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The purpose of this network is to benefit and support place-based forest collaboratives in Colorado by connecting them to information, resources, and each other, and by telling their stories to make their value and needs understood.
For years, collaborative leaders and partners have convened in an annual Forest Collaboratives Summit to share updates, build relationships, and learn from one another. Participants agreed that these meetings were beneficial, but there was little capacity for follow-up or ongoing engagement. Hearing the need for more consistent networking amongst forest collaboratives, the Center for Collaborative Conservation conducted a Situation Assessment in 2020 to explore the need and desire for a statewide Forest Collaboratives Network. In short, the assessment found that there was a strong need and interest in such a network.
We hired Katie McGrath Novak to serve as a coordinator and launched the CFCN in January 2022, with three years’ worth of generous funding from Great Outdoors Colorado, Mighty Arrow Family Foundation, and Argosy Foundation. In year one of the Network, we met inspiring leaders, shared collaboratives’ perspectives at several Forest Health Council meetings, connected in-person with 50+ collaboratives at four regional forums, and re-commenced the Forest Collaboratives Summit.
The purpose of Branching Out is to provide a space for meaningful, relevant discussion amongst CFCN participants. Each monthly, virtual session will feature bite-sized stories of successes and failures from forest collaborative coordinators and partners, leaving you with the most relevant details and key takeaways, then offering ample time for small group networking, storytelling, and idea-workshopping. We invite you to come to the sessions that you think will provide the most benefit to you and your collaborative.
Next session | October 19th, 2023: Forest Collaboratives & the New Colorado Forest Management Tracker (Forest Tracker) | Description | Register
Click here to visit our Branching Out landing page.
This page has all the most up-to-date information about Branching Out, including descriptions of all upcoming sessions and links to recordings and other resources from past sessions.
The most up-to-date information about the CFCN will come through our newsletter.
The Colorado Forest Health Council (CFHC) is a 26-member volunteer stakeholder body whose role is “to provide a collaborative forum to advise the Governor, through the Executive Director of the Department of Natural Resources, and the Colorado General Assembly, on issues, opportunities, and threats to Colorado’s forests.”
In late 2022, CFCN Coordinator Katie McGrath Novak was appointed to serve on the CFHC as “an individual employed by or associated with a forest collaborative organization.”
We serve place-based forest collaboratives in Colorado. For a list of who we aim to support, click here.
To see all place-based conservation collaboratives in Colorado on a map (not just forest collaboratives), check out the Colorado Atlas of Collaborative Conservation.
Do either of these lists need to be updated? Please let us know!
The CFCN launched in 2022. In year one, we met inspiring leaders, shared collaboratives’ perspectives at several Colorado Forest Health Council meetings, connected in-person with 50+ collaboratives at four regional forums, and re-commenced the annual Forest Collaboratives Summit.
2022 Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit | One of the most common recommendations we received at our Regional Forums was to continue hosting an annual gathering of forest collaboratives and their partners. On October 27, 2022, more than 30 collaborative leaders and partners gathered in Frisco, Colorado for the annual Forest Health Collaboratives Summit, despite an unforeseen snowstorm. Attendees built relationships, exchanged stories of success and lessons learned, shared their perspectives with state leadership, and brainstormed useful metrics for collaboratives at different stages. What we learned at the Summit will be used to help inform state-level leadership, other forest collaboratives, and researchers developing the Stages of Readiness framework.
Find a detailed report of the Summit in this Summary of the 2022 Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit.
The best way to keep up with the CFCN is to join our mailing list. We send occasional emails containing news, events, and resources for forest collaboratives and their partners.
The purpose of the Forest Collaboratives Summit is to connect place-based forest collaboratives from across the state and facilitate learning about issues most relevant to collaboratives.
“Having the opportunity to provide feedback and insights to decisions-makers was really valuable.”
“Forest Collaboratives leaders showed up, engaged, and met one another with plenty of time for networking.”
“Great opportunity to network with folks from different regions that I don’t typically get to talk to.”
Katie McGrath Novak
Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network Coordinator
If you are a member of a collaborative, or are an interested partner with ideas for building further connections, I would love to set up a one-on-one call to get to know you and hear your ideas for the network. I am best reached at my email address.
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