Photo by Ryan Bonneau

The Beginnings

SMA began in 1988 when a group of concerned citizens halted a logging project just below timberline on the slopes of majestic Sheep Mountain, south of Telluride at Lizard Head Pass. Empowered by the effectiveness of their grassroots efforts and inspired by the environmental protection work needed in our fast-growing region, these activists formed SMA.

Since that time, SMA has worked collaboratively with individuals, organizations, local landowners, and public land managers on public lands issues, ecosystem conservation, wildlife habitat protection, and community advocacy.

The Present

Sheep Mountain Alliance (SMA) is a grassroots citizen organization dedicated to the preservation of the natural environment in the Telluride region and southwest Colorado. We protect regional ecosystems, wildlife habitats, and watersheds, and offer outreach and educational opportunities.

What we did last year:

• Won a court case that promotes sensible regulations to cleanup and remediate inoperative mines

• Celebrated the designation of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument, Biden’s first National Monument designation as President and an important component of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act land protections.

• Saw the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act, which includes over 60,000 acres of proposed protected wildlands in the San Juans introduced in both the House and Senate, and passed through the House.

• Passed state-level mining reform legislation to prevent future disasters like the Gold King spill.

• Celebrated and gathered support for public lands at the local, regional and national levels, through letter-writing, cleanups and hikes.

• Hosted 10 Latinx outdoor equity events including cross country and downhill skiing, hiking, camping, and two guided trips with Mountain Trip.

Values

We believe the right to a clean and healthy environment and the right to access nature are fundamental human rights. These manifestations of violence and environmental injustice are only outgrowths of the centuries of systemic racism in our country which have stunted the progress of all of us toward a healthy and resilient future. Sheep Mountain Alliance stands with marginalized communities fighting oppression, and is dedicated to the principles of equity, inclusivity, and environmental justice.

Here are some of the concrete steps we plan to take as an organization:

• Integrate principles of justice, inclusion, equity, and intersectionality into our strategic planning and ensure that these values are borne out in our programming, hiring, board recruitment, organizational decision-making, language, and media.

• Highlight environmental voices from Black, Indigenous, and communities of color; promote social media that uplifts environmental leaders from these communities; and follow their lead where the needs of their communities are concerned. 

• Offer opportunities for community learning and taking action on environmental justice and inclusivity issues, and double down on our equitable access initiatives.

• Form connections with local Indigenous groups to express solidarity on common causes and help hold federal and local agencies accountable for incorporating their input in land planning processes.

• Host diversity, equity, and inclusion and anti-racism training for our board and staff.

• Assess our programming through anti-racist and equity lenses and change our practices where we find problems.

• Maintain a sustained effort to keep learning, become meaningful allies, and engage as accomplices in the common goals of environmental and social justice.

Looking to the Future

At Sheep Mountain Alliance, we continue to grow, learn, and expand the meanings of environmental protection and conservation in our region. We are currently working on expanding our Latinx Outreach programming, illuminating the environmental concerns relating to mining, and working to promote an intersectional approach to environmental topics in the Telluride region.