach or confront anyone they observe engaging in suspicious behavior. Instead, they should document what they see, preserve any photos or video, and call 911.

Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to contact the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office by calling 911 if the is an active incident taking place, or the non-emergency number 303-441-4444 for a non-active incident.

The associated Boulder County Sheriff’s Office case number is 26-04116.

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/s/ Carrie Haverfield, Sr. Communication Specialist