Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance

In the last year, your support has given new life to our work in collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management for the betterment of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. 

Your support ensures that SCCA can continue to:

• Support the preservation of irreplaceable cultural heritage sites.
• Engage our diverse community in opportunities for stewardship, education, and recreation on our local public lands.
• Promote respectful and responsible outdoor recreation.
• Create positive economic impact in southwest Colorado by bolstering outdoor recreation and and sustainable tourism.

Our programs have provided the chance for the diverse community of locals and visitors in Southwest Colorado to: 

• Create connections to indigenous communities;
• Experience the outdoors responsibly;
• Deepen their understanding of cultural heritage and the significance and importance of the cultural resources within the Monument;
• Increase cultural sensitivity;
• Inspire love and respect for our natural and cultural environment;
• And foster a sense of responsibility toward stewardship and sustainability.

Donating today will allow us to expand our programming to bring even more insight to our community and further protect the natural and cultural resources of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. 

Here’s how your gift can help: 

• Improve cultural site protection: By providing training opportunities for the Cultural Site Stewardship volunteers which allows us to provide Land Managers with an enhanced level of understanding of current site conditions and potential threats. This information informs important decision making and action to preserve and defend sensitive sites.
• Highlight Native Artisans: By allowing Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance to continue the annual Four Corners Indigenous Arts Market at Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center to spotlight the skills and talents of the associated tribes’ Native artisans.
• Bolster Cultural Education: By increasing the number of cultural education programs offered to Canyons of the Ancients National Monument visitors and the local community to include at least ten presentations per year. 
• Strengthen recreational and cultural significance: by achieving International Dark Sky Park Certification for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, including associated programming. 
• Enhance Volunteerism on the Monument: by providing more opportunities for volunteers to become involved with the monument thus increasing the number of volunteers and volunteer hours that support Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. 
• Increase Learning on the Landscape: by providing additional educational opportunities for visitors and the local community, including the introduction of an annual outdoor classroom experience for local 6th graders and training opportunities for our volunteers to increase their stewardship abilities.

Mission

Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance fosters awareness and appreciation of the landscape and cultural heritage of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument through collaboration with the Bureau of Land Management.

Background Statement

Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance was founded in 2013 by a group of local citizens who were concerned about the future of their local Public Lands. Limited federal funding and resources prompted this group to find alternative volunteer support to care for the precious and delicate landscape of Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. We are also proud partners of Onward! a Legacy Foundation.