Source: US State of Colorado
Collaborative vision for conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience ensures an enduring future for generations to come
COLORADO SPRINGS – Colorado Governor Jared Polis and coordinating partners from several state conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience departments and programs, announced today the launch of Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy, a statewide vision and framework for action that ensures a future where Colorado’s outdoors, people, community character, and ways of life endure for generations to come. The Strategy was unveiled at the Partners in the Outdoors Conference in Colorado Springs. Coordinating partners involved in the Strategy development and rollout included Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), Colorado Department of Natural Resources, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, and the Governor’s Office of Climate Preparedness & Disaster Recovery.
Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy, one of the first of its kind in the United States, is the state’s conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience strategy. It advances coordination, tools, and funding to align, prioritize, and implement strategic actions on the landscape for conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience.
“Coloradans and our visitors love our great outdoors, and the outdoors are essential to what makes our state special,” said Governor Polis. “The health of our wildlife, biodiversity, people, communities, agriculture, and economies depends on thriving natural environments and amazing outdoor recreation experiences that our state provides. But our wild areas face significant and urgent pressures from growing populations, human disturbance, climate change, wildfires, and drought – and we are at an important crossroads. Our Strategy provides structure and important tools to help communities effectively and successfully plan and implement for the future.”
Outdoor spaces are vital to residents, with 96% engaging in outdoor activities at least annually and 90 million visitors exploring the state in 2022. With more than 960 wildlife species and a population expected to grow from 5.5 million to 8.5 million by 2050, the Strategy supports Colorado’s efforts to celebrate and balance both conservation and recreation. Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy has three goals:
- Climate-Resilient Conservation and Restoration: Conservation and restoration of lands and waters help wildlife and biodiversity thrive; habitats are resilient and connected; communities benefit from healthy ecosystems and agricultural lands.
- Exceptional and Sustainable Outdoor Recreation: A diversity of high-quality outdoor experiences are accessible, equitable, and inclusive; management and stewardship enhance benefits for and minimize impacts to people, landscapes, and communities.
- Coordinated Planning and Funding: Planning and implementation are interdisciplinary; supported by robust funding and capacity; inclusive of diverse perspectives and communities; and drive meaningful action for the outdoors.
“The Strategy supports all who love the outdoors in working together to achieve climate-resilient conservation and restoration coupled with exceptional and sustainable outdoor recreation,” said Jeff Davis, Director, Colorado Parks and Wildlife. “Everyone can use the Strategy’s vision and goals as ‘North Stars’ to champion Colorado’s outdoors and coordinate efforts to achieve key outcomes for the state. The success of Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy hinges on partnerships to work together toward common goals and solutions.”
The Strategy comes to life through 9 objectives and 33 coordinating partner actions, along with a Resource Hub, offering free online data, mapping tools, and other resources to support conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience planning. Available to public and private partners, the hub streamlines collaboration and enhances planning efforts for the outdoors. It currently provides:
- An interactive data dashboard with state and county scale information, data, and links for conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience.
- An interactive plan library that is searchable for federal, regional, state, and county scale conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience plans in Colorado.
- Planning resources and guidance for conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience.
- A statewide Guidance Framework for Tribal Collaboration in Conservation, Outdoor Recreation, and Climate Resilience.
- An interactive Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Resource and Action Guide that is searchable by topic area.
- Colorado’s Conservation Data Explorer (CODEX) and StoryMap with conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience mapping tools.
Coordinating partners worked to develop the Strategy and Resource Hub over the past year. Other key partners contributed to the effort including state, federal, and local governments; Tribal Nations; private and agricultural land/water rights owners and managers; local communities; Colorado Regional Partnerships Initiative; Colorado Outdoor Partnership; and diverse private and public sector partners in conservation, restoration, outdoor recreation, stewardship, climate resilience, and equity, diversity, and inclusion.
“Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy is a bold, collaborative vision for the future of our state’s great outdoors. With leadership from the Department of Natural Resources, Great Outdoors Colorado, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the Outdoor Recreation Office, and the Governor’s office, we’ve developed an innovative framework that will guide how we protect and steward Colorado’s landscapes — making them more climate-resilient, while also ensuring exceptional recreational opportunities are accessible to all. Our outdoors are more than just playgrounds — they are the heart of our Colorado way of life. But they’re under pressure — from population growth, increasing visitation, climate change, wildfires, and drought. To help tackle these challenges, we’ve spent the last few years listening — to communities, to experts, to everyday Coloradans — and crafting a strategy that reflects our shared commitment to protecting what makes this state so special. We’re proud of the work that’s been done, and even more excited about what comes next,” said Dan Gibbs, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources.
“As Colorado’s significant outdoor industry continues to grow, the Colorado Outdoor Strategy offers a vital roadmap for balancing economic opportunity with environmental stewardship and conservation. It empowers communities, businesses, and land managers to work together in building a future where our landscapes are resilient, recreation is sustainable, and access is equitable. This strategy reflects our shared belief that the outdoors are central to Colorado’s identity, economy, and way of life—and that we all have a role in protecting them,” said Conor Hall, Director, Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office.
“Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy boosts Colorado’s technical chops, partner collaboration and funding menu to answer the question; how do we ensure our wild places, wildlife and wild opportunities thrive even while accounting for a changing climate and growing state. The Office of Climate Preparedness is proud to see this multi-year effort launch, advancing Colorado’s preparedness for a climate impacted future, building a state of the art technical foundation, on which state, local and federal partnerships can work together to realize a flourishing future for Colorado’s outdoors,” said Jonathan Asher, Director, Governor’s Office of Climate Preparedness & Disaster Recovery.
“Colorado’s outdoor champions are showing their strength. The strategy is a testament to the power of partnership. United by a shared vision and leveraging the best available research, data, and resources, we are equipped to make decisions that will protect Colorado’s landscapes, foster vibrant communities, and improve Coloradans’ quality of life for years to come,” said GOCO’s Executive Director Jackie Miller. “We’ve accomplished so much already, and we’re just getting started.”
“The Nature Conservancy in Colorado is proud to have offered our science, insights, and expertise to help develop Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy. We are excited to be part of this historic milestone for conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience, and we believe it will have far-reaching and meaningful impacts to benefit our lands, waters, recreation, and economy. Efforts like Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy show that we can work together to find solutions that benefit people and nature,” said Carlos Fernández, Colorado State Director, The Nature Conservancy.
“The Strategy’s Guidance Framework for Tribal Collaboration offers a much-needed approach to ensuring that Tribes are actively involved in decision-making processes, and we appreciate the opportunity to contribute our expertise and traditional knowledge to help shape the direction of this work. By supporting this framework, our focus is to enhance Tribal participation in land and water management decisions, protect sacred lands, and preserve ecosystems that are vital to the health and well-being of our communities,” said Chairman Melvin J. Baker of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.
“To plan for recreation and conservation as separate pursuits would be like planting two halves of a tree on opposite sides of the forest — they will grow at the same time, but they will never form the same canopy. The health of the land requires harmony, not division. The Colorado Outdoor Strategy offers a way to manage the needs of wildlife and the wanderings of people in concert,” said Patt Dorsey, West Region Director of Conservation Operations, National Wild Turkey Federation.
“Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy is a voluntary collaborative partnership for agriculture, conservation and recreation possibilities, whilst safeguarding Agriculture integrity and productivity,” said Tony Hass, Las Animas County Commissioner and Manager, Walking Y Ranch.
“I am immensely grateful to have been chosen as a member of the Colorado Outdoors Strategy Steering Committee. The Strategy has the potential of memorializing a comprehensive approach to the symbiotic relationship between recreation and conservation that exists in Colorado and fairly makes this state a mecca for high quality experiences,” said Janelle Kukuk, Former State Trails Member, snowmobile at-large.
“Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy represents years of hard work by countless communities, organizations and individuals, but more importantly it represents a collective commitment to look forward in a proactive and inclusive manner to avoid the mistakes of our past. Our ability to address the challenges of climate change, wildlife habitat loss and fragmentation, and fostering equitable and inclusive outdoor recreation opportunities requires collaboration from all stakeholders and Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy provides the framework for our local Regional Partnership Initiatives to envision what they want their communities to invest in for the future, a future that all Coloradans now have a stake in because of the Strategy,” said Luke Shafer, West Slope Director, Conservation Colorado.
“Envision is excited to see Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy launch. Since 2016, Envision has been listening to residents and visitors and taking action with community and agency partners to sustain the healthy forests, waters, wildlife, working agricultural landscapes and exceptional outdoor recreation that make Chaffee County and Colorado such a special place to live and to visit. The Strategy offers a statewide framework to connect and empower grassroots efforts and organizations like ours to do more to protect the Colorado we love together,” said Cindy Williams, Chair, Envision Chaffee County.
“Strategic approaches have been the cornerstone for much of the success around land conservation and outdoor recreation state-wide. Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy represents a cohesive and forward thinking approach to how we continue to balance the conservation of key landscapes that characterize the beauty and sustainability of our state while at the same time providing for meaningful outdoor experiences,” said Daylan Figgs, Director, Larimer County Natural Resources.
“Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy cohesively aligns with Larimer County’s vision for the future by outlining a pathway to conserve its vibrant natural resources and valuable outdoor experiences. It is clear the challenges we face as a state are not unique to any one of us alone. The Strategy guides our future as partners in solving issues collectively, strengthening our resiliency as we face the future,” said Jody Shadduck-McNally, Larimer County Commissioner.
“COS is a transformative path to a future where Colorado’s nature, people, and ways of life endure and thrive. The Colorado Natural Heritage Program is proud to have been a partner on the project team, helping to build a legacy of planning tools to inform decision-making in climate-resilient conservation, exceptional and sustainable outdoor recreation, and coordinated planning and funding. We are thrilled to host the map layers from COS on Colorado’s Conservation Data Explorer (CODEX), a collaborative space where all Coloradans can explore these tools and use them to drive sustainable investment in Colorado’s future. CNHP will use COS tools across our program, including our five-year Statewide Natural Heritage Survey, in which we are leveling up Colorado’s conservation data in the service of the COS, the Regional Partnership Initiative, and all of Colorado’s communities,” said David Anderson, Director and Chief Scientist, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University.
“The love of the outdoors brings Coloradoans together. The COS is a voluntary partnership and tool that will help communities and regions celebrate and enhance access to Colorado’s innate natural beauty,” said Kelly Flenniken, Executive Director, Colorado Counties, Inc.
“I am thrilled to see the release of Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy after years working with stakeholders from around the state to address community needs and find a balance between conservation and outdoor recreation. BLM depends on partnerships with the state and local communities to meet the needs of the over 10 million visitors each year to BLM public lands, which generate over $1.5 billion in economic impact each year. This new strategy continues Colorado’s leadership in fostering collaboration between hunters, anglers, boaters, climbers, equestrians, mountain bikers, OHVers, and so many more partners, to steward our incredible public lands,” said Doug Vilsack, Colorado State Director, Bureau of Land Management.
“Colorado has thousands of miles of incredible rivers that hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors flock to every year. American Whitewater is very excited about the direction and guidance Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy will provide. This effort is sure to protect our incredible recreational resources and vital ecosystems for many future generations,” said Hattie Johnson, Southern Rockies Restoration Director, American Whitewater.
“COS provides navigational guidance and robust tools to integrate wildlife conservation needs and outdoor recreation desires,” said Suzanne O’Neill, Colorado Wildlife Federation.
“Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy was born to help Coloradans enjoy robust wildlife populations, awe-inspiring landscapes, fulfilling recreational opportunities, and strong economies. But this future is only possible through informed planning followed by strategic action that avoids, minimizes, and mitigates adverse impacts to important habitats. Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy helps pave the way for community-developed, interdisciplinary plans that simultaneously conserve our wildlife and wild places and support sustainable recreation for all people,” Liz Rose, Colorado Program Manager, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
“We at the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance are excited to see the launch of Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy for so many reasons. Among them, in our own partnerships, we’ve been able to utilize the data collection and resources that will now be available to us across the state. We leveraged the Strategy’s statewide conservation summary data and worked with local expertise to build a Pikes Peak Region conservation summary, which will inform planning and decision making moving forward. The Strategy’s north star goals support exceptional recreation and exceptional conservation of our natural resources. Our regional partnership’s advancement of a new land management partnership on Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain will support the Strategy, and we look forward to seeing it develop,” said Becky Leinweber, Executive Director, PPORA leading Outdoor Pikes Peak Initiative.
Moving forward, Colorado Parks and Wildlife will steward Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy by coordinating collaborative leadership and implementation with GOCO, the Department of Natural Resources, Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, and the Governor’s Office, along with other agencies and partners.
For more information, or to access Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy Resource Hub, visit the website.
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