Montelores Coalition

11/03/2026

Our Art of Sharing Spaces contest is getting more attention across Southwest Colorado!

Thank you to the Cortez Current for highlighting the Montelores Coalition's art contest and the conversation we're hoping to inspire about how ranching and outdoor recreation share our landscapes.

There's still time to participate! We're inviting artists to share their perspectives through painting, drawing, photography or digital art.

Submissions are open through January 29, 2027.

Read the article:

The Montelores Coalition is paying $250, $150 and $100 in youth and open divisions. Entries are due January 29, and the work will hang at ZU Gallery in Cortez in February.

10/29/2026

Some of the best things you find outside are best left right where they are.

Rocks, plants, antlers, artifacts and other natural and cultural objects all have a place in the landscape. Leaving them where you find them helps protect these spaces and gives the next person the same opportunity to experience that moment of discovery.

As you head outside this fall, take the photo, enjoy the find and leave it as you found it. It's one simple way we can all Do Colorado Right and help care for the places we share.

10/25/2026

New data tool for understanding outdoor recreation in Colorado!

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has launched the Colorado Public Lands Mobile Data Dashboard, a new online resource that provides insights into visitation patterns on public lands across the state.

Using anonymous, aggregated mobile data, the dashboard helps land managers and recreation planners better understand where, when and how recreation activity changes over time while protecting individual privacy.

The Montelores Coalition plans to combine insights from this dashboard with our developing Mapping Decision Support Tool to help inform future recreation and conservation efforts across Montezuma and Dolores counties.

Explore the dashboard: https://rrcmovement.com/COPublicLandsDashboard

10/19/2026

Due to weather, the Community Planing Day with Montezuma Land Conservancy is cancelled. We appreciate everyone's willingness to spend their time with us this weekend and will keep you in the loop for any other volunteer opportunities.

The Southwest Conservation Corps crew is going to be spending additional time at Hawkins Preserve instead and we can't wait to share their continued work with you.

While we're appreciating all this fall moisture we're receiving, we're sorry to say we have to cancel this planting day due to the forecasted storms this week. Conditions around the river are not projected to be safe or productive for a volunteer planting day.

Big thanks to everyone who signed up to join us! We hope to host a planting event in spring of 2027 so stay tuned.

10/19/2026

Our Art of Sharing Spaces contest is making headlines!

Thank you to The Journal for helping spread the word about our art contest and the relationship between ranching and outdoor recreation in Southwest Colorado.

We're inviting local artists of all ages to share their perspectives on the landscapes we share through painting, drawing, photography or digital art.

Check out the article to learn more about the contest and how to get involved.

The contest is open to artists in Montezuma and Dolores counties

10/16/2026

One week until we get to work along the Mancos River!

Join us and Montezuma Land Conservancy on Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to plant native species within the riparian zone, helping enhance habitat and support the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe's Traditional Harvest Project.

Mountain Studies Institute will lead a hydrology education session at noon, followed by swag and gear giveaways.

Learn more and sign up: https://montezumaland.org/event/planting-day-at-road-39-2026/

10/15/2026

What does the relationship between recreation and ranching in Southwest Colorado look like to you?

Maybe it's cattle sharing a trail with mountain bikers. A gate along a favorite hiking route. A rancher at work while recreation happens nearby. Or a scene that captures the many ways working lands and outdoor recreation overlap across our region.

The Montelores Coalition's Art of Sharing Spaces contest is open, and we're looking for your creative interpretation of that relationship.

Have an idea? We'd love to see it. Winning artists will have their artwork featured on a printed piece shared throughout Montezuma and Dolores counties, be recognized at the Art of Sharing Spaces community event, and receive a monetary prize.

View the contest guidelines and learn how to enter: https://montelorescoalition.org/art-contest/

10/13/2026

Proposition 137: Direct Sporting Goods Sales Tax Revenue for Conservation will appear on Colorado's November 3 ballot.

The measure asks voters whether the state should be allowed to keep and spend a portion of existing state sales tax revenue from sporting goods and equipment for specified purposes including water and land conservation, wildfire prevention, forest and watershed projects and outdoor recreation programs. The measure does not increase the state sales tax rate.

Because these are areas connected to the Coalition's work, we are sharing information about Proposition 137 so community members can learn more about the measure and what it could mean for conservation and outdoor recreation funding in Colorado.

Read more here: https://leg.colorado.gov/ballots/direct-sporting-goods-sales-tax-revenue-for-conservation-2/files/blue-book

*The Montelores Coalition shares information from partner organizations and community sources for awareness. The inclusion of external content does not imply endorsement of any specific organization, program, or viewpoint.

10/12/2026

A Halloween reminder from Colorado Parks and Wildlife : keep wildlife in mind when decorating this season.

Pumpkins left outside can attract bears and other wildlife, while loosely hanging lights, webs and decorations can become tangled in the antlers of deer, elk and moose.

CPW recommends bringing pumpkins inside and keeping decorations secured and out of reach of wildlife.

The Montelores Coalition shares information from partner organizations and community sources for awareness. The inclusion of external content does not imply endorsement of any specific organization, program, or viewpoint.

10/10/2026

So many people, businesses, and orgs to thank for their support for the 1st Annual High Desert Bike Festival. We'll start with those that donated time and/or funds to make it happen. Look for more photos and shout outs to come soon! If we missed you, let us know!