Colorado’s “Putting the Public in Public Lands” Summit 

May 1, 2018 

An inaugural forum to strengthen engagement in public lands decisions in Colorado 

Colorado’s “Putting ‘the Public’ in Public Lands Summit” was a conference and collaborative workshop that took place on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at the University of Colorado Boulder, hosted by CU Boulder’s Masters of the Environment Program and the Center of the American West. Additional partners include the State of Colorado’s Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry and Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), and WilmerHale. 

The Summit’s agenda and proceedings were guided by the vision that presenters, panelists, and attendees will work together to refine, synthesize, and configure the insights and understandings that emerge from the day’s discussions. The goal will be to harvest the most constructive ideas to underpin a new and vital policy agenda that will support resilience on public lands, as well as build a dynamic consensus around complex public lands issues.  

Panel 1: Current Debates on the Antiquities Act and Related Federal Law 

  • Don Ragona, Director of Development and House Counsel, Native American Rights Fund 
  • Richard Seamon, Professor, University of Idaho School of Law 
  • Mark Squillace, Professor University of Colorado School of Law 
  • Moderator: Buie Seawell, Professor, University of Denver, Daniels School of Business 

Panel 2: Status of NEPA and Impacts to Stakeholder Involvement 

  • Rick Cables, Independent Consultant, prev. Vail Resorts and USFS Rocky Mountain Region Office 
  • Nada Culver, Sr. Counsel and Director, BLM Action Center, The Wilderness Society 
  • Rebecca Watson, Attorney, Welborn Sullivan Meck & Tooley Law 
  • Moderator: Jan Laitos, Professor, University of Denver, Sturm College of Law 

Panel 3: The Evolving Role of Collaborative Decision Frameworks 

  • Carla Fredericks, Professor and Director, University of Colorado American Indian Law Program 
  • Russell George, Chairman, Boettcher Foundation, Chair, Colorado Water Conservation Board 
  • Erik Glenn, Executive Director, Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust 
  • Moderator: Patty Limerick, Center of the American West 

Panel 4: Directions in Colorado State Lands and Natural Resource Policies 

  • Scott Braden, Public Lands and Wilderness Advocate, Conservation Colorado 
  • Peter Ericson, Chief Operating Officer & Deputy Director, Great Outdoors Colorado 
  • James Pribyl, Public Policy Consultant; fmr. CPW Commissioner 
  • Andy Schultheiss, Executive Director, Colorado Water Trust  
  • Moderator: Kristin Olofsson, Adjunct Professor, University of Colorado Denver, School of Public Affairs 

Lunchtime Speaker 

  • Michael Connor, Partner, WilmerHale, Former Deputy Secretary of U.S. Department of the Interior 

Stakeholder Panel A: Balancing Conservation and Recreation in an Age of Increased Visitation 

  • Tim Brass, State Policy Director, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers 
  • Cailin O'Brien Feeney, Local Recreation Advocacy Manager, Outdoor Industry Association 
  • Carlos Fernandez, Colorado State Director, The Nature Conservancy Colorado 
  • Scott Jones, Vice President, Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition 
  • Len Necefer, CEO and Founder, NativesOutdoors 
  • Moderator: Lydia A. Lawhon, Instructor, University of Colorado, Masters of the Environment Program 

Stakeholder Panel B: Working In and Across Jurisdictions 

  • Jim Bedwell, Retired Director Recreation, Lands Minerals, USFS Rocky Mountain Region 
  • John Messner, Commissioner, Gunnison County 
  • Jeff Moline, Resources Planning Division Manager, Boulder County 
  • Ernest House, Executive Director, Colorado Commission on Indian Affairs 
  • Moderator: Jared Orsi, Professor, Colorado State University, Department of History 

Stakeholder Panel C: Community and Economic Interests on Public Lands 

  • Terry Fankhauser, Executive Vice President, Colorado Cattlemen's Association 
  • Mike Paules, Executive Director, Colorado Petroleum Council/American Petroleum Institution 
  • Anna Lee Vargas, Director, Conejos Clean Water 
  • Bob Randall, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources 
  • Gregory Shoop, Acting Director, Colorado State Office, Bureau of Land Management 
  • Moderator: Bruce Goldstein, Professor, University of Colorado Boulder