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Pikes Peak Outdoor Industry Leadership Summit
August 11, 2020 @ 9:00 am - 10:30 am
Don’t miss our Pikes Peak Outdoor Industry Leadership Summit!
The Pikes Peak Region’s Outdoor Recreation: At Risk or Resilient?
An honest conversation of today’s realities leading to solutions for the future
This year, the event will be modified in light of COVID-19. We are foregoing an in-person event and will instead host a 2-part virtual summit on August 11, 2020 and August 20, 2020. That being said, this is a DON’T MISS event! Invitations and registration details will be going out soon!
Why you should attend
The Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance (PPORA) invites you to attend this one-of-its-kind event for community and outdoor leaders in the Pikes Peak region. Carve out the time, make it a priority, and you won’t be disappointed. The program is designed to inspire you, connect you, and engage you with one another, exceptional speakers, and forward-looking discussions.
Summary
The challenges facing the Pikes Peak region’s outdoor recreation and natural places have been magnified and become even more urgent with the pandemic. Although we have come together as a community in the past and made progress that has brought us to today, significant concerns face our future. Join us and our outstanding speakers as we have an honest conversation about what’s at risk and how we can work together for a better future.
In Part One we’ll engage with our land managers about the current state of our outdoor spaces, the effects of COVID-19, and recreational challenges and effective solutions they envision. During the second part of the summit in Part Two we’ll learn how other communities have addressed similar challenges to sustainable tourism and outdoor recreation and evaluate the models as we consider solutions for our own region.
This 2-part virtual summit will be a full of engagement with exceptional speakers and one another as we roll up our sleeves and dive into meaningful conversations to lead us to the future we want for our region.
Program Overview
Part One: Tuesday, August 11, 2020 – 9:00-10:30 AM
Current Realities & Future Outlook of Recreation in the Pikes Peak Region
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Keynote Presentation
Land Manager Panel
Q & A
Wrap Up & Next Steps
See Recording of this August 11, 2020 Webinar HERE.
Part Two: Thursday, August 20, 2020 – 9:00-10:30 AM
Successful Strategies for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation & Tourism
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Recap from Part One
Best Practice Sharing (Panel)
Breakout Discussions
Wrap Up & Next Steps
Registration
Questions or registration issues? Email info@ppora.org or leave a message at (719) 575-4311.
Speakers
Part One – August 11, 2020 – Current Realities & Future Outlook of Recreation in the Pikes Peak Region
- E. Lynn Burkett (Keynote), Director, Recreation, Lands, & Minerals & Volunteers at U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Region
- Samantha Albert (Moderator), Deputy Director, Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office
- Brett Ackerman (Panelist), Southeast Region Manager, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
- Kalem Lenard, (Panelist), Royal Gorge Field Office Assistant Manager, BLM
- Dave Condit (Panelist), Pike and San Isabel Deputy Forest and Grassland Supervisor, USFS
- David Leinweber, Chairman, Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance
Part Two – August 20, 2020 – Successful Strategies for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation & Tourism
- Chris Castilian, (Moderator), Executive Director, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO)
- John Messner (Panelist), Former County Commissioner, Gunnison County Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee (STOR)
- Patsy McEntee (Panelist), Project Manager/Landscape Architect, National Park Service; Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program
- Tom Waters, (Panelist), Operations Manager, Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
- Cindy Williams, (Panelist), Co-lead, Envision Chaffee County: Recreation in Balance
- David Leinweber, Chairman, Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance
Information on each “Best Practice” example/resource the panel will discuss can be found here:
- Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area
- Envision Chaffee County: Recreation in Balance
- Gunnison County Sustainable Tourism and Recreation Plan
- Sedona Sustainable Tourism Plan
- Eco Tourism & Sustainable Tourism in Iceland
- Global Sustainable Tourism Council Destination Criteria
- Interagency Visitor Use Management Council
Background
The Pikes Peak region’s stunning landscapes and abundant and varied recreation opportunities contribute significantly to the community’s quality of life and economic vitality. Residents highly value the natural beauty and local access to public lands, and visitors, also, are flocking at an increasing rate to experience the natural beauty and amenities offered in the region.
However, the experiences residents and visitors have come to enjoy and expect are facing increasingly greater challenges. The Front Range and Pikes Peak region specifically has grown rapidly putting a greater and greater volume of people on the same beloved outdoor places, damaging our natural resources. The region is experiencing diminished outdoor ethics and growing user conflicts. Outdoor infrastructure such as bathrooms, parking, trash receptacles, etc. are overrun and insufficient– never planned for the high use they are getting. Under-resourced land managers do their best to address these impacts with limited staff and funding, but management is an uphill battle. The need for increased recreational assets as well as technology to provide dispersed use is only growing.
The current pandemic has only made these issues worse. Coupled with the reductions in funding seen at all levels, it is imperative that the Pikes Peak region rise up and meet these challenges creatively and collaboratively to find solutions. Join the conversation and help us determine the way forward.
Presented By:
Sponsors:
Click on each sponsor logo to learn more!
Hosting Partner: Summit Sponsor: Devil’s Playground Sponsor: Barr Camp Sponsor:
Media Sponsors:
