Roaring Fork Outdoor Coalition to debut eight conservation projects across the valley

The Roaring Fork Outdoor Coalition is spearheading eight conservation and recreation projects across Pitkin County and the greater Roaring Fork Watershed this summer.  

At the forefront of the projects is invasive vegetation control on trails in Aspen, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale and up Independence Pass, Roaring Fork Outdoor Coalition Chair Carly O’Connell said. The coalition is removing invasive species such as cheatgrass, poison hemlock, spotted knapweed and more, which pose a threat to the valley’s vital riparian wetlands. 

A similar project is aiming to restore and maintain trails by Basalt Mountain, Light Hill, Thomas Lakes and Red Hill. The project includes drainage installation, tread stabilization, erosion control and improved wayfinding. Other projects include improved visitor services, public lands campaigning and Independence Pass public restroom access and maintenance. 

“The biggest thing that we bring is this ability to look at the greater system of the watershed to say where the needs are the greatest and how we can identify the projects that will make the biggest impact on that particular need, rather than thinking only in our own jurisdictional boundaries,” O’Connell said. 

The Roaring Fork Outdoor Coalition is a collaboration between Pitkin County Parks and Open Space, Snowmass Village, Basalt, Glenwood Springs and Eagle County. It also includes federal and regional partners such as Colorado Parks and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, according to O’Connell. It is one of over 20 regional partnerships across the state implementing land stewardship projects.

The on-the-ground work is being supported by local nonprofits including Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers and Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association, among others.

“This coalition offers a really significant opportunity to work together with nonprofit partners, local land managers, federal partners and folks from the state,” O’Connell said. 

In 2025, the coalition received $87,000 in funding from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Great Outdoors Colorado, as well as $45,000 in local funding from Pitkin County, Aspen, Snowmass Village and Eagle County, according to her. 

A strategic plan outlining the coalition’s current actions and future goals for the next five to 10 years is in the works. Although it is not yet complete, the projects are still set to move forward this summer. 

“While we recognize that having a strategic plan is incredibly valuable for the years ahead to keep the momentum that we have, we need to show some pilot projects,” O’Connell said. “What we have is a really unique opportunity in the middle of a planning process to take our plan and take our tools and test them.”

Looking forward, the Roaring Fork Outdoor Coalition is hoping to secure more funding to expand conservation efforts in the valley. 

To learn more, visit roaringforkoutdoors.org.