COLORADO SPRINGS – The Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance was selected as the Colorado Outdoor Regional Partner to advance recreation and conservation planning for the Pikes Peak region in 2022.

PPORA will execute the first phase: the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) and
the Colorado Tourism Office. They have engaged the professional planning services of local firm, N.E.S. Inc., to support this process.

The Colorado Tourism Office will assess the needs of diverse stakeholders who make up the outdoor community across El Paso, Teller and Fremont Counties, informing the planning effort.

PPORA has established the Pikes Peak Outdoor Industry Fund with UCCS, creating a Pikes Peak Outdoor Economy Dashboard. They will source and creatively display selected data and develop an initial “showcase” dashboard including outdoor activities, tourism, recreational assets, impacts on natural environment and wildlife and relevant socio-economic dimensions.

The dashboard will communicate outdoor-related information to the public and community leaders of the
region. N.E.S. will provide guidance throughout the process and will help the assessment understand the
conservation, recreation and management challenges on the Pikes Peak.

The formation of a Task Force comprised of land managers, conservationists, recreationists, business owners and outdoor non-profits across El Paso, Teller and Fremont counties will provide strategic leadership, informing and guiding the process.

“These new partnerships and the Task Force are instrumental in accomplishing the goals of the plan,” stated Becky Leinweber, Executive Director of PPORA. “Good, solid information and the inclusion of diverse perspectives is the foundation necessary for building a collaborative, credible plan that balances both the recreation and conservation priorities of our region.”

This first phase of planning will offer building blocks for the creation of an Outdoor Recreation & Conservation Vision Plan for the Pikes Peak Region.

Learn more about the planning effort at https://ppora.org/regional-partnershiphttps://ppora.org/regional-partnership.