HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-19-25 Public Comment - S. Harris - UDC Comment LetterFrom:Sierra Harris
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]UDC Comment Letter
Date:Monday, August 18, 2025 3:01:49 PM
Attachments:GYC _City of Bozeman_UDC_Comment Letter_August2025_Final.pdf
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Hello,
The Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the
Bozeman Unified Development Code’s (UDC) proposed updates to improve watershed
stewardship within the City and the Gallatin Watershed as a whole.
Please see our attached comment letter.
Thank you,
Sierra Harris
Sierra Harris (she/her/hers)
Climate and Water Conservation Manager •Greater Yellowstone Coalition
sharris@greateryellowstone.org • 406-556-2804 (o) • 406-459-2585 (c)
Get to know GYC at greateryellowstone.org
August 15, 2025
City of Bozeman Commissioners
City Hall
121 N Rouse Ave
Bozeman, MT 59715
Re: Public Comment – proposed updates to the Unified Development Code
Dear City of Bozeman Commissioners,
The Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the
Bozeman Unified Development Code’s (UDC) proposed updates to improve watershed
stewardship within the City and the Gallatin Watershed as a whole.
The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is in support of the recommended updates related to streams
and wetlands, as it reflects the values of our community and aligns with our mission to work with
all people to protect the lands, waters, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now
and for future generations.
Across the west, and especially in the Gallatin watershed, we share a very limited supply of
water. It is vital to include water resource protections throughout the development process. As a
result, our first recommendation is for the updated UDC to broadly prioritize impact avoidance
and requiring habitat enhancement along streams and wetlands impacted by development.
Establishing setbacks along all identified waterways is a crucial first step towards that outcome.
GYC also agrees with increasing stream and wetland setback distances as outlined in Table 2 of
the Policy Memorandum published by the Gallatin Watershed Council on August 1, 2025. These
protections will allow for an increase in predictability and could help reduce the potential for
conflict during future development. GYC also feels strongly about the UDC prioritizing local
mitigation efforts – when stream and wetland ecosystem services are impacted, mitigation
should occur within the same watershed and as close to the impacted site as possible.
To increase predictability for developers and to minimize the potential for conflict, GYC is
recommending two specific courses of action in the updated UDC:
•During the pre-application stage, requiring an aquatic resources delineation by a
qualified professional that includes streams, wetlands, and irrigation ditches.
•Providing allowances for reduced stream and wetland setbacks through a scientifically
robust risk assessment.
The above recommendations would be necessary even within a watershed that lacked the
outside pressure that comes with population growth and a changing climate. But given the
reality of a changing climate, it is of even greater importance to have these water resource
protections in place. The impacts of climate change will put our communities, waters, and wild
lands at risk and it is critical that all future development be put into context to better understand
climate-related threats specific to this region.
We hope that the Commission will agree to the proposed updates to the UDC that support
improved watershed stewardship for our community.
Sincerely,
Sierra Harris
Sierra K. Harris
Climate and Water Conservation Manager
Greater Yellowstone Coalition