A group of San Luis Valley community leaders, local elected officials, land stewards, and conservation and outdoor recreation partners gathered today at the Salazar Ohkay Ranch in Manassa, Colo., for the San Luis Valley Conservation & Outdoor Legacy Gathering. The meeting, hosted by Adams State University, SLV GO!, and Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO), was made possible by the generous hospitality of former U.S. Secretary of the Interior and Ambassador Ken Salazar and Hope Hernandez-Salazar.
The gathering builds on years of locally led conservation and recreation efforts across the Valley, elevating community-identified priorities for the region’s future.
“The San Luis Valley is one of the most extraordinary places on earth; its water, land, people, and history are irreplaceable,” said Ken Salazar, lifelong son of the San Luis Valley. “What we are doing today is not just preserving what we have, it is building the foundation for the next generation to thrive here. I am grateful to bring these leaders together on this land that has meant everything to my family.”
Visionary leaders celebrated the San Luis Valley’s extraordinary conservation legacy and reflected on potential projects to shape the Valley’s future for generations to come. Previous achievements, including the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, the La Jara Creek project, the Saguache Creek corridor conservation project, and the Rio Grande Natural Area, inspired ideas.
Through facilitated discussion, local leaders and partners prioritized ideas spanning conservation and landscape stewardship, outdoor recreation and public access, climate resilience and water sustainability, cultural heritage and historic preservation, economic development and community vitality, and education and community engagement.
“Adams State University is proud to call the San Luis Valley home, and today’s gathering reflects our deep commitment to the people and landscapes that define this place,” said Adams State President David Tandberg, Ph.D. “This conservation work is a model for the nation. As Colorado’s only Rural Anchor Institution, Adams State has both a responsibility and a privilege to bring together leaders who will shape what comes next.”
The gathering recognized a list of potential projects to serve as a roadmap for future partnership, investment, and action across the region and will inform the SLV GO!’s existing Regional Partnership Strategy.
“Great Outdoors Colorado is proud to be a partner in this gathering and in the ongoing work of the San Luis Valley’s conservation and recreation community,” said GOCO Executive Director Jackie Miller. “The bold ideas discussed today come from the people who live in, work in, and care for the Valley. We’re proud to stand alongside local partners to help advance these community-driven efforts toward lasting impact.”
SLVGO Executive Director Mick Daniel agreed: “The San Luis Valley Great Outdoors team has been building toward a moment like this for years. Today’s gathering strengthens the partnerships and shared vision we need to tackle the Valley’s most pressing challenges in conservation and outdoor recreation. The report we produce together will be a powerful tool for future investment and action.”
The San Luis Valley Conservation & Outdoor Legacy Gathering is part of a broader regional effort to ensure the San Luis Valley remains a national model for collaborative conservation. The expected result is a unified long-term vision of community resilience and economic vitality integrating agricultural viability, water stewardship, outdoor recreation, and cultural preservation.
The report is expected to be released later this year.
