[cobirds] City Urged to Consult CPW as Endangered Osprey Nest Sparks Outcry

City Urged to Consult CPW as Endangered Osprey Nest Sparks Outcry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Citizen Urges Longmont to Follow State Wildlife Guidance as Fall Migration Nears

Longmont, CO | August 5, 2025 — With fall migration weeks away and an active osprey nest perched dangerously on a live utility pole, Longmont Sustainability Advisory Board member Ethan Augreen is urging the City to consult Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) before it's too late.

The active osprey nest, perched atop a live utility pole on Longmont's Distel property in eastern Weld County, poses a serious fire, electrocution, and wildlife mortality risk, threatening both bird survival and public safety. Despite staff acknowledgment of the danger, the City has thus far taken no concrete action to mitigate the risk—and has yet to consult with CPW, whose published guidelines recommend early engagement in such cases.

"Community members are not asking for anything wild. We simply want the City to follow its own stated policies and consult the experts," said Augreen. "This osprey family is protected under federal law. CPW has the scientific expertise and regulatory standing to advise on the best path forward. But right now, Longmont is dragging its feet—and that's unacceptable."

CPW maintains a leadership role in raptor protection across Colorado, and its field staff are trained to develop site-specific solutions that balance wildlife needs with land use constraints.

The osprey is a federally protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), which makes it a violation of law to harm or disturb an active nest. CPW's 2020 Raptor Buffer Guidelines reinforce the MBTA and call for a ¼-mile buffer during the nesting season, but explicitly allow for flexibility in buffer distances based on habituation, site conditions, and expert consultation. CPW further encourages early mitigation when nests are in hazardous locations like utility poles.

"Other communities in Colorado have faced similar situations and acted swiftly to install safe nesting platforms—often in a matter of days," Augreen said. "Boulder County, Fort Collins, Loveland, even Longmont itself, in other cases, have all taken responsible action when wildlife was at risk. There's no excuse for delay."

City staff have cited concerns about lease terms or possible interference with future reclamation plans as reasons for rejecting installation of a new nesting platform. But Augreen counters that the proposed mitigation—installing a new platform in a non-operational (for industrial purposes) zone within 300 feet of the existing nest—is fully consistent with both CPW guidance and the City's surface rights under its lease agreement with gravel mining company Amrize.

"The irony is that inaction could result in exactly the kind of disturbance the City says it wants to avoid," said Augreen. "If we wait until the birds migrate and tear the nest down, we risk permanent displacement or violation of federal protections. If we act now, we give the birds a safer option and fulfill our duty as Open Space stewards."

Augreen asserts that constructing a new nesting platform quickly in the next couple weeks and then—during the winter— using a crane to manually move the existing nest to the new platform is likely to be the optimal solution consistent with recognized best practices, but any plan should be vetted and given the green light by CPW experts.

Augreen is urging members of the public to email City Council and attend the Tuesday, August 6 "Public Invited to Be Heard" session at 7:00 pm in the Civic Center (350 Kimbark St.) to speak in favor of immediate CPW consultation and swift mitigation.

"Ozzy the Osprey is more than a random bird on a pole. He's a symbol of whether Longmont keeps its promise to protect wildlife and manage Open Space with integrity," Augreen said. "Let's not allow red tape to defeat environmental responsibility."

Contact:
Ethan Augreen
Sustainability Advisory Board Member
📧 eaugreen@gmail.com / Phone: 303 7250734
🌐 https://ethanaugreen.substack.com/p/osprey-standoff-city-drags-feet-on

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