Colorado Parks and Wildlife Partnership

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) was named Leave No Trace’s first Parks, Fish and Wildlife Agency partner. CPW shares a goal with Leave No Trace of inspiring people to connect to the great outdoors while helping them understand how to balance outdoor recreation and mindful conservation. This partnership demonstrates the commitment of both entities to work together towards a mutually beneficial stewardship education strategy for all CPW-managed properties.

With 42 state parks, over 350 state wildlife areas and a host of recreational programs, CPW identified the need for a comprehensive Leave No Trace program to help protect the state’s diverse landscapes, wildlife and recreation opportunities. While CPW has promoted the Leave No Trace Seven Principles for decades, the formalized partnership enables CPW to promote Leave No Trace messaging throughout all of their nearly 400 properties, strengthening the message of responsible recreation best practices across the state. The partnership also embeds Leave No Trace throughout the agency’s education and outreach efforts.

Click the images below to see some of the ways Colorado Park’s and Wildlife has incorporate Leave No Trace into their education and outreach efforts.

Efforts include:

• Incorporating Leave No Trace messaging into Colorado state park visitor materials
• Inclusion of Leave No Trace messaging in signage at trailheads and campgrounds across the state and at interpretative programs such as ranger talks and visitor trail outings
• Formal training for CPW staff hosted by the Leave No Trace Center
• Sharing Leave No Trace content tailored for a variety of recreational pursuits through the communications outlets
• Center assistance for Colorado state parks pursuing Gold Standard site statu

CPW has three state parks with the Leave No Trace Gold Standard site designation: Roxborough State Park, Castlewood Canyon State Park and Barr Lake State Park. These parks have been leaders in CPW’s Leave No Trace movement. They are reaching visitors through adult and youth programs, signage, printed and online materials and training opportunities for staff and volunteers.

As the first CPW Gold Standard site, Roxborough State Park also helped to develop streamlined tools and resources to help Colorado state parks and parks across the country implement Leave No Trace into their programs and operations.

This agency-wide partnership represents a deep commitment by CPW to not only manage their properties for world-class recreation and ensure these areas and Colorado’s wildlife are protected for generations to come. Through this partnership, CPW and Leave No Trace are inspiring people to make a conscious effort to protect Colorado’s outdoor spaces and educate visitors on how small acts of conservation can make a big difference in protecting our environment.

Support Colorado State Parks and Leave No Trace Education with the Keep Colorado Wild Pass

Attention Colorado residents! You can get a $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass through the DMV during your vehicle registration process and support outdoor educational programs in your community. Plus, you save 60% on a regular-priced annual state park pass to visit Colorado state parks. Your vehicle registration card becomes your pass and no additional window sticker is required.

Join us in keeping Colorado, Colorado and support local outdoor educational programs with your next vehicle registration.

Learn more at cpw.info/keepcoloradowildpass and cpw.info/keepcoloradowildpassspanish.

Please fill out this form or email Community Engagement Manager, Faith Overall, at [email protected] for more information about how your state agency can partner with Leave No Trace to enhance your responsible recreation education efforts.