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“Colorado Springs is a beautiful, world-class city, honoring its citizens, affirming and fostering greatness.  Our citizens are collaborative, innovative entreprenurial in spirit.  We have the courage and faith to make short-term sacrifices for long-term gain to create an incredibly liveable city that eliminates every barrier and provides opportunity for all its citizens to succeed.”

 

-Colorado Springs City Council Vision Statement 

 

From its beginnings as a mining town in 1859 to a city of 365,000 people living in the shadow of Pikes Peak, Colorado Springs is a constantly evolving landscape.  It is also a magnificent landscape.  Ask any person on the street why they live in Colorado Springs and almost without exception one reason will be the stunning natural surroundings.  The 100,000 acre Pike National Forest, home to 14,110 foot Pikes Peak is a natural amenity that draws both tourists and residents alike.  The red and white sandstone fins of the Garden of the Gods, and the craggy, waterfall-filled canyons too, draw people to this area.  In fact, the natural amenities are what drew Colorado Springs’ founder, General William Jackson Palmer to the area in the first place.  Palmer had dreams of turning his community at the foot of “America’s Mountain” into an affluent resort town, a sort of utopic  colony in the Mountain West.  He imagined a cultured city with music venues and schools.  He imagined a place that did justice to the natural surroundings.  Pursuant to that dream Palmer set aside many of the area’s parks and open spaces and began to design a progressive, civilized community.  People liked what they saw here.  By 1901, less than 30 years after Palmer founded the city, the population of Colorado Springs ballooned to 35,000 people.  The allure of a civic center at the foot of the Rocky Mountains brought people in droves.  From the beginning it was clear that the Springs would be a city defined by rapid growth.

Fast forward to today and this growth is obvious in every direction.  With a land area of 186 square miles and a population over 350,000, the city has surpassed anything General Palmer could have imagined.  Modern day Colorado Springs is typified by a fiercely independent population and a large military presence.  It is also typified by the problems that accompany any rapidly growing city.  For its size (under 500,000 people) Colorado Springs has the worst traffic in the country.  Open space is lost every day to new developments creeping ever eastward.  Citizens of the Springs area identify growth and traffic as the two biggest problems facing the city and yet advocates against them struggle to have their voices heard.  While there are many groups in the Springs trying to address these issues, it is an uphill battle.  From a lack of funding, to a lack of support by the community, environmentalists and citizens concerned with a sustainable city meet barriers at every turn.

We hope that this paper is at least a baby step toward furthering the cause of sustainability in Colorado Springs.  We have an innovative vision for the future of the Springs.  It is rooted in the philosophy of second order change; changes from within the system made by individuals and communities, which change the system itself.  Rather than address the symptoms associated with unsustainable growth, we seek to work from the roots up addressing issues from within the most basic city units: individuals, community organizations and the city government.  At its core, our vision relies on the power of people to affect change were their local government does not.  Diverse and effective organizations already a part of the Springs community need a common goal and organizing body.  They need a pool of resources from which to draw information on funding sources.  The movement needs to garner more and more credibility as each year goes on by supporting the cause with sound science and economics.  This is an exciting time in a city that challenges the cause of sustainability as much as any city in the country.  Here is our vision: 

We are proposing the formation of a non-profit organization, the Springs Area Resource Center.  The mission of the SARC will be threefold.  First and foremost, the Resource Center will use sound principles of science and economics in making decisions and taking positions on local issues in order to establish itself as a credible and forward thinking organization.  We hope to turn a reactionary environmental movement into a preemptive movement that stays ahead of problems.  Second, the SARC will work closely with existing groups in the Springs as an information, consulting, and funding resource.  Rather than constant competition between groups for funding, if there is a central hub for information and resources, perhaps the entire community can find more and diverse funds.  Finally, the SARC will strive to catalyze the sustainability community to work side-by-side and to be a consistent presence in local government.  One problem sighted by community activists is the challenge of keeping people motivated; keeping the movement pushing ahead. 

 

 

 

 

Summary of Needs and SARC Objectives   

Need

Objective

Description

Establish a credible presence in local government

Scientific and economic based decision making process

In order to affect change in a system, you must speak the language of that system.  In this case, we believe that sound decisions made with a basis of scientific and economic data are the most persuasive.

Work with existing groups

Draw upon the leadership and creativity of already established organizations in the Springs

We do not want to step on anyone’s toes.  We hope that by working with established groups we can draw on their experience and leadership.

Provide information/consulting resources

Provide local groups with a physical as well as on-line base of informational and consulting resources.

Maintain a web site serving to keep all members up-to date on local issues, government meeting times etc.

 

Funding

To be a resource for groups seeking funding—grant writing, information, and business consulting

There is a limited amount of money for which many groups compete.  Having an organized and professional resource center for funding help and information is one of our goals.

Unity

Bring individuals and organizations together to pool resources and strengthen the local movement

Many local groups feel like the sustainability movement in the Springs is splintered and scattered.  By bringing organizations together, resources can be used more efficiently.

People can make change happen

Appeal the more of the C. Springs population

Our community is one which distrusts government and top-down regulation.  We should play on that and stress that our organization is about people making changes.

**Second order change not reactionary environmentalism

Affect changes from within the system that change the system itself

The sustainability movement in the Springs needs foresight.

 

Table 1:  Summary of needs and SARC objectives

 

 

 

Models

 

The Nature Conservancy: Conservation By Design

         The Nature Conservancy is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving functional eco-regions in the United States and abroad (www.nature.org, 11/16/01).  Their conservation strategy is an excellent decision making model because it stresses functional systems, sound science, and monitoring outcomes.  The SARC, while not

Figure 2: The Nature Conservancy Conservation Approach (http://nature.org/aboutus/howwework/about/art2683.html,11/15/01)

 

a conservation organization, will stress a similar decision making process when it comes to local issues. 

 

Ecological Consultants For The Public Interest

            ECPI is “…a national, non-profit, foundation-supported consulting firm formed to provide citizens with professional services to help them understand, address and remediate environmental problems.” (www.cqs.com/ecpi.htm, 11/16/01).   The idea behind ECPI is to provide citizens and organizations alike with a resource for finding environmental consulting help.  ECPI serves to “…reduce complex ideas, facts, charts, and other data to readable, digestable, understandable form.” (www.cqs.com/ecpi.htm, 11/16/01).  We feel that in order to establish a credible presence here in the Springs, the SARC needs to rely on sound scientific and economic consulting similar to what ECPI provides.

 

City of Austin Smart Growth

.           The City of Austin working though the planning commission and working with citizen advisory groups looked at the barriers to “smarter growth” and what needed to be done to remove the barriers in the Austin region. Listed below are four areas of concern which the city of Austin identified as the main impediments and places for improvement in their growth planning.

(Source: www.ci.austin.tx.us\smartgrowth, 11/14)

The city of Austin has 30-40 planners working solely on the issues of smart growth, open space, and habitat protection.  This program is almost fully funded by the city council with some federal funds as well.  What happened in Austin was the planning Commission talking with a citizen advisory group and attacking the barriers to smart growth.  It is this type of cooperation that is needed to stop sprawl and we can look to Austin as a great example.

 

Colorado Springs Area Groups

            Within Colorado Springs there are many examples from which we can learn.  The Catamount Institute’s Colorado Sustainable Business Network for instance, is in the process of bringing together businesses throughout the state concerned with “…promoting sustainable initiatives from business, communities, academic, and non-profit members.” (Catamount Institute Brochure). 

Perhaps more important than successful programs, we can also learn much from unsuccessful programs.  Started more than 30 years ago, the Springs Area Beautiful Association was the oldest environmental group in the Springs (Interview, Steve Harris, 11/12).  SPABA was invited by the city to have a representative on the open space planning commission and had a paying membership of about 200 people.  SPABA monitored and reported to members various meeting including City Council, Planning Commission, and Open Space Planning Commission. Unfortunately, SPABA disbanded in 1999.  The biggest problem was the lack of new blood. Steve Harris was the first new member in 20 years.  In the end the small dedicated group of SPABA members became over involved and their limited human resources stretched to an stressful level.  Thus, forcing the group to disband.

 

           

 

 

Barriers and Obstacles

Reactionary Environmentalism

A problem consistently identified by local environmental groups is a lack of preemptive action to curb problems in the Springs.  Activists in the springs are “…always playing catch-up either stopping a disaster or running after a decision about to be made.” (Annie Oatman-Garner, E-Mail Correspondence, 11/13). Fighting decisions that have already been made is like constantly swimming upstream.  For example, the City of Colorado Springs recently published their new Comprehensive Plan.  This new plan for the Springs required a great deal of work and resources.  The city is not simply going to give up all of this effort and change the plan after the fact because an environmental group asks them to.  Rather, groups should be working with the city putting together the plan in the first place.  Groups in the Springs tend to arise as a result of some problem rather than in anticipation of the problem.  Effective movements advocating change need to be a part of the decision making process and not chase the decisions after they are made.

 

Conservative Community

            Many people move to Colorado Springs for its conservative and religious presence.  The overriding political tendency in the Springs is an anti-government, anti-tax libertarian view point.  As a result, two problems arise.  First, the city has a small tax base to use in funding new programs.  Sustainable communities are not always cheap communities.  Secondly, people in the Springs distrust “regulation”.  Putting a government set limit on growth is the equivalent of taking away a god-given freedom.  Both of these facts leave the sustainability movement in a corner.  No money and no support for local government essentially strips small, non-profit organizations of two of their only paths for change.

 

Funding

            Simply put, a small non-profit can do nothing without diverse and adequate funding.  Add to that the presence of other groups competing for the same small funding pool and the problem becomes obvious.  In the Springs “…there is the perception (perhaps correct) that there is a limited amount of funds and that each group should get their piece rather than lobbying together to get more funds.” (Howard Drossman, E-Mail correspondence, 11/13).  If another group is added to the mix that may mean less money for existing groups: a dilution affect in other words.  Non-profits can get funding from a variety of sources.  National, state, and local funding sources are all taken advantage of by local groups.  Perhaps the most important source of funds however, are fee-based services.  Upwards of 51% of funding for most non-profits comes from such services (Howard Drossman, E-Mail correspondence, 11/13).  There is a serious need for money in this town if we want to make changes and any new organization needs to address this issue rather than exaggerate it.

 

Unity

            The modern environmental movement is incredibly diverse in the issues it addresses.  From social justice and affordable housing to saving wetlands and curbing development, the movement is necessarily multi-dimensional and interdisciplinary in nature.  Colorado Springs is no exception.  Many battles are fought on many different fronts.  Perhaps the most important short-coming of environmental groups in the Springs is their lack of organization, common goals, unity.  This is not to discount the  ongoing efforts and those that have been made in the past toward this goal.  For instance, the Catamount Institute’s Community Sustainable Business Network is attempting to bring together community businesses in an attempt to “…catalyze groups to work together to increase (overall) efficiency.” (Howard Drossman, E-mail correspondence, 11/13).  Another similar effort was made to create the Environmental Alliance of the Pikes Peak Region but “the group has struggled to stay active.” (Tyler Stevens, E-Mail correspondence, 11/14).  The various groups involved in this initiative however “were not issue oriented enough” and all had “their own missions and (too few) resources and time…to work on other issues.” (Annie Oatman-Gardner, E-mail correspondence, 11/13).  The environmental community here needs to find some kind of common ground by which resources can be used more efficiently.

 

Credibility

            Perhaps the most significant barrier to environmentalism locally and on a larger scale as well, is a lack of credibility.  Too often, activists pushing for sustainability are branded as tree-hugger or some other derogatory label.  While these criticisms may be uncalled for, environmentalists do tend to fight with their hearts and emotions.  An appeal for the intrinsic value of open space simply does not resonate in a community like Colorado Springs.  The alternative form of ammunition which does resonate is sound and plentiful data.  The language of our market-based system is economics.  Environmental advocates therefore need to speak this language.  In order to persuade decision makers, we also need to back up our claims with credible science carried out by non-biased third-party evaluators.   

 

Springs Area Resource Center

 

 

 

 


Constituencies

            The SARC will be made up many units of the Colorado Springs community.  We will attract individual, due-paying members through direct mailings and more importantly through presentations given across the city to church groups, Rotary groups, Elks groups and so on.  We will also concentrate on the many neighborhood associations throughout the city.  We hope that appealing to such a diverse number of groups will give us access to many voters throughout the city.  The SARC will also look to local and national businesses to join our organization as supporting donors/members.  At the heart of the organization however, are local groups and neighborhood organizations.  The SARC is designed to best serve these constituents as an information and consulting resource.  Their input and use of SARC resource is what will keep the organization motivated and moving forward.

Mission Statement

            One of the goals of our organization is to appeal to as many members of the Springs community as possible.  In an effort not to “scare” people away, the SARC mission statement is fairly vague concerning the environmental and sustainability movement it is designed to support.  We feel that our anti-government, anti-tax, libertarian community will better receive us and our mission if it is not blatantly environmental.  In other words, while our mission is to be a motivating force and information resource for sustainability in the Springs, we will be better served not to portray that image in the greater community.  Therefore, our published mission is to be:

A local, citizen’s organization dedicated to information, consultation, and unification of the sustainability movement in the Colorado Springs area.

 

Breaking Down Barriers

Barriers

How to Overcome

Reactionary Environmentalism

Use professional scientific and economic consultants to get ahead of problems.  Also, tightly organize groups and resources to be more efficient at working on issues and working with the local government.

Conservative Community

Stress that SARC is a “people’s” organization.  Do not turn off the general community by advertising as an environmental or “smart growth” organization.  Work within neighborhood and church groups to garner conservative constituents as well as liberals.

Funding

Director of the SARC will also be a professional grant-writer who will raise funds not only for SARC but also help community groups find funding.  SARC feels that a more unified EV community will be better equipped to go after “a bigger piece of the pie”.

Unity

Unify groups through shared resources and on-line organization.  Our web site will have a member only section with information of city council meeting times, subjects etc. and what groups should be where and when.

Credibility

Provide local groups with professional consultants in the sciences, economics, law, etc. We hope that through this program groups can begin to “speak the language” of local politics rather than make emotional appeals.

Table 2: Overcoming Barriers and Obstacles.

Managing the SARC

         The SARC will be overseen by an elected board of directors.  We hope to make this board as diverse as possible and to include experienced members of the Springs community.  Credibility does not only come from sound data but also from the kind of experience and wisdom that comes only from people who have worked in this community for some time.  Under the board of directors will be the SARC Director.  The Director’s main function is overseeing day-to day operations and running fund-raising efforts.  The Director should be an experienced grant-writer who can not only find money for the SARC but also be able to help other groups in the area with their funding needs.  Under the director are the three most functional positions of the SARC.  There will be three “Coordinators”; one each for the web-site and information library, economics and science.  These coordinators will work closely with local groups as consultants as well as helping local groups find other, 3rd party consultants.


 


Figure 2: Flow chart of SARC management

 

Timeline

Proposed Date

Action

Description

July, 2002

Meeting with community sponsors

Bring together experienced members of the Springs community (church leaders, neighborhood organizations, EV groups etc.) to see how the SARC can best serve them.

August, 2002

Produce/distribute educational presentation

Produce a short (20 min) presentation about sustainability in the Springs and what the SARC is doing and distribute to community groups (churches, neighborhood org.’s, Elk’s Clubs etc.)

August, 2002

Elect Board

Elect board from within existing groups in the springs and begin the search for funding and a director.

August, 2002-January 2003

Fund-Raising/ Hire Director/Find office space

Carry out direct mailings and look for national funding sources.  As money begins to come in, hire a director to take over fund-raising.  Look for donated office space for temporary SARC location.

January, 2003

Newsletter

Send a newsletter out to members and constituents through the mail to update SARC progress.

March, 2003

Hire website/information coordinator

Begin to compile a data library and set up the internet site

March 2003-December 2003

Fundraising (ongoing)

Direct mailings as well as solicitation from national sources for money.

May, 2003

Begin search/Hire science and economics coordinators

Find professional scientific and economic consultants with environmental experience.

July 2003, 1 Year

Convene board to plan future/look for permanent office space

Along with full staff, convene board to plan the future of SARC and begin to make the Springs a more sustainable place!  Also look for permanent office space (perhaps as part of the Green Building Project?

Table 3:  1-year timeline of SARC operations

Application for the ICF Fund

 

             The SARC is applying to the Independent Community Fund for money to get operations started.  We see this initial $10,000 as “seed money” from which to grow our organization.  This initial bit of funding will go towards organizing the initial meeting of community sponsors (see timeline, table 3) and producing and distributing the short educational presentation.  Also, we would like to begin mailing and fundraising with this money as well.  While $10,000 may not seem like much of a start for an organization such as we are proposing, we feel it is a necessary beginning and a much needed boost to get things going.  The SARC will benefit the community here greatly once it is fully up and running but we must start somewhere.  Great things always start out small and we are no exception.  Consider this funding as a giant organizational step forward for sustainability in the Springs!    

 

 

How Will the SARC Make Colorado Springs More Sustainable

 

            Many activists swarm to liberal centers of the US such as Berkely and Boulder.  They find acceptance and a community of like-minded individuals in these places.  However, these places are in good hands.  These communities have already embraced sustainability and are incredibly progressive politically.  Therefore, being an activist and moving to these communities is like preaching to the converted.  The true frontiers of environmental activism are places like Colorado Springs.  People here see no clear environmental threat to their beautiful natural surroundings. Rather, they are threatened by just the things that could protect their environment: regulations and local government.  In this context then, there is a dire need for people’s organizations.  Change in this community will only come as a result of individuals pushing the local government and convincing voters that sustainability is necessary for the long-term survival of Colorado Springs. 

            The Springs Area Resource Center will be an integral part of this “push”.  At the heart of any movement there must be motivation.  Above all or our other duties, we hope that the SARC can be a motivating factor in the Springs; Motivating and giving credibility to existing EV groups.  Motivating neighborhood organizations, church groups, and individuals.  And most importantly generating a feeling in this conservative public that the sustainability movement is for them.  It is not an attempt to take away their private-property rights or to tell them what to do with their property.  We want to convince them with credible data and a consistent community presence that sustainability is a goal toward which we should all work to ensure the long-term viability of this beautiful place. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

E-Mail Correspondence

 

Howard Drossman, The Catamount Institute, (hdrossman@coloradocollege.edu), November 13, 2001.

 

Annie Oatman-Garnder, Voter’s Network, (votersner@aol.com), November 13, 2001.

 

Tyler Stevens, Clean Air Campaign of the Pikes Peak Region, (tstevens@clnair.org), November 14, 2001.

 

Steve Vigil, GIS Analyst, City of Colorado Springs, (SNVigil@ci.colospgs.co.us), November 19, 2001.

 

Interviews

 

Annie Oatman-Gardner, Voter’s Network, November 10, 2001.

 

Steve Harris, Visiting Professor, Colorado College, November 12, 2001.

 

World Wide Web Sites

 

City of Austin Smart Growth, www.ci.austin.tx.us\smartgrowth, November 14, 2001.

 

Ecological Consultants for the Public Interest, Boulder, Colorado, www.cqs.com/ecpi.htm, November 16, 2001.

 

The Nature Conservancy (www.nature.org), November 16, 2001.

 

The Nature Conservancy Conservation Strategy,

http://nature.org/aboutus/howwework/about/art2683.html,11/15/01), November 16, 2001.

 

Articles

 

“Colorado Springs has worst traffic among small cities”, The Associated Press State & Local Wire, May 8, 2001, Tuesday, BC cycle. State and Regional, DATELINE: COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.