Our NCAs are home to some of the most pristine landscapes in all of western Colorado hosting a diverse array of wildlife, rare plants, and delicate riparian corridors. With that comes the RESPONSIBILITY of stewarding the land and protecting it for future generations to enjoy.

River and land Trash Clean-ups

The sections of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers within our NCAs see thousands of visitors every year - and unfortunately, some visitors leave a trace behind. To help keep our waterways beautiful, CCA organizes annual river clean-ups on both the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers. With the invaluable help of volunteers, CCA leads trips down the river, picking up trash along the way, and fostering community stewardship of our public lands.

In addition, CCA has an adopt-a-trail program; volunteers adopt a new trail every month in one of the NCAs and clean-up any trash left behind. While it may not sound glamorous, this work is essential to keeping our NCAs clean for everyone to enjoy.

Habitat Restoration

Rivers are the lifeblood of our regional NCAs and play a vital role in keeping the ecosystems balanced and healthy. Over the past decade, CCA has removed thousands of invasive species from the river corridor, creating space and habitat for native species to flourish. Recently, CCA has been focused on protecting one of the river’s most important species, the cottonwood tree. To do so, CCA and other volunteers wrap the base of young cottonwood trees with chicken-wire. This protects young trees from being damaged by beavers and other animals when they are in their vital developmental stages. Educating youth and community members on the ecological, cultural, and historical resources of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers builds a committed and responsible community of land users who love and respect the natural treasures right in their backyards.

In addition to river restoration, CCA has several land-based restoration projects to help the BLM preserve the NCA’s special landscapes. The NCAs include important habitat for the endangered Gunnison sage-grouse and keeping the habitat in it’s natural state is crucial. Volunteers help by clearing overgrown juniper and pinion from the landscape to make way for sagebrush and other forage. CCA has also helped the BLM with the Sieber Fire restoration project in the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness of McInnis Canyons NCA. To prevent invasive species from overtaking the burned landscape, volunteers assisted in reestablishing a healthy sagebrush habitat.

Interested in Volunteering for our stewardship Program?