Update on Steinhoff Hill Stewardship: New Direction and Community Meeting
Jody Shadduck-McNally - Larimer Commissioner
Dear Larimer County community members,
Thank you to everyone who has shared their input and concerns regarding the gravel exploratory work at Steinhoff Hill. We appreciate the commitment and enthusiasm you have shown for the Livermore area. As Chair of the Board of County Commissioners, I am writing on behalf of the Board to provide an update on our latest directions.
1—Pursuing Stewardship Trust Designation
After a thorough review by our Natural Resources and Road & Bridge departments, the Board has directed staff to work with the State Land Board (SLB) to pursue Stewardship Trust designation for the Steinhoff Hill site.
This direction reflects our recognition of the site’s unique ecological value and the decades of conservation work invested in and by the Livermore community. By pursuing this designation, we are prioritizing the protection of this land and intend to explore aggregate sites in other areas of northeastern Larimer County.
2—Save the Date: Community Meeting on March 12
We want to discuss this process with you in person. Please join us for a Town Hall meeting to talk about Steinhoff Hill and other topics important to your community:
When: March 12, 2026, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Where: Livermore Community Hall, 2044 W. CR 74E
What: About the stewardship process and general Q&A with the Board and staff
3— Balancing Local Infrastructure Needs
While we are shifting away from Steinhoff Hill, the County still requires local gravel resources to maintain our rural roads in the future. Our teams will continue to evaluate alternative, smaller sites that minimize environmental and community disruption.
We anticipate a public work session later this spring to explore and evaluate these alternatives. Our goal remains to find a solution that supports our infrastructure cost effectively over time while achieving those community goals.
Next Steps & Contact
We look forward to seeing you in March. In the meantime, if you have specific questions, please feel free to reach out to Lesli Ellis, Director of Community Planning, Infrastructure, and Resources (CPIRs) or me.
Thank you again for your engagement and outreach.
Warm regards,
Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally, Chair
Larimer County BOCC
Jody Shadduck-McNally Larimer County Commissioner, District 3 | |
Commissioner's Office 200 W Oak St, Fort Collins, 80521 | 2nd Floor W: (970) 498-7003| M: (970) 939-0558 |
Michael Meyer
Cindy Henk
Denise Patryas
heather...@gmail.com
Dear Commissioner Shadduck-McNally,
Thank you to you, your fellow Commissioners and County staff for deciding to prioritize Steinhoff Hill for conservation.
We appreciate your need to balance multiple needs in the county.
We are extremely grateful that in the case of Steinhoff Hill you were able to remove it from the options for a new source of sand and gravel for county roads.
This action is a huge relief to the community that has invested so much in partnership with you and so many other partners over the last 30 years.
We are excited at the prospect of its nomination to the Stewardship Trust.
Thank you also for arranging a community meeting to learn about other possible locations for sourcing gravel and sand.
Unfortunately, my husband and I will be traveling out of state, March 8-18 and will miss the meeting.
Might there be an opportunity to meet with you and or Lesli Ellis before March 8th? I would like to personally express my thanks and get your feedback on possible mechanisms we might put in place to minimize similar happenstances in the future.
Thank you again, all of you, for your recognition of the importance of Steinhoff Hill in this conservation landscape.
Most sincerely,
Heather
Heather Knight
Natural Conservation Solutions, LLC
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Jody Shadduck-McNally Larimer County Commissioner, District 3 |