The Southwest Colorado Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (SCCORR) is a new Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships Initiative for Archuleta, La Plata, San Juan, and southern Hinsdale counties. SCCORR is funded through Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), stemming from the Governor’s 2020 executive order to develop a “locally rooted approach to ensure we remain a world-class outdoor destination while preserving our land, water, wildlife, and quality of life.” This new coalition will use awarded funding to convene diverse users and voices from the region to identify common ground, share up-to-date information, and chart a course for the region to identify overarching goals and strategies related to conservation and outdoor recreation.
A significant facet of SCCORR is to gather input from residents of southwest Colorado on the main opportunities and challenges they see facing conservation and outdoor recreation in our area. To that end, SCCORR is facilitating community listening sessions and has an online citizen survey open to residents and visitors.
The COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSIONS will be held in Bayfield, Durango, Ignacio, Pagosa Springs, and Silverton during February and March. These facilitated community discussions are designed for residents of southwest Colorado to share their thoughts in small group sessions fostering focused input. These sessions seek input from ALL user groups, from fishing and hunting to nature and wildlife enthusiasts to ranchers and working lands groups to motorized and non-motorized recreationalists.
“SCCORR exists because of the critical need for collaborative long-term sustainability efforts in southwest Colorado, and for its residents to have a stake in the future of conservation and outdoor recreation in this place we all collectively and equally love,” explains Stephanie Weber, executive director of San Juan Mountains Association, the organization facilitating SCCORR. “It is critical for us to keep all lines of communication open during this process and to ensure there is adequate representation of all who wish to contribute their input to the outcomes of the future Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan.”
The CITIZEN SURVEY, with an estimated 15-minute time commitment, is available online through April. SCCORR is enlisting the help of residents and visitors to spread the word about the survey in an effort to develop as broad an understanding of priorities as possible. To take the Citizen Survey, please follow this link to access the survey.
SCCORR will coalesce information on the current collaborations and initiatives in southwest Colorado focused on forest health, recreation, water, and wildlife. Goals and strategies of these initiatives will be shared on SCCORR.ORG and, equally, SCCORR will ensure stakeholders have a voice during the decision-making process. Additionally, GIS mapping data on wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation use will be gathered, analyzed, and incorporated to better inform the long-term planning of conservation and outdoor recreation efforts in southwest Colorado.
Thursday, February 29, 2024: 6:00PM – 8:00PM SCCORR Listening Session: Kendall Mountain Community Center 1 Kendall Pl, Silverton, CO 81433
Thursday, March 7, 2024: 5:30PM – 7:00PM SCCORR Listening Session: La Plata County Fairgrounds, 2500 Main Ave, Durango, CO 81301
Monday, March 11, 2024: 6:00PM – 7:30PM SCCORR Listening Session: Pine River Library 395 Bayfield Center Dr, Bayfield, CO 81122
Tuesday, March 12, 2024: 4:30PM – 6:00PM SCCORR Listening Session: Community United Methodist Church 434 Lewis St, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Tuesday, March 19, 2024: 5:00PM – 6:30PM SCCORR Listening Session: Bayfield Calvary Presbyterian Church 89 E Mill St, Bayfield, CO 81122
To become a member of the dedicated stakeholder group and join quarterly meetings, visit SCCORR.ORG to fill out the short form to be added to the stakeholder list.