Collaborative Initiatives

Our goal is to serve as a valued leader and technical resource for collaborative climate solutions spanning our five Priority Areas: Waste Diversion, Energy, Transportation, Resilient Land and Water and Community Engagement.

Our Role:

Empower government, institutions, organizations and community members to be leaders in collaborative climate action and resilience in the Yampa Valley. We achieve this by catalyzing, supporting and leading regional initiatives that bring cross-Valley stakeholders to the table. 

Why it Matters:

The Yampa Valley is changing socially, economically and environmentally. The region is transitioning away from coal and the economic development pathways for the region are uncertain. Tourism remains a major source of regional revenue while sustainable tourism management and planning lags behind other mountain tourism destination norms. We are seeing the effects of climate change firsthand in the Yampa Valley through increasing temperatures, earlier spring melt, changing snowpack, increasing risk of wildfire and more. 73% of people in Routt County and 63% in Moffat County believe that global warming is happening, but over half do not know what they can do to address it. This underlines the need to increase public understanding of what we can do to address climate change. There is a need to increase connection between Routt and Moffat County so NW Colorado can create and scale services and economic development pathways that advance climate solutions and increase resilience, while increasing mutual understanding and respect among disparate geographies and ways of life in the Yampa Valley.  Collaborative projects strengthen connections throughout the Yampa Valley that elevate climate action as something that unites the region, working to increase mutual understanding, learning, empathy and dialogue among the diverse people and places of the region.

Resources

What we are doing

Collaborative Initiatives

Routt County Climate Action Plan Collaborative

The Routt County Climate Action Plan Collaborative was established in 2021 as an intergovernmental organizational entity to support the implementation of the Routt County Climate Action Plan (CAP). The CAP is a menu of actions Routt County can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across energy, transportation, waste, land use and economy sectors. As the Program Management Entity for the Collaborative, YVSC helps administer and technically assist CAP’s five sector Working Groups, and carries out communication activities for the Collaborative Board. Together, the Collaborative is identifying and advancing high impact actions set forth in the plan to reduce greenhouse emissions throughout Routt County.

Learn more at the Routt County CAP website

Colorado Green Business Network of the Yampa Valley

The Yampa Valley Green Business Program is a free, technical assistance and environmental recognition program that works with local businesses in the Yampa Valley area on improving their environmental performance and recognizing them for their efforts.

Learn more

Yampa Valley Partnership for Students, Stewardship and Sustainability

The Yampa Valley Partnership for Students, Stewardship and Sustainability (YVPS3) initiative, led by Lyra Colorado, aims to bring regional climate education and career pathway development for K-12 students and recent graduates to the Yampa Valley. YVSC serves on the YVPS3 Steering Committee, leading as a resource and connector for the initiative’s career pathway development. Through this partnership we aim to increase regional access and training for climate related career pathways.

Brown Ranch

The Brown Ranch is a donated, 536-acre parcel of land set for development on the west end of Steamboat Springs that has become a beacon of relief amid a valley-wide affordable housing crisis. Brown Ranch sets a precedent for building new developments in the Yampa Valley, by placing community values — affordability, sustainability and preserving cultural heritage, natural resources and open space — at its core.

YVSC is a member of the consulting team that is working closely with the Yampa Valley Housing Authority to plan the development of Brown Ranch. Our staff members work closely with the Infrastructure and Natural and Built Sustainability Focus Teams to help conceptualize, coordinate and advance climate solutions through the parcel’s new developments and related infrastructure.

Learn more about Brown Ranch

What you can do

Support community development decisions that support the Routt County Climate Action Plan.

Register your business for the Colorado Green Business Network of the Yampa Valley