STOR committee updates key elements in 2023 strategic plan

Trails, trailhead upgrades, forest health and infrastructure

By Katherine Nettles 

Summer is in the air, and that means, in the words of Gunnison County commissioner chair Jonathan Houck, “It’s Go Time” for summer tourism and recreation. The Gunnison County Sustainable Tourism and Recreation (STOR) committee has kept busy in preparation for this season with trailhead and trail work, managing designated camp sites, improving forest health and updating its strategic plan this spring for several years into the future.

Commissioners received a biannual update on the STOR committee and its new strategic plan at a recent meeting. “I think the illusion that the work of STOR is seasonal was shattered a long time ago. There’s lots of year-round work happening,” commented Houck at the outset.

STOR facilitator and stewardship coordinator Joe Lavorini said most of the committee’s physical work through STOR Corps crew members and other collaborative efforts happens between May and October. “And a lot of work happens during off-season,” he said.

The STOR committee has close to two dozen members from numerous stakeholders across the valley, including public lands agencies, municipalities, the county and various nonprofit organizations focused on recreation, tourism, environmental stewardship and agriculture.

Lavorini reviewed that the National Forest Foundation (NFF), for which he is the southwest Colorado program manager, has fundraised about a 20% match for close to $10 million in federal grants in the last couple years. 

This agency funding has allowed significant improvements to the National Forest system, including the Grand Mesa Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) ranger district. “This work has occurred across all different resource spectrums: forest health, recreation and habitat,” said Lavorini. 

Locally, the NFF and STOR Committee have worked with other stakeholders to replace or add about 50 information kiosks across the GMUG, build and improve trails and install toilets and add clearer trail signage to improve the user experience and reduce user impacts to the forest. 

STOR has also gotten several projects started through the Great American Outdoors Act grant program. These will include a major upcoming facelift to the Lake Irwin area and a boating access project on the Taylor River. The ongoing Trail Creek wetlands restoration project in the Taylor Canyon “continues to build momentum and gain awareness…as a pilot for resource-based restoration,” described Lavorini. 

Forest Health projects include aspen enhancement projects to help aging aspen stands regenerate as they die off. “Research with SBEADMR (Gunnison County’s Spruce Beetle Epidemic and Aspen Decline Management Response project) shows that those landscapes will regenerate in a much more effective way than if they were just left to rot,” explained Lavorini. These projects are primarily within Taylor Park, and include aspen timber sales, a newer facet of traditional timber markets. 

STOR also continues to support the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association (CBMBA), Gunnison Trails, Western Colorado University and the town of Crested Butte by providing stewardship funding across the valley for trails and sustainable recreation. Crested Butte is working on process-based restoration at Town Ranch with this funding, said Lavorini.

Lavorini reflected on these numerous collaborations through STOR as unique and visionary. He said the STOR model of recreation and wildlife partnership was the first of its kind but has now been replicated in 14 different counties across the state and country.

“We are leading edge in many ways. Our team on the GMUG rivals the size of any other forest team in the country. That’s in terms of the staff numbers and overall project investments as well,” he said.

Lavorini also announced that he would be leaving his position with Gunnison County as he takes another opportunity with the NFF, so the STOR committee will be looking to fill his position as a stewardship coordinator but will still work with him periodically as they continue to partner with the NFF.

Strategic plan

The STOR committee’s updated strategic plan will set the pace and goals for the committee’s focus for the next several years. This includes a Crested Butte-to-Crested Butte South trail, a support tool program for recreation, partnerships with the ranching community and pursuing state and federal funds to invest in essential infrastructure and maintenance for several recreation areas and potentially adding a fee structure on them.

The 2023 strategic plan includes four main objectives. The first is to “promote a sustainable, resilient community that supports thriving natural ecosystems and native wildlife resources; a vibrant rural and ranching culture, and a diverse recreation economy,” according to the planning document. Two goals associated with that goal are to complete the Wildlife Decision Support Tools for Recreation, and to work with the ranching community to identify important opportunities to reduce impacts of recreation on ranching by the end of 2023; the STOR Committee intends to determine an implementation plan by June 2024.

The second goal is to “foster a culture for residents and visitors that demonstrates an ethic of environmental stewardship and respect for our community,” according to the document. This means that the STOR Committee will develop a multilingual communication plan and signage needs assessment “that includes but is not limited to: locating camp sites; leave no trace principles, e-bikes and stewardship messaging,” by September 30 of this year.

The third objective is to “support collaboration between federal land management agencies, state and local government, nonprofits and user groups to improve management of recreation and natural resources.” This means prioritizing annual funding recommendations for the Gunnison Stewardship Fund and engaging at the state and federal level to advocate for locally related funding and policy decisions. 

The fourth and final objective is to “minimize degradation of natural resources and enhance accessibility of recreational amenities by focusing recreational development close to population centers with transit connection and emphasizing conservation and wildlife habitat preservation in outlying areas.” 

This final goal includes identifying and prioritizing additional recreation infrastructure needs for high use areas. This includes funding to support a fee proposal on federal and other public lands, developing a plan for the CB-to-CB South recreation path by March 31, 2024 and, by the end of 2024, identifying areas and a plan for additional infrastructure and/or transit for recreation in the upper valley drainage corridors (Kebler, Slate River, Washington Gulch, Gothic, Brush Creek). 

The fourth objective also aspires to identify additional infrastructure needs and an implementation plan for the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area near Gunnison by the end of 2024.  

Commissioners commented that the strategic plan is ambitious but well founded. Commissioner Laura Puckett Daniels said she found it both “super actionable and also very robust. Looking at the deadlines, there is a lot of work to be done here,” she said.

Houck commented that the STOR committee’s work has been a result of listening to the community and having its support. He believes the newest strategic plan reflects taking the next step. “There is this connection of land managers, nonprofits, government and a partner with the NFF. Where we’ve gone within this short amount of time is remarkable…because this is what the people of Gunnison County said was important to them,” he said.