Innovative Finance for National Forests (IFNF)
The Center for Public Lands, US Forest Service, and Gunnison County are collaborating to support recreation infrastructure in the Gunnison National Forest.
To keep pace with increased visitation, the Gunnison community is exploring avenues to mitigate landscape impacts and improve recreation experiences. The Innovative Finance for National Forests (IFNF) project leans into existing collaborative relationships between Western Colorado University, the US Forest Service, and Gunnison County to develop financing models that will bring vital recreation infrastructure and services to the Gunnison National Forest, achieve sustainable socio-ecological and financial outcomes, and train a new generation of land managers.
The USFS manages over 60% of the land in the Gunnison Valley and visitation to these areas has more than doubled in 10 years, deteriorating forest resources as well as the user experience. Recreation infrastructure has largely gone unchanged for decades, despite changing use types, patterns, and levels. To address these issues, a collaborative team of students from Western Colorado University’s Outdoor Industry MBA and Master of Environmental Management program was formed. The IFNF team is responding to this critical need to obtain funding for sustainable recreation by researching and developing unique, viable models of user fee function and management.
In previous decades, many land managers began careers as Campground Rangers or Visitor Use Assistants, gaining field experience to support later supervisory or administrative roles, but new hiring practices and concession agreements have diminished this career pipeline. By exploring how to partner with universities in innovative finance, this project aims to cultivate a model that also will invest in workforce development by infusing the agency with young employees trained in recreation management and finance. This project is funded by the IFNF grant program which supports the development and implementation of innovative finance models that leverage private and public capital other than USFS appropriations to support the resilience of the National Forest System.
Learn more about the IFNF grant program here.
Project Updates
-
The Innovative Finance for National Forests (IFNF) hosted a guest speaker panel with three expert speakers to discuss recreation issues and management strategies. This event was open to the public — see the recording below!
-
In September 2022, the IFNF fellows presented a poster at the National Outdoor Recreation Conference in Knoxville, Tennessee. The poster was titled “Leveraging Partnerships to Support Recreation & Conservation.”
-
On Tuesday, April 19th, the IFNF team presented at the Partners in the Outdoors Conference in Vail, Colorado. The presentation was titled “Driving Conservation Outcomes through Innovative Finance of Recreation Management.” This session discussed work in the Gunnison National Forest leveraging existing collaborative relationships between Western Colorado University, USFS, and Gunnison County to develop innovative financing models to fund vital recreation infrastructure and services, socio-ecological and financial outcomes, and train a new generation of land managers. The IFNF team worked with land managers on strategies for refining pitches for potential project investors.
-
The IFNF team flew to Des Moines, Iowa at the end of March to attend a Conservation Finance Roundtable hosted by the Conservation Finance Network. The team presented their project ideas in the Dolphin Tank session to solicit ideas and feedback from experts in the Conservation Finance field.
-
On Thursday, March 24th, the IFNF team presented the initial project concept to Gunnison County’s Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee to reintroduce the topic to stakeholders and garner feedback and support.
The Changing Landscape of Outdoor Recreation Management: Strategies for the Future
Weren’t able to join us for the panel event? View the recording here!
Meet the IFNF Team
Isabel English
Isabel English is currently pursuing a Master of Environmental Management with an emphasis on integrative and public land management from Western Colorado University. She received her Bachelor's in Environmental Sustainability from the University of Oklahoma in May of 2021. Her research focuses on recreation management and sustainability. This past summer she worked on mapping and monitoring the use of designated camping in the Gunnison National Forest which led her to join the Innovative Financing fellowship team. She also has a fellowship with the Center for Public Lands where she is working on an OHV management project for the Lead King Loop near Marble, Colorado.
Contact: isabel.english@western.edu
Leonard Mason
Len Mason is a member of the 2021 Outdoor Industry MBA cohort at Western Colorado University. He is hoping to leverage his extensive program management, creative problem solving, and scientific expertise, gained over a 20-year environmental consulting career, to promote stewardship, environmental conservation, and responsible recreation in our wildlands. As a purpose-driven leader, he is focused on increasing access to outdoor recreational activities while helping the Intermountain West achieve sustainable growth and prosperity through a transition from extraction-based economies to recreation-based models.
Contact: leonard.mason@western.edu
Leyla Ericson
Leyla Ericson is a first-year student in the Outdoor Industry MBA program at Western Colorado University. She is interested in studying the economic and social impacts of outdoor recreation tourism. As an Innovative Finance for National Forest (IFNF) fellow at Western, she is excited to explore ways to balance conservation and recreation in the Gunnison National Forest. Leyla has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Economics from Skidmore College, where she focused on economic development. Most recently, she worked for Wheaton College, MA as the Assistant Director of Human Resources. Leyla recently moved to Golden and is enjoying getting to know all the hiking and biking opportunities Colorado has to offer.
Contact: leyla.ericson@western.edu
Kumar Flower Kay is part of the incoming 2022 Outdoor Industry MBA cohort at Western Colorado University. He is interested in studying corporate social responsibility in the outdoor industry and exploring how the social and financial capital in outdoor sports can be leveraged towards environmental and climate action. Since graduating from the University of Puget Sound with a BA in Comparative Politics, Kumar has lived in Durango, CO working in outdoor education and the ski & bike industry. As an Innovative Finance for National Forests Fellow, Kumar hopes to combine his environmental policy acumen and extensive experience recreating on public lands across the West to find management solutions for the Crested Butte area of Gunnison National Forest.
Contact: kumar.flowerkay@western.edu
Annie Robertson is pursuing a Master of Environmental Management with an emphasis on Global Sustainability at Western Colorado University. She graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor's degree in Ecological and Environmental Biology and a minor in Atmospheric and Ocean Studies. Her professional experience in arts and science-based knowledge combine to create sustainable and community-based solutions. As a long-term Colorado resident, Annie is grateful to be on a team dedicated to protecting and maintaining Colorado's most valuable resources and public lands.
Contact: ann.robertson@western.edu