Denver
Over 60 people turned out at the Patagonia store in Denver to kick off the Keep Parks Public tour with a live taping of The Landscape podcast hosted by Center for Western Priorities Deputy Director Aaron Weiss. Leaders from Colorado conservation groups and the Center for Western Priorities called on President Donald Trump, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, and Colorado’s congressional delegation to stop attacking and instead fully fund America’s parks and public lands.
Guest speakers included Scott Fitzwilliams, former supervisor of Colorado’s White River National Forest, Kelly Nordini, chief executive officer of Conservation Colorado, and Kara Matsumoto, public lands director at the Conservation Lands Foundation.
“America’s public lands are more than just places on a map — they are where families connect, where traditions like hunting, fishing, and camping are passed down, and where we find clean water, fresh air, and a sense of belonging. Protecting these lands isn’t just about conservation; it’s about safeguarding the American way of life for generations to come.”
Across the country, funding and staffing shortages have left national parks, monuments, and forests scrambling to serve summer visitors. At Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado, all custodial staff have been terminated, and a third of the park’s 74 positions remain vacant. At the nearby Curecanti National Recreation Area, four out of ten campgrounds were closed due to short staffing. Colorado’s White River National Forest—the most-visited forest in the country—lost 43 full-time employees, a 29 percent reduction of its staff.