DESCRIPTION

For decades, management of the Mount Blue Sky Recreation Area functioned as a patchwork of jurisdictions, with the US Forest Service, Denver Mountain Parks, and other partners operating independently without thoughtful coordination. This led to duplicated efforts, inefficiencies, and a fragmented visitor experience. This session examines how that model evolved into the Blue Sky Collaborative, a coordinated multi-agency partnership bringing together stakeholders including Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Colorado Department of Transportation, Clear Creek County, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance, and others to align goals, streamline operations, and enhance stewardship and visitor experience. Through real-world challenges, including the renaming of Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky, re-imagining a mission-based purpose for the historic Echo Lake Lodge, a full-season road closure, significant human-wildlife conflicts, and a shift in management structure, this case study shows how trust-building, shared decision-making, and nonprofit engagement led to meaningful and lasting collaboration.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

EXPERIENCE LEVEL:

Intermediate