Collaborative Resource Management in Western Colorado

Grand Junction, Colorado

December 12-17, 2004

In December 2004, a group of 45 resource managers from across Western Colorado gathered in Grand Junction, Colorado for a week-long course on Collaborative Resource Management. Participants came from federal, state, and county governments.

In western Colorado, a number of collaborative efforts are underway and others are proposed; yet there has been little opportunity for groups to learn from each other's experiences or to collaborate with national experts on ways to optimize their efforts. What brought this myriad group together was a desire to discover a new way to approach the management of Western Colorado’s natural resources.

Participants left the course with the tools and enthusiasm to return to their agencies and to begin making changes to the status quo. The inter-agency/inter-government nature of the course also allowed participants the unique opportunity to make connections as the foundation for future collaboration.

Selected Materials from the Course in PDF Format

Newsletter

Course Objectives

Course Outline

Training Team Biographies

Pictures and Quotes from the Course

“I’ll be a much more effective participant in collaborative (and sub-collaborative) efforts and will be able to improve chances for positive, sustainable results in those processes.”
“The instruction was superb. The instructors brought to the table a broad range of experiences and a strong ability to teach the material effectively and efficiently.”
“The course had an excellent balance of tools, methodology, understanding and use of breakout sessions to engage in bringing the learning to bear on real problems. It covered the multitude of issues (institutional, societal, and psychological) that factor into the success of collaboratives. The component on science was extremely helpful; often lacking in other courses.”
The opportunities to build relationships with agency personnel was very important (meals, breaks, exercises). I did learn A LOT about collaboration, about working with people, negotiation, and adaptive management that will benefit my work.
I found the course content valuable with much to take away to my job. I felt like this was a true “work”shop.”

This site was developed by the Ecosystem Management Initiative through a partnership with the US Forest Service and the US Department of Interior. Read more.