GMO question likely to be settled soon

The county commissioners are expected to decide whether genetically modified organisms (GMOs) will continue to be grown on county open space as early as the week of Dec. 12.

The commissioners have scheduled a public hearing on the issue for Dec. 8. Two county advisory groups, the Food and Agriculture Policy Council and the Parks and Open Space Advisory Commission, disagreed this week with a third committee’s recommendation to allow GMOs on county land. (The commissioner-appointed Cropland Policy Advisory Group voted 6-3 in September to approve a policy draft that is permissive of growing genetically modified foods.)

County Commissioner Will Toor told Boulder Weekly that the board could make the final decision on GMOs the week after the public hearing.

“If we feel like we have enough information at that point, we will then plan on a decision the next week or early the following week,” he said via email. “It is possible that there will be questions raised that will require additional research, in which case the decision could be delayed, but I think at this point just about all of the questions have probably been raised.”