{"id":32015,"date":"2023-08-28T20:10:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-29T02:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/the-partners-in-the-outdoors-conference-ended-in-disaster-last-year-now-cpw-must-put-the-pieces-back-together\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:50:46","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T07:50:46","slug":"the-partners-in-the-outdoors-conference-ended-in-disaster-last-year-now-cpw-must-put-the-pieces-b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/the-partners-in-the-outdoors-conference-ended-in-disaster-last-year-now-cpw-must-put-the-pieces-b\/","title":{"rendered":"The Partners in the Outdoors conference ended in disaster last year. Now CPW must put the pieces back together"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"A
A white bison roams the Badger Basin State Wildlife Area, Friday, April 8, 2022, in Hartsel. One of out 10 million bison are born with white fur, according to the National Bison Association. (Hugh Carey, The Colorado Sun)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

Colorado Parks and Wildlife is hoping a series of listening sessions will help it develop a new model for the annual Partners in the Outdoors conference, which was marred by problems last year and canceled this year.<\/p>\n

Topping the list of problems last year\u2019s conference faced, leading into the third of six listening sessions, were accusations of racist remarks, poor planning and the decision to make Shane Mahoney, an authority on the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, the keynote speaker at the gathering held in Vail that was focused on growing diversity and inclusion in the outdoors. Some say Mahoney focused too heavily on Manifest Destiny while failing to acknowledge the harm and displacement such ideology caused to Indigenous communities and people of color.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the first in-person listening session, held in Lakewood, on Aug. 16, made no mention of CPW employee Alease Lee\u2019s claims of racism, which became a main focus of last year\u2019s conference and caused considerable strife for participants. Instead, all attention focused on why, or even if, the conference should continue.<\/p>\n

Lee\u2019s allegations arose after then-CPW Director Dan Prenzlow, when thanking her for her work organizing the conference, commented, \u201cOh, there she is! At the back of the bus \u2026 Aloe!\u201d<\/p>\n

An investigation concluded Prenzlow\u2019s remark violated state rules and noted that he could not successfully continue to lead CPW. He retired in November.<\/p>\n

CPW also investigated Lee\u2019s response to Prenzlow\u2019s remark, which included fiery claims against Prenzlow and longtime CPW volunteer Dan Gates. The seven-month investigation found no evidence supporting Lee\u2019s allegations but concluded she violated agency rules.<\/p>\n

After the investigations CPW announced it was \u201ctaking a step back\u201d from hosting a large-scale, in-person conference in 2023. That turned into no conference at all and in its place, the listening sessions facilitated by Civic Consulting Collaborative, a community engagement focus group that invited select stakeholders to discuss the conference\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

The goal of the sessions, which will wrap up Aug. 25, has been to imagine a new, more unified conference focused on a stronger, more resilient Colorado outdoors for all.<\/p>\n

Looking back and airing grievances<\/strong><\/p>\n

On Aug. 16, a group of 25 to 30 parks and wildlife employees, leaders and other stakeholders gathered in a conference room at MindSpark, an education nonprofit in Lakewood, for the first of two in-person sessions.<\/p>\n

The Sun was allowed to participate on the condition that attendees remain anonymous except for those who gave permission to cite them or agreed to interviews independently.<\/p>\n

They were following a tone set by CPW, which recognized the importance of creating a \u201csafe space\u201d where everyone could share their thoughts about the past and future without potential retaliation. This echoed a tenet of the 2022 conference, where inclusion was a dominant sub-theme, as seen in various breakout sessions focused on diversity, equity and inclusion.<\/p>\n

As they settled into their seats, Shalana Gray, CPW\u2019s statewide partnership director, acknowledged that the 2022 conference caused harm to people who attended, and to people and communities across the state.<\/p>\n

Heads nodded as Civic Consulting laid out the rules of the session.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here to hear ideas and not to achieve consensus. What that means is you may disagree with somebody and that\u2019s fine. You don\u2019t have to work to bring someone around to your opinion. Instead, we want to be able to listen and recognize those different perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Then the first breakout session began, focused on what conferences would look like in 5 to 10 years if they maintained the status quo.<\/p>\n

In one group, a participant pointed out that the 2022 conference was an anomaly and that many conferences in the past had been very productive. She focused on the work recreation and conservations groups had done with local communities on things like closing unofficial social trails in various places. \u201cI will never give up trying to make sure we regain a balance between recreation and wildlife,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Another group member focused on how the conferences need a clear guiding principle and more attention to outcome. \u201cI mean, why are we having this conference? What is it for?\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve been to several Children in Nature conferences all about how to get kids outside. I\u2019m tired of hearing the message: \u2018It\u2019s good. It\u2019s important. It keeps kids healthy.\u2019 OK great, but how do we do that? How do we change systems?\u201d<\/p>\n

And another praised last year\u2019s conference for its focus on creating spaces for underrepresented communities, including those of color or living in rural places, to brainstorm, network and connect. \u201cSo I\u2019d like to see some continued outreach in that area and specifically through storytelling,\u201d he said. \u201cStories of how people use the land in their regions \u2014 how important fishing and hunting are in their valley. Elevating deer hunting and elk hunting in that area from somebody who lives there may be a good story for everybody to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

A different critique came from Gates, a founding member of the Colorado Outdoor Partnership, which represents the intersection of conservation and outdoor recreation plus interests related to land, water and wildlife in Colorado. Gates agreed to be quoted in this story.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf nothing changes, the conference won\u2019t be here in five years,\u201d he said. \u201cI honestly believe that and think with CPW being the managing and governing agency when it comes to wildlife, habitat, outdoor recreation and conservation, if nothing changes and there\u2019s not more emphasis on wildlife and the natural resource side, it won\u2019t matter if you have a conference, because it won\u2019t be Partners in the Outdoors, it will be Partners for Partners.\u201d<\/p>\n

The session wrapped up with each of eight or nine tables presenting their conclusions. Positive feedback included praise for the diversity of attendees, last year\u2019s topics, affordability and the ability of attendees to self-select the breakout sessions offered.<\/p>\n

Suggestions for improvement included making clearer who the conference is intended for,\u00a0continuing to brainstorm ways to bring together disparate political groups with misconceptions about one another, and homing in on the scope and goal of the conference.<\/p>\n

Additional participants suggested CPW choose the most applicable topics and put more focus on wildlife, habitat preservation and conservation while making it clear to attendees that hunters and anglers, more than other outdoor user groups, are footing a large portion of the bill that keeps CPW afloat and protects wild lands and wildlife.<\/p>\n

Brainstorming ways to move forward<\/strong><\/p>\n

Up next at the Lakewood session was the question of what CPW needs to do to create the \u201cideal\u201d Partners in the Outdoors conference.<\/p>\n

While Gates may have wanted more focus on things like wildlife and conservation, that\u2019s not where the conversation traveled.<\/p>\n

Most of the group\u2019s ideas centered specifically or loosely on diversity, equity and inclusion. Or as one participant put it, \u201cThere are the traditional views of things and then the new and different views of things. So (we should) think about how we define outdoor recreation or conservation in terms of these. And we should know that there are traditional ways and new ways of doing that, so we should figure out those shared values.\u201d<\/p>\n

A second speaker followed, saying, \u201cFolks should get outside of their own lanes or lanes that are comfortable. So have sessions with unique voices from a diverse group of agencies or integrate some of the (main) sessions with BiPOC-specific sessions.\u201d<\/p>\n

The idea of having clear goals came up again as well as using storytelling to connect different communities. Someone thought the conference location should travel to places other than the Front Range or a ski town. And one person wondered why, with the conference focusing on going outdoors to connect with wildlife and nature, there weren\u2019t outdoor-focused field trips.<\/p>\n

And over and over talk circled back to how the once hook-and-bullet focused gathering, which catered largely to hunting and fishing organizations, should shift to reflect a changing outdoor demographic in Colorado that is more diverse and colorful.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s crucial, said Jared Romero, director of strategic partnerships for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. In an on-record conversation with The Sun, he said in the changing demographic landscape of Colorado, Hispanics are predicted to comprise 30% of the state\u2019s population by 2030. And if conservation is to survive, Romero believes, CPW must continue to engage all communities.<\/p>\n

Romero is a fifth-generation Latino from the San Luis Valley. He has advanced degrees in biological science and is a lifelong hunter and angler. He feels that stories about hunting, fishing and working the land from Latino and Hispanic communities haven\u2019t been told, and said his role is to engage with those communities.<\/p>\n

Romero said at last year\u2019s conference, CPW did a good job of partnering with Next 100 Colorado, which focuses on workforce diversity across conservation and outdoor recreation industries to ensure equitable access for all communities. \u201cI think CPW was on the right track in terms of breaking down silos between communities to focus on sustainable wildlife and conservation goals,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Going forward, he said, he would like to see the conference continue on the path that it was initially starting in the last conference. \u201cI felt we were gaining traction in that a lot of people were there to find common ground and build on conservation goals. Now I want to see the conference opened up to all audiences who want to attend and be a part of that conversation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Romero also acknowledges Gates\u2019 concern that continuing down the path of focusing the conference on people could take needed attention away from wildlife. \u201cBut my focus has been on One Health,\u201d a concept collaborating the efforts of multiple disciplines working locally, nationally and globally to attain optimal health for people, animals and the environment, he said. \u201cThe understanding is that humans, animals and the environment are all interconnected. So while I understand Gates\u2019 wildlife focus, the parks aspect in Parks and Wildlife is just as important. I don\u2019t think you can solve wildlife issues without looking at the human aspect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Waiting for listening session results<\/strong><\/p>\n

Two weeks after the Lakewood session, Gates had some thoughts on how it went.<\/p>\n

He called from Steamboat Springs, where he had just given a presentation to the Parks and Wildlife Commission in his role as chair of the Colorado Wildlife Council.<\/p>\n

Harkening back to his comments in Lakewood, he reiterated, \u201cI\u2019m not saying people\u2019s values aren\u2019t warranted. But I met nine people at that session who\u2019d never been to the conference. That\u2019s like asking a blind man to paint a room \u2014 how do you ask somebody about something they\u2019ve never seen and ask them to fix it? To me, that\u2019s ludicrous. I don\u2019t find value in the conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gates pointed out that CPW gave participants no context for why the 2022 conference was canceled or what led up to the decision.<\/p>\n

And he said even despite the challenges he\u2019d faced during and for months after the conference, he felt it was a missed opportunity for CPW to not only to not capitalize on the conference\u2019s successes over the years but to admit its ineffectiveness. For those reasons, he added, the session had been a waste of time.<\/p>\n

But what about all of those who now feel more engaged in CPW\u2019s work, thanks to the sessions?<\/p>\n

Romero offered his own reiteration. It can only help wildlife, conservation, the environment and humans.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, as you await the results of all of the conversations in all of the sessions to determine the direction of the next Partners in the Outdoors conference, you can do as Gates, Romero and countless other Coloradans are doing: continue working for wildlife conservation, habitat preservation, hunting, angling, bird watching, off-roading, stargazing and recreation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The agency is calling on wildlife, recreation and conservation communities to rebuild its broken model<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32016,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[1031,28],"naviga_topic":[],"class_list":["post-32015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-colorado-parks-and-wildlife","tag-headlines"],"acf":[],"author_name":"Website Administrator","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32015"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32015\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81651,"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32015\/revisions\/81651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32015"},{"taxonomy":"naviga_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.durangoherald.com\/tj\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/naviga_topic?post=32015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}