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Bozeman adopts tougher wetlands protections, sets 25-foot minimum buffer
Summary
After hours of questions and public comment, the Bozeman City Commission adopted revisions to its wetlands and watercourse code that tighten delineation, submittal, and mitigation rules and set a 25-foot minimum wetland buffer; the change passed unanimously after an amendment raised the buffer from staff’s 10-foot proposal.
The Bozeman City Commission on Sept. 9 adopted a comprehensive update to the city’s wetlands and watercourse regulations, including a new minimum wetland buffer of 25 feet and stricter submittal and mitigation requirements.
The commission voted unanimously to approve the ordinance after a lengthy presentation from city staff and more than two hours of public comment. Staff had proposed a minimum 10-foot buffer as a baseline but described a suite of higher-level protections — including required professional delineation reports, a five‑year maximum age for delineations, licensed-surveyor mapping and an ordering of mitigation priorities that favors on-site and locally prioritized wetland-bank credits.
Supporters said the changes close gaps left by recent federal court decisions and will help the city protect small, isolated…
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