Politically, Boulder is more liberal than most of Colorado. Boulder county, which includes Boulder's more conservative suburbs, is 37% Democratic, 27% Republican, and 36% independent. Although in Denver, Democrats hold a virtual monopoly over city politics, Boulder gains more attention for being Colorado's liberal enclave with nicknames like "The Berkeley of the Rockies" and "The People's Republic of Boulder"...They were 2nd in the US to grant same sex mariages, the mayor of boulder is member of the green party...but like anywhere else you will find your conservatives and libertarians (mike...:)).
Boulder also adopted a policy to control urban expansion and contain urban sprawl...
The City of Boulder has created an Urban Wildlife Management Plan. Also, the city's parks department has a Conservation Team which monitors parks (including wetlands, lakes, etc) to protect ecosystems. From time to time, parks and hiking trails are closed to conserve or restore ecosystems.
Traditionally, Boulder has avoided the use of chemical pesticides for controlling the insect population...
Under Boulder law, extermination of prairie dogs requires a permit.
In 2005, the city experimented with using goats for weed control in environmentally sensitive areas. Goats naturally consume diffuse knapweed and canaada thistle, and although the program was not as effective as it was hoped, goats will still be considered in the future weed control projects.
Boulder is surrounded by more than 31,000 acres of recreational open space and nature preserves. There are ample opportunities for hiking, biking and rock climbing. Many of the trails start at the edge of the city, while others are a short drive away.
There's a shakespeare festival held every summer, and lots of hip people lived or came from Boulder... the University of colorado is 11th in public universities, Naropa University is one of a few non-profit buddhist-inspired universitites in the country....plus it's beautiful there.. don't you like mountains?
Okay, enough said...boulder is hip and we want to live there and you should meet us there one day.
lotsa love.