Western Colorado University

This Indigenous Fish & Wildlife Management Strategy for the Fossil Ridge Wilderness aims to inform and empower local land managers to make carefully weighted decisions that respect wilderness character and ensure the preservation and recovery of selected priority species. It identifies four key species requiring active management: Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep, Southern Whitetail Ptarmigan, Colorado River Cutthroat Trout, and Boreal Toad. For each species, the strategy discusses life cycles, needs, threats, status assessment, management objectives, and recommendations, including contingency options and analysis of potential trade-offs. The document advocates for a paradigm shift towards active management, emphasizing the crucial need for collaboration between federal and state agencies to protect the wilderness character and ensure a refuge for plants, animals, and humans for years to come.

This document outlines a mountain resiliency strategy, specifically for the Gunnison Valley, addressing critical issues related to land use, housing, energy burden, and climate impact. Key components involve analyzing climate and equity impacts of housing development in the North Valley, conducting a survey on housing stability in mobile home communities, and applying the Colorado Resiliency Framework and compact development principles. The strategy aims to reduce CO2 emissions from building and transportation sectors, promote energy and housing justice through community-owned land models, and foster public-private partnerships to create climate-ready, economically vibrant, and socially equitable communities.

The presentation examines the role of critical materials in the energy transition, focusing on supply chain vulnerabilities. It defines critical materials as those that are indispensable, difficult to substitute, and subject to supply chain risks. The discussion covers specific materials essential for clean energy technologies, such as copper for electrification, rare earth elements for magnets, and various components for batteries and fuel cells. The presentation concludes by outlining short-term and long-term mitigation strategies, including increased production, manufacturing efficiency, recycling, and the development of substitutes.

The Community Forum included a welcome session focused on the academic accomplishments of students in environmental management and ecology programs. The event featured reflections on the legacy of the school's benefactor, Butch Clark, and his impact on sustainable education and community partnerships. Additionally, the first panel discussion addressed strategies for re-naturing, healing, and living within urban environments, specifically examining tree sapling survival along the Highline Canal Trail.

The community forum featured a recognition ceremony for graduating students and faculty, followed by a tribute to a deceased student. The academic portion of the session focused on the built environment, specifically highlighting the use of life cycle assessments to quantify the environmental impact of construction materials and residential energy consumption. The discussion centered on modeling these impacts using data from Habitat for Humanity homes in the Gunnison Valley to promote climate action and informed resource management.