The UP Project centers around collaboration and community involvement. The Uncompahgre Plateau ecosystem functions as a whole irrespective of administrative or land ownership boundaries. We must, therefore, also work in this broad and dynamic manner.

Unfortunately, the often- conflicting demands on public lands and natural resources can result in natural resource management becoming “conflict management”.  While the public is applying pressure on management agencies to do a better job of managing public lands, the amount of money and resources spent on natural resource management is being reduced annually. Resolving these issues is of utmost importance to settle conflict, better utilize agency personnel, reduce waste of public funds, and do a better job of communicating and working with the communities while managing the public’s natural resources. The foundation for the UP Project is to develop strong communication and collaboration among the agencies and community and to be more effective and efficient in managing landscapes on an ecosystem basis.

By using a collaborative approach, the UP Partnership hopes to balance economic, cultural, social and ecological values in the restoration of the Uncompahgre Plateau. The UP Project strives to use the best science available to develop and implement a plan for sustainable natural resource management on the Plateau. The UP Project will also use the strength of this collaboration to help obtain funding for ecosystem restoration on public and private lands.