HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-28-26 Public Comment - K. Berry - Public comment for 4_28 Commission MeetingFrom:Katherine Berry
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Public comment for 4/28 Commission Meeting
Date:Tuesday, April 28, 2026 11:57:24 AM
Attachments:26.04.23 Commission Priorities_ Mitigation Public Comment.pdf
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Hello,
Please see the attached public comment for the 4/28 Commission Meeting.
Best,Katherine
-- Katherine Berry, Water Policy Manager Gallatin Watershed Councilwww.gallatinwatershedcouncil.org | katherine@gallatinwatershedcouncil.org
Cell: 860-558-3323
To: Bozeman City Commissioners
From: The Gallatin Watershed Council
Date: April 27th, 2026
Re: Commission Priority Work Session
Dear Commissioners,
The Gallatin Watershed Council is writing to encourage the prioritization of an on-site wetland
and watercourse mitigation manual and associated replacement ratios to implement the intent of
our newly adopted Wetland and Watercourse Code. We’re glad this work was identified in the
January draft City Manager work plan, and urge it be advanced in the near term.
With the adoption of the 2025 Wetland and Watercourse Ordinance, Bozeman made on-site
mitigation the priority when impacts to wetlands and watercourses are unavoidable. This is an
important shift, as it keeps essential ecological functions like nutrient filtration, aquifer recharge,
flood mitigation, and wildlife habitat within the same landscape rather than relocating them
elsewhere. Because mitigation strategies are inherently site-specific, a manual is essential for
outlining standardized procedures for assessing impacts, quantifying credits, and applying best
management practices to generate on-site credits through stream and wetland enhancement.
Currently, development applications are moving forward under the new code without clear,
practical guidance for applicants or City staff on how to design, evaluate, and enforce on-site
mitigation. This poses a risk to both project outcomes and effective resource protection.
Other jurisdictions offer useful models. The Montana Department of Transportation has an
on-site mitigation manual, and the State of Washington has developed mitigation policy and
guidance to improve the quality and effectiveness of compensatory wetland mitigation
statewide. We have even seen local wetland regulations working in Montana for decades. The
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) adopted a permitting ordinance in 1987
requiring mitigation for any impacts to reservation waters, taking concurrent jurisdiction with the
Army Corps. Their Wetland Conservation Plan prioritizes on-site wetland mitigation, sets
replacement ratios typically ranging from 1.5:1 to 3:1, and relies on the expertise of a staff
aquatic resource specialist to provide technical guidance.
Bozeman has taken an important policy step in adopting our new wetland and watercourse
regulations, now it needs the tools to implement it. Thank you for your consideration and for
your continued leadership in protecting Bozeman’s water resources.
Best,
Gallatin Watershed Council
The Gallatin Watershed Council guides collaborative water stewardship
in the Gallatin Valley for a healthy and productive landscape.
www.gallatinwatershedcouncil.org