Outdoor Allies: Nathan Fey — Outdoor Alliance

Ever wondered how you can do more for public lands but you aren’t sure where to start? Outdoor Alliance’s Outdoor Allies series explores how other outdoor adventurers got their start in advocacy work and their advice for how you can harness your passion for the outdoors into advocacy for the land and water you love. Nathan Fey is the new Director of the Colorado Governor’s Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry. He has recently joined the Governor’s Office after being a guide and educator, and working in the non-profit sector on public lands management and water policy in the west.

You’re a sixth-generation Coloradan. What are some of your favorite places to get outside in the state?

The Dolores is one of my favorite rivers. The Bradfield Bridge section has old growth Ponderosa forests, some of the oldest trees in Colorado, and illustrates this rare transition from 14,000-foot peaks into red rock canyons of the interior west. The area traverses all those ecozones with the Dolores is right in the middle. It’s also really hard to get into and see. You can really only access it when the Dolores is running and that doesn’t happen very often.

Flat Tops Wilderness is also one of my favorite places. The headwaters of Grizzly Creek and Deep Creek are really gorgeous with hands-down the best wildflowers of any place in Colorado, or really any place I’ve seen.

But the Yampa River watershed and the San Luis Valley are places that I frequent often, and they continue to inspire and overwhelm me each time.

What led you to your role as Director of Colorado’s Office of Outdoor Recreation?

I’ve served on the advisory board to the Office of Outdoor Recreation since the office was formed in 2015, and had done some consulting work for the office over the past few years as well. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity as part of the advisory council to interview applications for a Deputy Director position. After an extensive search the committee agreed that we weren’t seeing the specific skill set that we wanted, and my colleagues turned to me and asked that I apply. That was, and still is, an honor. I started as the Deputy Director with the expectation that Luis Benitez, the former Director, and I would work together for a few months, but his new job in the private sector called him up sooner than we expected. Within a few weeks, I had transitioned into the role of Acting Director and then the official seat as Director by late May. So it was somewhat organic!

What are some of the big challenges facing outdoor recreation in Colorado that you hope your office can address?

The biggest challenge that we are facing in Colorado is addressing how both residents and visitors use public lands and waters. Colorado has a growing population and more pressure on outdoor landscapes close to urban corridors and in the side-country where a lot of impact is being felt. I hate the phrase “loving a place to death,” because I don’t think it’s an accurate characterization of the issue. As the outdoors become more accessible, it’s important to cultivate a sense of ownership and stewardship and an obligation to take care of these places. In a moment when public lands are underfunded, we rely more than ever on users to be good stewards.

My office is under the office of economic development, so I work with businesses and communities that are very committed to this stewardship and conservation work. Brands and destinations are becoming more vocal and their investment in public lands and waters as a part of their culture, not just a slogan. This is reflected by their consumers and enthusiasts and is helping to grow a stewardship ethic in Colorado and beyond.

You’ve been involved in advocacy work for years. What advice do you have for someone who is just starting out and wants to protect a place they care about?

I think embedded in the question of how to get involved is an assumption that there’s a problem or concern you want to solve. If you see something wrong in a place you love, start by spending time understanding the origin of the problem. Figure out who is responsible and connected with solving the problem – is there a citizens group, a land management agency, or someone else? And then build relationships with these groups, understanding their constraints and the opportunities you have to plug in a be a partner in solving problems.

In my own life, I started my career path as a river guide, where I soon transitioned from teaching clients about skill development to talking about why my clients were seeing changes in water quality, or fishery health, or a huge hard rock mine draining into the river. While I was guiding, I was hired to oversee a watershed group out of Telluride where I worked on implementing restoration projects that were documented in a watershed plan, including mine remediation. I knew the river well because of my years guiding on it, and this allowed me to speak authentically with the agencies who had the resources to fix the problems. Together, we did good things to improve public safety and access and start to make some real impact on the resources. In 2005, I ended up leading another watershed planning effort for the Uncompahgre valley. I’m only now seeing the legacy of some of that work – 15 years later there is a network of trails, a whitewater park in Montrose, and a larger community engagement effort among many things we contemplated over a decade ago. Advocacy work demands a lot of time and patience. Having worked in the water world for so many years, I always say nothing moves slower than water.

You’ve recently welcomed a seventh-generation Coloradan. How has becoming a parent changed how you approach your work?

I started this new job fully aware that I’m about to become a parent so I’ve already approached these projects not just through the lens of serving the greater good of Colorado but also thinking about my daughter and what the future of Colorado will look like for her. Will Colorado appeal to her?

I remember being a kid with my parents going up to see Hanging Lake in Glenwood Springs, where there were two other cars in in the parking lot and you didn’t see anyone on the trail. Now you have to make a reservation months in advance, take a shuttle, and hike with 200 people on any given day. Increased participation in outdoor recreation is happening , and will continue to increase. It’s going to be a completely different environment for my daughter when we are out on the river or trail, but I want to maintain those opportunities for her and all of our residents as best I can, and ensure that the Colorado remains a good place to raise future leaders that are active, healthy, and aware.

Lightning round:

Best close-to-home destination to get outside: Camp Dick is fantastic trailhead just south of Rocky Mountain National Park, which connects into the southern Wilderness area that joins the park. And it’s just a 30-minute drive from my house.

Current favorite piece of gear: My truck

An advocacy hero of yours: David Brower