Open space gene-altered crops barred

Modified plants banned on Boulder city land

August 25, 2000
Rocky Mountain News

The Boulder Open Space Department barred genetically modified agricultural crops from city lands Wednesday, endorsing the argument that too little is known about the engineered plants' long-term ecological impacts.

The policy is similar to a proposal being studied by Boulder County for its open space land.

Concerned about the possibility of having herbicide-resistant plants introduced to open space, department Director Jim Crain asked the city's Open Space Board of Trustees to add language to leases for agricultural operations on open space that would bar any genetically modified organism from being introduced.

The trustees approved the policy unanimously Wednesday night.

According to city figures, nearly half of the city's 33,000 acres of open space is leased for agriculture, though only about 400 acres have grain crops for human consumption grown on them.

The Open Space Department asked the trustees to ratify the ban even though its impact on the ground will be small, said Bryan Pritchett, open space resource conservation coordinator.

"One of our charges is to protect environmental resources, and there are enough concerns about genetically modified crops to justify taking this action," Pritchett said.

In 1998, a two-acre plot of Monsanto's Roundup Ready corn — genetically modified corn designed to withstand the company's popular herbicide — was tested on an open space parcel. No other genetically modified crops have been grown on city land.

"There's a whole host of biological and societal questions about this practice. Ethically, I'm not sure we want it represented on public land we control," Pritchett said. "Our take is that until a whole lot more is known about GMO impacts, then we'd rather not have them."

Millions of acres of genetically changed crops have been grown in the United States, and critics argue that the plants could pollinate and change other species, threatening ecosystems over time. The European Union has taken steps to eliminate importation of genetically modified produce.

Boulder's ban came at the urging of the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center. The center also supports state, national and international efforts to force labeling of genetically modified foods and to enact moratoriums on the use of genetically modified organisms until significant testing concludes they are safe.

Though the physical impact of the ban may be small, the educational aspect of the ban is invaluable, said Peace and Justice staff member Carolyn Bninski.