ORE merges with CSLC

Planning how to best benefit the community

The non-profit Office for Resource Efficiency (ORE) announced last week that it has merged with Gunnison’s Coldharbour Sustainable Living Center (CSLC), which is an “educational center for ethically and socially responsible natural resource management,” according to the organization’s goals.

A joint statement released on Wednesday, February 18 reports the merger is expected “to better serve the Gunnison Valley in the effort to develop resilient living practices in a changing world.”
ORE, established in 2003, is on a mission “to empower the Gunnison Valley to lower utility costs, develop renewable energy sources, decrease carbon emissions, increase access to local foods and build a more sustainable, self-sufficient economy.” ORE’s goals and values seem to align well with those of CSLC, whose mission is to “promote resilient living practices for a changing world through education and research and the integration of environmental, social and economic solutions.”
CSLC was founded by Butch and Judy Clark and is located on their 333-acre property about seven miles south of Gunnison on Highway 50; 243 acres of the land are protected wetlands. One example of CSLC’s communal efforts is their partnership with the Master in Environmental Management (MEM) program at Western State that will provide a unique outdoor classroom in which students and faculty will study wetlands restoration, housing, energy, food and agriculture, and more.
ORE/CSLC office manager Erin Griffin said they are currently planning a more formal launch in a few months, when they will have more information for the public. “The new organization is currently undergoing a strategic planning visioning process to best understand how to benefit the community and define goals,” Griffin said via email. “We just want the community to know that ORE still exists and we are looking forward to an exciting re-introduction to the community.”