ALAMOSA, COLO. -- Colorado Sen. Mark Udall is criss-crossing southern Colorado this week in order to shine the spotlight on job creation in the region.

Udall will join Gov. John Hickenlooper and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in Alamosa Wednesday for a community conversation at the Adams State College campus.

The San Luis Valley was one of the top three priority projects in the state chosen by President Obama's America's Great Outdoors Initiative.

The meeting will give leaders and community members the chance to discuss conserving the area's natural and cultural resources, promoting tourism and creating jobs in rural communities.

Thursday Senator Udall will make his way to Colorado Springs in order to visit athletes at the Olympic Training Center preparing for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games in London.

He will also talk about how sports and the area's outdoor industry contribute to good-paying jobs in the Springs.