Growing up spending her summers in northern Wisconsin, Durango Trails Executive Director Mary Monroe Brown developed an affinity for the outdoors.
Like so many in Durango, Monroe Brown sought to fulfill her passion by working in the outdoor industry.
But after 19 years with the nonprofit trail development organization, Monroe Brown has decided to call it quits. She will stay on with the Durango Trails team until the end of the year to help with the transition to a new executive director.
“It's a passion. You put in your entire heart and soul when you're the director of a nonprofit, and my whole family's been involved in it,” she said. “It just felt like it was time to move on and see what someone else could offer to the organization.”
The longtime executive director’s tenure has been defined by not only the expansion and improvement of the Durango trail network, but also promoting a sense of community and environmental stewardship among volunteers and supporters.
She took the job in 2005 after former executive director Bill Manning stepped down. At the time she and her husband, Travis Brown, were living in Boulder but would vacation in Durango. Travis Brown grew up in Durango and the couple wanted to live in the city permanently.
“The (Durango Trails) board called and asked if I would consider moving to Durango to run the organization,” she said.
Taking over then what was then called Trails 2000, was a tall task. She was the lone full-time employee and responsible for working on the trails, building community connections, recruiting volunteers and running marketing campaigns.
But with the help of community funding, Monroe Brown was able to expand the nonprofit, developing 50 new miles of trails and employing a larger staff. Durango Trails now employs six full time employees and two interns. She’s also been able to recruit anywhere from 400 to 600 volunteers to work on trails from April through November.
Under her leadership, the organization changed its name to Durango Trails in 2020 in celebration of its 30th anniversary.
Through Monroe Brown’s guidance, she was able to help develop Horse Gulch Trail, Overend Mountain Park, Animas Mountain Trail and more.
“Mary’s impact on our community is immeasurable,” said Steve Schwartz, Durango Trails board member. “Her passion, vision and dedication have set a standard of excellence that will continue to inspire us for years. We are profoundly grateful for her leadership and the legacy she leaves behind that has transformed our entire community.”
Another accomplishment she pointed to was ensuring the Colorado Trail and Hermosa Creek remained open to mountain bikers and other recreational users.
“As part of the San Juan National Forest travel management plan, there was a proposal to designate all of that Hermosa area and the Colorado trail as wilderness,” Monroe Brown said.
The wilderness designation would have outlawed mountain biking and other recreational activities on the trails. But Monroe Brown and her team along with community partners were able to negotiate a special management area designation for a portion of the land.
The special designation allowed recreational use including mountain biking.
In 2014, after six years of negotiations, the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act was signed, designating 37,400 acres as a wilderness area and 70,600 acres as a special management area in the San Juan Mountains, north of Durango.
She said it is hard to take credit for the organization's accomplishments during her time with Durango Trails, saying it has been a community effort. Especially, when it comes to seeking funding for trail projects.
She said it can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 per mile of trail work.
The job also includes coordinating with the National Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the city of Durango to build the trails in a sustainable manner.
“We've created a culture internally at Durango Trails, where people really understand the values of the organization and how we're trying to create community and build trails,” Monroe Brown said.
When asked if there was anything she wished done better, Monroe Brown said it was hard to say at the moment. There’s always room for improvement, she said.
“I'll probably need some time to ruminate and reflect on that. I'm sure there are things that we could have done different and better. But we're in a small town, with a small budget – doing the very best you can to deliver on a mission,” she said.
As for what’s next for the outdoor enthusiast, she’s looking forward to spending more time hiking the trails she worked to develop.
She also oversees a consulting business for strategic planning and marketing in the outdoor industry called Bluebird Consulting Co.
tbrown@durangoherald.com
