Regional Partnership Initiative
The San Luis Valley is cherished for its wide-open horizons, its encircling mountain ranges, the profound solitude they create, and the Valley’s deeply rooted agricultural heritage and diverse cultures. These qualities—paired with thriving natural environments and exceptional outdoor experiences—define the spirit of the SLV and the people who call it home.
The health of our wildlife, lands, people, and communities relies on the integrity of this landscape. Today, that integrity is under increasing pressure. Growing visitation, changing recreational patterns, and expanding human uses of the land are stressing natural systems and community infrastructure. Climate change compounds these challenges with rising temperatures, prolonged drought, and more frequent wildfires.
To safeguard what makes the SLV unique—and to ensure outdoor access, ecological health, and cultural vitality for generations to come—our region needs a coordinated, community-driven approach to conservation and recreation.
What We’re Doing: The San Luis Valley Great Outdoors Regional Partnership Strategy
The San Luis Valley Great Outdoors Regional Partnership Strategy (Strategy) is a comprehensive, valley-wide framework designed to enhance recreation, protect natural resources, and strengthen community well-being across Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, and Saguache Counties.
Developed through the SLV GO! Coalition, the San Luis Valley’s designated Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnership, and supported by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Great Outdoors Colorado, the Strategy responds to increasing outdoor use and changing environmental conditions by aligning recreation, conservation, and climate resiliency efforts across jurisdictions and land ownerships.
Vision
A San Luis Valley where conservation and recreation are balanced to preserve natural and cultural resources, provide outdoor access for all people, and support a resilient local economy.
Purpose
The Strategy serves as a shared roadmap—a tool that helps local, state, federal, nonprofit, and private partners strategically align priorities, coordinate investments, and steward the region’s landscapes and outdoor experiences together. It does not replace existing recreation or conservation plans; instead, it strengthens and connects them, elevating the shared knowledge and longstanding work of the many groups that care for the SLV.
How We Work: Partnership, Alignment, and Collective Impact
The Regional Partnership brings together diverse voices from across the Valley—land managers, local governments, ranchers, conservation organizations, recreation groups, community-based organizations, and residents. Through this collaborative structure, partners:
This collective approach ensures that the Valley’s natural, cultural, and economic values are protected and enhanced through unified action.
Our Shared Goals & The Path Forward
The SLV GO! Coalition is united around four long-term goals that guide our shared work across conservation, recreation, and community well-being:
Moving Into Implementation: How We Bring These Goals to Life
As we transition from planning to action, these goals guide coordinated efforts across the Valley. Together with our partners, we are advancing projects that:
This is a collective, long-term effort—built on collaboration, shared stewardship, and the belief that the San Luis Valley’s landscapes and communities thrive when we work together.
Read the Regional Partnership Strategy
Learn More & Get Involved
The SLV Great Outdoors Regional Partnership Strategy outlines the full regional vision, priorities, and actions for the years ahead. We invite residents, partners, businesses, and community organizations to explore the Strategy and join us in shaping the future of conservation and recreation in the San Luis Valley.