What is SCCORR?
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About SCCORR:
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Southwest Colorado Conservation & Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (SCCORR) will build upon initial groundwork laid by the Southwest Colorado Outdoor Recreation Alliance, formed in 2018 by a group of outdoor recreation professionals focused on growing Southwest Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy and resources in a sustainable, collaborative manner. Recognizing a need to broaden and diversify participation and focus, SCCORR will identify and connect with a broader constituency, representing both conservation and recreation interests. There are currently an array of initiatives focused on forest restoration, watershed health and recreation underway in Southwest Colorado, including the Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative (RMRI), the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP), the Durango Area Trails Alliance (DATA) and more. Many of the same representatives are involved in one or more of the initiatives; however, other key stakeholders have not been actively engaged, and as a result, have not provided input. SCCORR’s primary purpose will be to ensure that a broad diversity of stakeholders are engaged and informed in order to prioritize the input and recommendations to existing/ongoing efforts related to sustainable natural resources and recreation. We will gather input from the broader community and synthesize it into priorities that inform regional initiatives and roll up to the Statewide conservation and recreation plan.
This effort will be located in Southwest Colorado. The exact boundaries will be determined through a stakeholder engagement and planning process. The initial geography will include La Plata County and its municipalities, including Durango, Bayfield, the Southern Ute Reservation, and Ignacio. The focus area will potentially include the Counties of Archuleta, San Juan, and Hinsdale as well as the municipalities of Pagosa Springs and Silverton. The full scope of the geographic boundaries will be a primary outcome of this planning phase, determined through stakeholder engagement and informed through mapping exercises, surveys, and data compiled during the grant timeline.
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San Juan Mountains Association (SJMA) is the steward of this grant award for the region and is well suited to connect partners in the region and make SCCORR as inclusive as possible. SJMA works closely with San Juan National Forest, Tres Rios BLM Field Office, the City of Durango and County Commissioners. Our organization connects multiple recreation user groups including Four Corners Backcountry Horsemen, Durango Trails, Creeper Jeepers, San Juan Sledders and others to share information and promote responsible recreation (i.e. through coordinating the Southwest Colorado Trails Roundtable). SJMA is heavily involved in several federal forest restoration initiatives in the region which include a healthy number of federal, state, and local government representatives as well as non-governmental organizations, ranging from National Wild Turkey Federation to San Juan Citizens Alliance. Our preliminary list of stakeholders includes 14 conservation organizations, 7 recreation organizations, and private lands/agricultural interests. Given the importance of tourism to the local economy, destination management organizations and local businesses will also be invited to participate. We have reached out to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and we have initial support from Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the Colorado Outfitters Association, which we will engage through place based/traveling listening sessions and by working to reduce barriers to participation through travel stipends.
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The Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnership Initiative convenes a broad spectrum of voices to identify, create, and formalize local and regional collaborations as Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnerships. Through this initiative, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), in consultation with CPW and the Colorado Outdoor Partnership (CO-OP), work together to establish a State-level vision balancing recreation and conservation and ensuring equitable and sustainable access to outdoor recreation. This vision will inform a Statewide conservation and recreation plan that incorporates the priorities set by Regional Partnerships.
The Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnership Funding Program provides an opportunity for new and existing coalitions to invest in capacity building, research development, and regional conservation and recreation planning efforts.
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Background:
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Since 2021, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) have been collaborating to fund new and existing coalitions to join a statewide initiative outlined in Govenor Polis’ Executive Order B 2020 008.
