Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit
The 2026 Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit
Forest Health at the Speed of ‘Collabor-Action’
September 9-11, 2026 | Gunnison, CO
Draft Agenda
Base registration cost will be $90.00. Optional add-ons are noted below.
Wednesday, September 9th
Training: Taking Action with the Forest Resilience Planning Guide | 1pm – 5pm | Western Colorado University, University Center Ballroom | Move your collaborative from vision to implementation using the Colorado Forest Resilience Planning Guide. Through peer discussion, hands-on exercises, and real-world examples, you’ll explore practical tools and strategies to advance forest collaboratives. Bring your own experiences and challenges, and leave with ideas, resources, and next steps you can take back to your partnership to keep momentum moving forward. Ticket price includes a hard copy of the Colorado Forest Resilience Planning Guide and refreshments. Hosted by CDR Associates and the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute. | $50
Training facilitators:
- Abby Hall, Senior Program Manager, CDR Associates
- Ch’aska Huayhuaca, Senior Program Manager, Collaborative Adaptive Management, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute
- Laura Hickey Danz, Knowledge Synthesis, Communications, and Applications Specialist, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute
Welcome Social | 6-8pm | Location TBD | Welcome to Gunnison! Join us for an evening of networking, food, and drink. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and one drink ticket will be provided; cash bar available for additional drinks. | Included with base registration cost.
Thursday, September 10th
The Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit (the main event!) | 8am – 4pm | Western Colorado University, University Center Ballroom
8am – 9am | Coffee, pastries, & unstructured mingling (coffee & pastries provided)
9am – 9:30am | Welcome to Summit!
- Featuring members of the Summit Planning Team
9:30am – 12pm | Colorado Cafe – table discussions and case studies that align with the 30-Year Vision for Forest Health in Colorado | Featuring an introduction by Rebecca Samulski (Executive Director, Fire Adapted Colorado)
Confirmed table topics include:
- Mountain Pine Beetle Task Force updates & discussion
Facilitated by Christina Burri (Deputy State Forester, Colorado State Forest Service) and Alison Lerch (Assistant Director, Forest Health and Wildfire Mitigation, Colorado Department of Natural Resources) - Collaborative mapping
Facilitated by Rebecca Dannels (GIS Specialist, Colorado State Forest Service) and Phoebe Bauer (GIS Analyst, Colorado State Forest Service) - Mitigation Success Stories with Fire Adapted Colorado
- Wildfire and Watershed Initiative for Resilient Colorado updates & discussion
- More to be confirmed soon!
12pm – 1pm | Lunch (provided)
1pm – 2:30pm | Stages of Readiness workshop
2:30pm – 2:50pm | Break
2:50pm – 3:40pm | Agency leadership panel
3:40pm – 4pm | Closing
4pm – 6pm | Happy hour (heavy hors d’oeuvres included + a drink ticket for those who submit a survey)
Friday, September 11th
Field trip | Details TBD | $50 (includes lunch)
Sponsor Opportunities
Your sponsorship will support Summit and the Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network. Sponsorships may go toward providing financial support for members of place-based forest collaboratives to attend the event; scholarships for students to attend Summit; putting on trainings and field trips; food and drink to fuel networking; and other event expenses! Your donation will positively impact 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. Click here to learn more and become a sponsor!
Collaborative Canopy Sponsors
Rooted Together Sponsors
We are grateful to the following funders for their ongoing support of the CFCN:
Financial Support to Attend
We know that many collaboratives are small, and have limited budgets for things like travel and professional development. Additionally, we recognize that numerous partner organizations and agencies are facing tight budgets. We do not want funding to be a barrier to attending Summit, so we will have funding available to support costs related to attending the event.
Colorado State University - Student Scholarship Program
Our Summit Student Scholarship Program for CSU students is back! The purpose of this award is to support students’ professional development & networking by: A) removing financial barriers to attending a multi-day conference; and B) teaching them the skills they need to effectively network & navigate the event. Two students from Colorado State University Warner College of Natural Resources will receive complimentary registration and travel support to attend Summit. Applications are due July 31, 2026.
Thanks to our 2026 planning team!
The Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit is proudly hosted by the Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network.
Summit would not be possible without the incredible energy, generous time, and awesome ideas from our planning team:
Anthony Culpepper, Mountain Studies Institute
Audrey Ek-Psomas, Coalitions and Collaboratives, Inc.
Liz Lorimer, National Wild Turkey Federation
Laura Hickey Danz, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute
Ch’aska Huayhuaca-Frye, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute
Katie McNovak, Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network
Rebecca Samulski, Fire Adapted Colorado
Audrey Miles Cherney, Upper South Platte Partnership
Scott Woods, Colorado State Forest Service
Past Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summits
2025 Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit: Summary & Resources | blog post by Audrey Miles Cherney, Esther Duke, Ch’aska Huayhuaca, and John Sanderson
2024 Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit: Summary & Resources | blog post by Katie McGrath Novak of Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network
10 of Katie’s Favorite Photos from the 2024 Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit | blog post by Katie McGrath Novak of Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network
The 2024 Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit: A Hub of Connection and Innovation | blog post by Sandi Good of Peaks to People Water Fund
2023 Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit: Summary & Resources | Blog post by Katie McGrath Novak of Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network
15 of Katie’s Favorite Photos from the 2023 Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit | Blog post by Katie McGrath Novak of Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network
2022 Colorado Forest Collaboratives Summit: Summary & Resources | Blog post by Katie McGrath Novak of Colorado Forest Collaboratives Network
