Stewardship

Zoning and environmental stewardship can go hand in hand, but that’s a slow process. Stewardship was a big part of the latest update to the Eagle County Board of Commissioners about rewriting Eagle County land use regulations. Todd Messenger, an attorney with Fairfield and Woods, is working on that rewrite. Messenger and Assistant County Attorney Beth Oliver provided that update, which focused in part on how land use policy can affect stewardship. That work, and draft regulations, have already brought comments, particularly about potential effects on the county’s riparian areas. The draft includes language regarding changes to the county’s current 75-foot setback requirement along streams. A letter from Rick Lofaro and Heather Lewin of the Roaring Fork Conservancy urges keeping the current setback, which “preserves Eagle County’s long-term economic development potential by retaining riparian features beneficial to both private...