DESCRIPTION

Paddleboarding the Roaring Fork River in North Star Nature Preserve emerged in the 2010s. This popular trend is here to stay. Staff with Pitkin County Open Space and Trails have faced increasingly polarized public input: nearby residents describe the area as a “floating party,” a “waterpark,” and call for closing or severely limiting access to “keep it wild;” many locals would like to restrict tourist use, expressing frustration that they are being “pushed out” and that tourists should be subject to daily caps. At the same time, others argue that public lands should remain open and equitable for all. This session explores how managers invited the community in to discuss these competing expectations together and create a shared statement for the future of the Nature Preserve and actionable management strategies through a Visitor Use Management process that integrates experiential thresholds, ecological data, and community values. Participants will leave with a practical framework for navigating similar tensions in their own communities, including tools for defining capacities, engaging stakeholders, and making difficult decisions about access and protection in high-use landscapes.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

EXPERIENCE LEVEL:

Intermediate