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The Regional Vision includes values, desired future conditions, and action plans
The Metro Denver Nature Alliance (Metro DNA), a coalition whose mission is to align nature-based efforts to ensure more equitable access to nature and to promote healthy people, communities, and natural places, has released its Regional Vision for People and Nature.
The Regional Vision describes the current context and conditions, regional values and themes, and the desired future conditions for the region. The visioning process informed key recommendations and strategies in the coalition’s action plan.
The four main challenges facing the Denver metro region were identified through detailed focus groups conducted by Metro DNA. They include access, displacement, and inequity; climate change and urban sprawl; fragmentation; and funding.
“The challenges the region is facing are ones that have impacted us individually, one way or another. As a program provider, I’ve seen firsthand how scheduling time in the outdoors has become more difficult because the outdoors is getting hotter and drier,” said Kim Lopez, Volunteer Coordinator at Friends of the Front Range Wildlife Refuges and Executive Committee member of Metro DNA. “Our community wants fun, safe, and inclusive ways to recreate locally in the outdoors, and they shouldn’t have to leave the Denver Metro to find it. The Regional Vision is directly informed by the lived experiences of our neighbors and the latest data regarding our environment’s health. The Denver Metro is the perfect place to demonstrate how we can build resilient landscapes with both the community and the land’s needs equally considered.”
Read the Regional Vision for People and Nature
With support from Colorado Parks and Wildlife Regional Partnership Initiative funding, Metro DNA launched this shared roadmap to guide community priorities and investments in the outdoors. Metro DNA engaged Keystone Policy Center to lead this process, which included a three-phase approach beginning with a background research assessment of existing plans and efforts underway in the region, and a robust six-month community engagement period, including focus groups, interviews, surveys, and mapping with a diverse array of stakeholders and communities across the region.
Read the Background Research Report
Read the Community Engagement Report
These first two phases shaped the final phase, producing the Regional Vision by lifting up local voices, values, and ideas to reflect Metro Denver’s diverse needs and aspirations. The Regional Vision will serve as a framework for building and investing in a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable future for people and nature in Metro Denver.
The Regional Partnerships Initiative (RPI) is a statewide network of coalitions that advance conservation and outdoor recreation priorities rooted in community values through coordinated, regionally led planning. Supported by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Great Outdoors Colorado, RPIs play a critical role in implementing Colorado’s Outdoors Strategy by applying shared data, tools, and inclusive approaches to strengthen conservation, outdoor recreation, and climate resilience across the state.
“As the Regional Partnerships Initiative leaders for the Metro Denver region, Metro DNA helps translate community priorities into regional action,” said Erica Elvove, Strategic Projects Lead for Metro Denver Nature Alliance. “We’re deeply grateful to Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Great Outdoors Colorado for their continued support as we advance a Regional Vision for People and Nature.”
The Regional Vision builds on previous work by Metro DNA, including the Regional Conservation Assessment, the Regional Equity Assessment, and investments in Regional Demonstration Projects.
“Metro DNA’s Regional Vision for People and Nature establishes a unifying foundation that brings together a broad and diverse coalition committed to stewarding the natural resources that make the Denver area so special,” said Chris Hawkins, Cities Program Director for The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, and Executive Committee member of Metro DNA. “Every person deserves access to nature – and nature depends on all of us to thrive.”
Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, became the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack is focusing on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
Shelby Coffey III is a distinguished journalist, media executive, and thought leader whose career has helped shape the landscape of American news and public discourse. Over several decades, Coffey has held some of the most influential roles in journalism, including serving as editor of the Los Angeles Times, executive vice president of ABC News, and deputy managing editor of The Washington Post. His editorial leadership extended to key roles as president of CNN Financial News, editor of the Dallas Times Herald, and U.S. News & World Report.
Jerry Steiner has spent 40 years involved in agriculture following growing up on a Wisconsin dairy farm. He began his career with Monsanto, in multiple business leadership roles. From 2003-2013 he served as a member of the Executive team, as the company’s Executive Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs. He led the company’s global Government, Public and Industry Affairs teams across the 70 countries where Monsanto conducts business. This experience got Jerry connected to the Keystones centers work in agriculture. Key among his responsibilities were shaping the company’s public policy and building partnerships aimed at helping farmers around the world produce more food, while conserving valuable resources like water and energy. Two unique partnership that developed under his leadership were drought tolerant corn with 5 African countries, CIMMYT and the Gates foundation, and a building a sustainable business model in Brazil with the value chain leading to significant multi-company investment and soybean varieties that can protected themselves.
Jennifer Morris is the Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Conservancy, leading a team of nearly 6,000 staff working in more than 80 countries and territories tackling the dual crises of the 
Congressman Joe Neguse represents Colorado’s 2nd District in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected to his first term in November 2018, becoming the first Black Member of Congress in Colorado history. In December 2022, Rep. Neguse was elected by his colleagues to serve as Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), becoming the first Coloradan to serve in a senior elected leadership role in the House in over 85 years. He serves on the Natural Resources and Judiciary Committees, and was also appointed by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to serve as one of four Democrats on the prestigious Rules Committee. Rep. Neguse serves as Ranking Member on the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, which he previously Chaired in the 117th Congress.
Llewellyn King was born in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. He went into journalism as soon as he turned 16, stringing for Time magazine and United Press in Africa.
Steven Williams is the Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCo North America, overseeing a more than $48 billion business that spans PepsiCo’s Foods and Beverage operating units. His leadership encompasses more than 125,000 associates and over 900 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Steven joined PepsiCo in 2001 as part of PepsiCo’s acquisition of the Quaker Oats Company, which he joined in 1997, and has held leadership positions of increased responsibility since.