Colorado Public Lands Day hits home in Aspen

Colorado Public Lands Day is an opportunity to celebrate the Roaring Fork Valley’s vast landscape and access to the outdoors, while serving as a reminder to protect as much as play.

The state holiday is designated as the third Saturday in May, falling on Saturday, May 17, this year. Colorado Public Lands Day became the first established holiday for public lands at a state level in May 2016 under the advocacy of Senator Kerry Donovan, D-Vail.

The aim of the holiday is to educate on and foster appreciation for the abundance of outdoor opportunities and stewardship responsibilities across the state, according to a press release from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. While Colorado boasts 22 million acres of public lands to explore, much of that is facing increased use and, consequently, increased impact statewide.

“We need to make sure we’re not loving our public lands to death,” said Bridget O’Rourke, statewide public information officer for CPW. “I feel like sometimes we take it for granted.”

CPW is currently redoing its strategic plan to address the need for a better balance between recreation and conservation.

“Genuinely, if you work at CPW, it’s the heart of our mission to teach people to enjoy going outside while knowing how to do it in a respectful and responsible way,” O’Rourke said.

Locally, Executive Director of the Independence Pass Foundation Karin Teague has seen the same statewide trend of increased use and impact. 

“We are seeing more use and that is something to celebrate — the more people get out and fall in love with our public lands, the more likely they are to care and become lifelong stewards,” Teague said. “But that increased use does have an impact on these places and on the wildlife and flora that called these places home long before we arrived.”

She hopes Colorado Public Lands Day will encourage locals, visitors, and nonprofits to step up their stewardship, particularly by supporting those charged with taking care of local lands like members of the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.

“(Public lands) are a great gift, and while they are free in the sense that we can access them, they do require an investment of our stewardship by our public lands managers,” she said. “On this Public Lands Day, I think it’s very important for us all to acknowledge that the system is at risk, owing to recent severe cuts in staff and funding for our public lands and the people who take care of them.”

Sam Feuerborn, Wilderness Workshop field director, is also concerned with what he called “mounting threats” facing public lands as a result of national decision-making. 

“Without question, these are major threats to our way of life in the Roaring Fork Valley and western Colorado,” Feuerborn said. 

Wilderness Workshop is working with elected officials, communities, and partner organizations to keep public lands in public hands, ensuring their benefit for present and future generations. 

​​”This year, it’s more important than ever that people celebrate Colorado Public Lands Day by taking action to protect our public lands,” Feuerborn said.

Those interested in events and tools to take action for public lands can visit keepitpublic.co. Wilderness Workshop also has an online action hub for people to speak up for public lands at wildernessworkshop.org/conservation-watchdog.

Feuerborn acknowledged that human impact on public lands is inevitable, but adhering to trail closures and picking up trash can be a step in the right direction to help minimize that impact.

While National Public Lands Day isn’t until September, O’Rourke confirmed Colorado Public Lands Day is slated for May as an entry into the summer season, raising awareness as mountain passes open leading up to Memorial Day Weekend.

“There’s an old saying that sticks with me every time: we’ve got to leave the land better than we’ve found it,” she said. “It’s a gentle reminder to our outdoor-loving community; let’s encourage people to be stewards of it.”

Those in the valley can find a number of opportunities to connect with the landscape this weekend, including the Independence Pass Foundation’s Ride the Pass annual community bike ride on May 17.

“I think our system of public lands is America’s best idea,” Teague said. “I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say most of us live here because of the extraordinary public lands that surround our valley. They’re a great legacy that we leave for our children and grandchildren.”