Welcome to this first issue of our newsletter from the recently organized Boulder Community Alliance, a community-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit, serving Boulder, Utah. The possibilities for this kind of nonprofit are wide ranging and include everything from assisting local programs such as Friends of the Library to investigation farm preservation initiatives.

One thing that our community members have in common is a simple love of the landscape. Few of us are here accidentally. This is a community of choice. Those who were born here have had to struggle to remain. Those who moved here as adults have to find a way to make a living or bring an income with them. Our nearest stop light is almost 100 miles away. We are so topographically isolated that we were the last place in the continental United States to receive mail bags by motorized delivery. The landscape is what drew us in and kept us here. Not just the deep canyons, sandstone cliffs and Boulder Mountain, but the ranches, the cultivated fields and irrigated pastures.

The land value for the first century of Boulder’s history lay in what the land could produce and how it could sustain a family. However, like most places in the West, Boulder has come under increasing development pressure in recent years. Outsiders began moving in with different views and backgrounds. That first big wave of change jolted many Boulder residents. In the late 1980s, the Town Council formally adopted its first General Plan with a vision statement that remains in effect today:

The primary objectives of the community are (l) to preserve the ranching and farming business of the area and the rural spirit of Boulder and (2) to preserve the open space, clean air, and quiet country-style atmosphere that our families have enjoyed for over 100 years. In addition to these primary objectives, Boulder desires to remain economically sound by promoting commercial and cottage industry growth on a small scale.

These are worthy goals, then and now, but, like all goals, the real work and political will lies in implementation. One of the primary objectives of the Boulder Community Alliance will be to promote civic dialogue on issues ranging from ATV use in the Escalante River Basin to farm preservation in Boulder and work toward addressing these challenges to the Town’s vision statement. As a point of beginning, we have hired long-time resident Tim Clarke as a half-time Executive Director. Tim is a landscape architect who brings energy and skill to the position. Our newsletter editor is Peg Smith -- any call for volunteerism will find Peg at the front of the line. Please contact Tim, Peg, or me with any questions and make sure to sign up to automatically receive our newsletter. We look forward to your comments and feedback. curtis@bouldercommunityalliance.org