Residents in the wildland-urban interface manage huge portions of American lands and watersheds. The indirect impacts radiating from each home may extend hundreds of yards to miles. Stewardship involves decisions made by residents about the management of natural resources on their land.
Conservation of ecosystems, water, wildlife, ecosystem services, production of energy, and many other critical natural processes depend on the decisions made by rural residents.
However, residents can’t do this alone. We work to support community-based conservation by linking biodiversity goals and local benefits in rural communities through a variety of resources and services, bringing in much needed financial assistance and funding for community stewardship.
Land stewardship on small private lands in Northern Colorado’s WUI is crucial in aiding in the preservation of biodiversity, restoring wildfire habitat, supporting natural resources, and protecting local ecosystems and ecosystem services through meaningful community engagement and collaborative efforts in order to sustainably empower residents while building community resilience.
Land Stewardship connects us to the nature outside of our front door and will be a needed piece of a much larger puzzle in how our communities will play a critical role as we move into the future in ways that are more sustainable and in greater harmony with nature and our planet.
See our Colorado’s WUI Land Stewardship Roadmap to learn more on how community-based organizations improve conservation efforts while building community resilience through local conservation programs, direct economic benefits through employment opportunities and job skills training, with the added benefit of increasing a sense of place and feeling of community.