Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), Colorado Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and the Colorado Governor’s Office are convening an effort to develop a regionally rooted, statewide vision and action plan for conservation, recreation, and climate resilience.

State partners are working with Keystone Policy Center, SE Group, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, and the University of Colorado-Boulder graduate program in Environmental Studies (MENV) to deliver a plan incorporating diverse stakeholder input and scientific expertise with key milestones between now and 2026. Check back here for updates as the planning process progresses.

 

Why develop a statewide strategy?

Coloradans deeply value our natural environment. Thriving landscapes support our plants and wildlife; offer recreational, cultural, economic, and agricultural opportunities for residents and visitors; and provide clean air and water.

As Colorado’s natural resources face increasing pressures from climate change and growing human populations and uses, we’re developing a proactive strategy to protect and steward them and the many benefits they provide.

Reflecting science, expertise, and data inclusive of diverse disciplines and knowledge, along with input from stakeholders across Colorado, the strategy will elevate opportunities for conservation and quality outdoor experiences. It will create a collaborative vision that strengthens climate resilience and biodiversity and fosters inclusive, sustainable recreational access.

A collaborative vision informed by diverse stakeholders.

Through this process, partners aim to balance state-level leadership and guidance with regional perspectives, ensuring the plan’s relevance to the unique needs, opportunities, experiences, and cultures of local communities across Colorado from the Western Slope to the Eastern Plains. The effort will integrate existing plans and local statewide efforts, including those by Colorado’s outdoor regional partnerships, as well as identify funding mechanisms to ensure action and outcomes. 

Participating stakeholders represent the intersection of conservation, outdoor recreation, and interests related to land, water, and wildlife in Colorado.

Stakeholder Steering Committee

The convening partners invited individuals from a diversity of backgrounds, organizations, agencies, and Tribal nations to serve on an advisory committee in support of the development of the Statewide Strategy. Members represent multiple-stakeholder groups offering a broad range of perspectives and experiences, representing a variety of interests related to Colorado’s outdoors.

Becky Leinweber, Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance
Carlos Fernandez, The Nature Conservancy
Cindy Williams, Envision Chaffee County
Conor Hall, Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office
Daylan Figgs, Larimer County Natural Resource
Doug Vilsack, Bureau of Land Management
Erin Karney, Colorado Cattlemen's Association
Janelle Kukuk, Colorado State Recreational Trails Committee
Jared Romero, Minority Outdoor Alliance; Next 100 Coalition
Jason Bertolacci, Berbur/Thiry O'Leary Foundation
Jason Robertson, U.S. Forest Service
Liz Rose, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership
Luke Schafer, Conservation Colorado
Meara McQuain, Headwaters Trails Alliance
Patt Dorsey, National Wild Turkey Federation
Regina Lopez-Whiteskunk, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
Suzanne O'Neill, Colorado Wildlife Federation
Suzanne Stephens, Keep It Colorado
Tony Haas, Las Animas County
Topher Downham, City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks

In addition to the stakeholder steering committee, the strategy process offers additional, iterative opportunities and outreach for a broad array of stakeholders to provide perspectives to inform the strategy.

Here’s how the planning process will roll out.

January 2023 – March 2024 (Phase 1): early stakeholder engagement, background research and development of draft frameworks, maps, metrics, and tools

April 2024 – December 2024 (Phase 2): stakeholder engagement and refinement of draft strategy

January 2025 – June 2026 (Phase 3): strategy implementation and stakeholder support