HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-20-24 Public Comment - D. Carty - Commission Meeting_ Aug 20, J.2_ Bozeman Health Sub-Area PlanFrom:Daniel Carty
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Commission Meeting: Aug 20, J.2: Bozeman Health Sub-Area Plan
Date:Monday, August 19, 2024 8:19:57 AM
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Mon, Aug 19, 2024; 8:20am
To: Bozeman City Commission: Mayor Terry Cunningham, Deputy Mayor Joey Morrison,and Commissioners Emma Bode, Douglas Fischer, and Jennifer Madgic.
Subject: Bozeman City Commission Meeting, Aug 20, 2024, Agenda Item J.2: BozemanHealth Sub-Area Plan (Application 24118).
The Bozeman Tree Coalition1 (BTC) offers the following comments for your consideration
with regard to the Bozeman Health (BH) Sub-Area Plan (SAP). The BH-SAP is beingproposed by BH as an amendment to the Bozeman Community Plan 2020 and Bozeman
Future Land Use Map.
In the BH-SAP (total, 560 acres), we applaud BH for designating the Highland Glen section(The Glen, 147 acres) as undeveloped, public green space. Although BH is currently firm in
its belief The Glen should remain undeveloped, public green space, that belief couldchange via changes in BH’s mission and board members and BH’s perceived need to
expand the hospital and other on-site services. Moreover, if BH were to sell all or part of theSAP’s 560 acres, then all or part of The Glen's 147 acres could be at risk of being
developed.
Consequently, the BTC suggests BH and the City of Bozeman (City) be forward-lookingland stewards and work together to place The Glen into an in-perpetuity conservation
easement. The BTC makes this suggestion because permanent protection is the best wayto preserve the ecological function and ecosystem services The Glen provides to the
Bozeman community as a whole. For example, The Glen currently provides valuable birdhabitat, with at least 137 species documented (Ebirds, Highland Glen Nature Preserve,
https://ebird.org/hotspot/L3073026). And, mammals using The Glen include—but may not
be limited to—elk, deer, red fox, black bear, and various species of small mammals.
Moreover, The Glen provides some of the best in-town, active transportation trails forwalking, running, biking, and cross-country skiing.
Within the City, there are very few undeveloped parcels of land like The Glen that provide
valuable wildlife habitat and excellent active transportation amenities free of charge to theBozeman community. The Glen is a prime example of environmentally important and
sensitive land that needs permanent protection via an in-perpetuity conservation easementinstead of the unprotected status it has now.
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
Sincerely,
Bozeman Tree Coalition co-founders:
April Craighead
Daniel Carty
Angie KociolekMarcia Kaveney
Lara SchulzChris McQueary
1The Bozeman Tree Coalition is a local, grass-roots organization that advocates for
Bozeman's urban forest—its ecological function and the ecosystem services it provides tothe Bozeman community as a whole.