Some farmers and ranchers say the Code of the West no longer applies in Larimer County.
The code is used by counties in the West to encourage urban transplants to adapt to the rural way of life and respect the ways of those who have raised crops and livestock for generations.
But proposed regulations on Larimer’s livestock have some folks wondering if longtime residents’ interests are being pushed aside to accommodate the newcomers.
“They keep nailing us down with these new rules, and a lot of people will sell out and leave,” said Harry Elder, who owns miniature horses north of Fort Collins.
The proposal would restrict landowners from two horses per acre to one horse per acre, as well as place limits on bison, mules, ostriches, emus, goats and alpacas. Too often, county officials say, property owners allow horses, pigs and cattle to overgraze small parcels, destroying prime grassland.
“There are two parcels on either side of me that are now dust bowls and weed patches because the neighbors had two and three horses grazing on 2 acres,” said planning commission member Duane Pond, who supports the revised regulations. “The problem is that we have people who want to own horses, but they don’t know how to manage them.”
Existing farms and ranches would be grandfathered in under the proposal, but if they wanted to expand their operations or if someone wanted to start a new farm, they would have to seek approval from the county.
Further, the county is working to make it easier for suburban dwellers to lodge complaints against their farming neighbors who have too many animals.
“I feel the county is trying to act as a homeowners association for the whole county,” Elder said.
Amanda McGuiness is already rethinking her plans to start a small dairy farm in Larimer County. The animal-science major at Colorado State University said it would be costly – $1,000 or more in administrative fees to the county – and cumbersome to prove that she would be a good farm manager.
“All 50 states have at least something written in their books to protect farming, but people and developers have always been able to push those out,” McGuiness said. “When you get down to it, developers have the time and money to fight those things.”
But supporters of the new regulations say they are aimed at some of the new landowners who are inexperienced with livestock, not at good farmers.
The county’s existing livestock regulation was written in 1963 and essentially only covered riding horses and feedlots, said senior planner Al Kadera.
Since then, there has a been proliferation of horses, pigs and llamas that newcomers are putting on 1- to 2-acre “ranchette” lots. “If someone called me today and asked me how many alpacas he could have on his land, I couldn’t tell him,” Kadera said.
No census figures were available on the number of new animals filtering into Larimer County. But officials say it is clear that many of the parcels are being mismanaged, fueling worries that landscapes are being ruined.
“A lot of newcomers want a horse, but they don’t realize the time and effort to take care of them or the property,” Pond said.
The county planning commission approved the proposed regulations 4-3 last week and sent them to the county commission for consideration next month.
Supporters say they are sure that if the new rules are approved, it won’t be the end of agriculture in Larimer County.
“We have never busted a farmer or rancher for being responsible,” Kadera said. “We’re not out looking to wreak havoc on farmers and ranchers in Larimer County.”
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com.
