08/04/2026
Urgent request for action! The Boulder County Master Gardner and CSU Extension program is at risk of budget cuts by Boulder County Commissioners tomorrow!
We all know how important being able to grow our own food maintain healthy ecosystems is and the volunteer Master Gardner program is essential to teaching the community how to do that! It takes paid staff to run the program, manage the schedules, and support the volunteers.
How you can advocate for Extension and the CMG program:
Contact our County Commissioners and the County Administrator. Reach out via phone or email before Tuesday's meeting.
Share your story and explain why local Extension staff and programs are vital to our community.
Have any community partners or neighbors you know who have used our service contact the commissioners.
Boulder County Commissioners can be reached at (303) 441-3500 or [email protected]
Jana Petersen is the County Administrator for Boulder County. You can reach the office by phone at 303-441-3525 or via email at [email protected] .
Attend the public meeting: Showing up or submitting public comments makes a powerful impact. There will not be public comment on Tuesday.
Spread the word: Share this update with community members, volunteer groups and any supporters who care about the future of our program.
We are reaching out today with some critical news about the future of our local CMG program and the CSU Extension Office.
Tomorrow our county commissioners will be reviewing budget reduction recommendations from the county administrator’s office. CSU Extension and 4-H are likely to have significant budget reductions recommended at this meeting. If accepted at the higher level of impact, most of our county staff positions will be eliminated at the Extension Office.
From tomorrow’s agenda:
“Proposal 26: This proposal would reduce the offerings through Extension programs, which are provided in partnership between Parks and Open Space and Colorado State University, with each agency funding essentially 50 percent of the cost. The specific impacts would be to the Agriculture, Horticulture and Small Acreage Programs, as well as Community Health and Youth Programs. The reduction could result in layoffs of up to four of 13 total staff. The total estimated General Fund savings is $466,500.”
We may not know the specific reduction recommendations yet, but it is certain that the budget cuts will have significant impacts on the Master Gardener program
Here is where your voice comes in.
The commissioners will discuss these proposals on Tuesday, and they have the power to modify them before making decisions. While the final county budget will not be fully approved until October, this Tuesday is our crucial first opportunity to be heard. We strongly believe that with enough community support, county leaders will see how much Extension positively impacts our community and consider other budget options.
Thank you and spread the word!