Post It Notes for Progress:
WMVO and Custer County’s Residents

by Reggie Foster
Nearly 80 people attended the third Wet Mountain Valley Outdoors (WMVO) Community Network Meeting held on October 8th. The gathering marked another step in an effort to bring the community together to discuss how best to protect the rural heritage of Custer County and to also improve the things that may need improving.
The meeting opened with remarks from John Van Doren, who explained that Wet Mountain Valley Outdoors is working to bring state funding opportunities to Custer County through the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Regional Partnerships Initiative. WMVO was awarded seed funding through this initiative to help gather local input and guide the community in identifying outdoor projects that reflect local priorities and values.
To help facilitate the process, WMVO brought in Bill Fulton of The Civic Canopy and Kim Smoyer of Smoyer & Associates. Their presentation style has not been widely appreciated by the citizens of Custer County. Those on the core team made a nuanced decision that seemed to adjust the temperature of the attendees.

This time small group discussions were led by Yates McConnell from Upper Ark Watershed, WMVO Board members Sally Strom and John Van Doren, and Deb Adams from the Custer County Tourism Board.
Each Community Network meeting has built upon the last. The first meeting, held on August 6th, focused on building a foundation for collaboration. The second meeting, on September 6th, guided participants through the creation of a shared vision statement. Meeting three on October 8th, finally brought focus and shifted to identifying what’s already working in Custer County and what could be improved, enhanced, or newly created to support outdoor and community projects.
The Mission Statement created  during the second meeting was
revealed as:
Our vision for the Custer County community is to ensure that the land and community we love are enjoyed for generations to come, including:
– Our scenic beauty, agricultural lands, and waters;
– Our forests, wildlife, and outdoor recreation; and
– Our rural heritage and community livelihood.

The three focus areas outlined above served as the basis for conversation at the third meeting and will define the work of the WMVO’s Action Teams moving forward.

During the meeting, participants could choose among the three
“Action Team stations,” or rotate between them. The attendees were asked to share their thoughts and ideas on post-it notes and then to
discuss those identified strengths, challenges, and opportunities within each small group.

Scenic Beauty, Agricultural Lands, and Waters

Residents highlighted solitude, trails, and strong private land stewardship as local strengths. One participant noted that those who take care of the land best are the individual landowners, farmers, and ranchers. Concerns included invasive weeds, algae in Lake DeWeese, the health of waterways, and the protection of our valley from development. Ideas included watershed cleanup, water and noxious weed education, nutrient monitoring in the valley as well as holding strong on current zoning, especially on the valley floor.

Forests, Wildlife, and Outdoor Recreation Strengths included the abundance of trails and public lands, strong Search and Rescue operations, and uncrowded outdoor spaces. Suggested improvements ranged from better trail maintenance and wildfire mitigation to expanded recreation opportunities such as snow shoeing and cross country skiing. Participants also discussed balancing outdoor tourism with conservation and ensuring local control over land management decisions.

Rural Heritage and Community Livelihood

Attendees expressed pride in local history and landmarks like the Beckwith Ranch and All Aboard Westcliffe museum. Ideas for strengthening this area included more youth education about rural life, a “Day in the Life of a Ranch” program led by Centennial families, creating an Agricultural Marketplace, and building a community center.

At the close of the meeting, participants were invited to join one of the three Action Teams. These teams will meet several times in the coming months to refine the best ideas into actionable projects. The public will have an opportunity to vote on these projects through a survey ahead of WMVO’s 4th community meeting scheduled for January 20th. If you would like to join an action team contact WMVO by email; getoutdoors@wmvo.org