The Challenge Facing the NoCo Region
Those who live and play in the Northern Front Range of Colorado know it is a beautiful and special place. And it’s wonderful that so many people want to be outdoors in Colorado. We have stunning landscapes, biodiversity, unique recreation opportunities, and special places with cultural and community value.
All of this is worth protecting. As is the ability of everyone to enjoy these assets.
However, we are at risk of losing what makes Colorado a special place. From 2020-2021, 73% of Colorado’s population growth was along the Front Range. Our growing population is straining the capacity of our public lands. Too many people in one area can negatively impact wildlife and natural resources, and user conflict impacts the visitor experience. Even as we move past the COVID-19 pandemic years, visitation to state parks remains higher than pre-pandemic levels at around 18.2 million a year, versus just under 15 million in 2019.
Wildlife interactions with people are becoming more common. People’s needs, wants, and desires are much different now than they were in the 1960s and 1970s, the last time recreation planning was undertaken in some areas of the Northern Front Range.
Climate change is also changing the environment of the Front Range. It is at more risk of extreme fire, flooding, and drought, and our ecosystems are stressed as a result. We need to protect our ecosystems because healthy ecosystems protect against threats from extreme climate events. A big part of protecting our ecosystems is how we experience and use the land, which recreation plans can help address.
Addressing all of these challenges requires a multi-jurisdictional, landscape approach. This is the approach taken by NoCo Places.
See tips from NoCo Places on how you can “Know Before You Go” and be prepared for recreation.
The Crux of Public Land Management
A big challenge that almost all public land management agencies face on the Northern Colorado Front Range is taking care of what we have amidst increasing pressure for more recreation opportunities. Recreation in Colorado is a wonderful thing to which everyone should have access. However, more recreation and more people can stress infrastructure, facilities, natural resources, and staffing.
While the land is to be explored and enjoyed, there are steps that must be taken to ensure the assets of the region are around for generations to come.
The Impact on the Outdoor Experience
The challenges that visitors face include full parking lots, crowded trails, trash and waste on the ground, and other aspects that negatively affect their experience while trying to enjoy the outdoors.
The Impact on Wildlife
When both wildlife and people use the same areas, there are bound to be conflicts. Many species of wildlife, like coyotes, even use the same trails people do.
When visitors go off trail they can negatively impact wildlife by disturbing their nests, their hunting habits, or their food source. Off leash dogs can disturb or kill animals and birds, and dog waste does not biodegrade and can be harmful to water quality. Conversely, visitors can be harmed by wildlife when they get too close.
But wildlife is part of the reason people value recreating in Northern Colorado. How can we share the landscape with wildlife?
