Land use and management is shaped by the social and environmental needs of communities and ecosystems–an inherently braided process of engagement and education.

Public land use and management addresses conflicting demands by various user groups, including around recreation, conservation, agriculture, urban development, economic, education, and aesthetic uses. CDR brings knowledge and expertise in collaborative problem-solving and stakeholder engagement for meaningful engagement around public land challenges.

We add value through our neutral and objective process approach.

For over 40 years, CDR has provided impartial process support. We are leaders in facilitating strategic partnerships and in engaging communities on issues related to land management, including complex planning and land use processes. In addition, we design our engagement strategies based on the interests and capacity of stakeholders, so that participants are able to contribute their input in a constructive manner.

Where we add value in public land projects: 

  • Interagency collaboration: facilitating complex jurisdictional management and decision-making between agencies, jurisdictions, and management groups 
  • Stakeholder-based land use and management planning: inclusive, collaborative stakeholder engagement that ties stakeholder inputs to decision outcomes
  • Facilitated decision making: collaborative planning, decision-making processes, assisted negotiations, and mediation of impasses 
  • Development of formal settlement and institutional agreements: such as contracts, compacts, and systems to ensure long-term, sustainable, and adaptable agreements
  • Innovative solutions: supporting win-win solutions that provide for stakeholder interests within legal and institutional frameworks

Examples of our public lands work: 

  1. Fisher’s Peak Master Plan Facilitation
    CDR Associates is facilitating the master planning process for onboarding Colorado’s next state park, Fisher’s Peak.  The 30-square-mile Fisher’s Peak ranch, located outside the city of Trinidad, spans from the New Mexico border north along the east side of I-25 to the south of Trinidad.   The property’s iconic peak and diverse landscape of grasslands, forests, rugged mountain and vast meadows already is drawing significant attention for its potential. CDR will be facilitating internal collaboration and decision-making for a diverse partnership including Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Trust for Public Land, the Nature Conservancy, Great Outdoors Colorado and the City of Trinidad. CDR will also be facilitating broader community engagement locally and across the state connecting with preservation and recreation stakeholders and constituencies.
  2. Federal Navigating Ecological Transformation Work Group
    CDR facilitates the Federal Navigating Ecological Transformation (FedNET) Working Group. The FedNET group is a collaborative group of land management agencies focused on developing guidance around managing federal lands during a time of rapid ecological transformation. Group membership includes National Park Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Geological Survey, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The group considers complex themes such as the role of social science and scientific data in land management decision-making, managing land on spatial and temporal scales, and nuances around diverse agency perspectives and interpretations of land management practices.
  3. Colorado Wildlife & Transportation Alliance
    CDR provides facilitation and coalition-building services for the Colorado Wildlife and Transportation Alliance Steering Committee and Technical Teams. The initiative began following the statewide Wildlife and Transportation Summit in 2017, aimed at identifying Wildlife Crossing projects, mitigation, and science as part of CPW and CDOT’s cooperation strategy. The Steering Committee is charged with increasing public understanding of wildlife and transportation issues and securing funding for both internal coordination as well as external project development. CDR works with initiative leads, CDOT and CPW, to identify the Alliance’s priorities, timeline, and goals. CDR facilitates Committee and Technical Team meetings and ensures the initiative is on track to hit important education, outreach, and funding milestones. CDR has established a process for the statewide partnership model to succeed, including bringing a number of players to the table. Members and partners include state and federal agencies, sportsmen’s groups, nonprofits, researchers, engineers, and academic institutions.

Learn more:

Melissa Bade
Public Lands Practice Lead
mbade@mediate.org