Where It All Began
SMA was started 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.
The Early Days
After its inception in 1988, Sheep Mountain Alliance continued to work on a variety of logging and land use issues, protecting areas like Alta Lakes from widespread development and organizing in support of more environmental protections for timber on National Forest lands. SMA also worked to bring a recycling initiative to the Telluride region, advocated for wetlands protections, and lobbied against gas and oil.
In the early days, SMA began to formulate its voice in the environmental movement, gaining its status as a 501c(3) nonprofit, bolstering its membership, and obtaining grants to support its work as the longstanding environmental watchdog for the Telluride region.
Valley Floor Era
To access the Town of Telluride, one passes three miles of meadows clustered with cottonwoods, evergreens and wetlands. Former Telluride resident Ambassador Richard Holbrooke once said, “It’s a magical moment when you hit that field.”
That field is Telluride’s Valley Floor.
After years of failed negotiations between the Telluride community and the owners of the Valley Floor, in July 2000, SMA initiated a human chain around the Valley Floor showing the unwavering community support for saving the land from being developed into a luxury resort. In 2002, a voter-approved, citizen-initiated ordinance directed Telluride Town Council to pursue condemnation to acquire the Valley Floor as open space.
After a long and often arduous legal battle, finally decided by Colorado’s Supreme Court, the Valley Floor was declared forever wild in June of 2008. This land has become a wildlife sanctuary, an experiment in ecological restoration, a growing educational opportunity for the region, and a beloved part of the Telluride community.
(See the complete story of the Valley Floor here.)
SMA TODAY
Following SMA’s involvement in the preservation of the Valley Floor, we continue to support public lands on the local and national level. We’ve commented on ski area expansion proposals and supported the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act, now a part of the CORE Act which is currently making its way through the U.S. Congress. We’ve fought against the opening of a uranium mill due to its negative environmental impacts, and continue to advocate for uranium cleanup and mine closure around Colorado’s Uranium Belt.
In 2018, we began our Latinx Outdoor Initiative in order to involve more members of our community in outdoor activities, and we continue to host exciting events to foster a sense of belonging for all to enjoy the beauty of our surroundings. Since then, we’ve partnered with local community members and the Collaborative Action for Immigrants (CAFI) coalition to host a series of year-round events directed by the interests and goals of our Latinx community members.
We continue to advocate for national legislation such as the CORE Act and the Colorado Wilderness Act, and are involved in local and regional planning processes for these legislative pieces. We are stakeholders in a variety of wildlife and water conservation projects, and are always on the watch for environmental issues in need of our work and attention.
Since its inception, Sheep Mountain Alliance has undertaken a wide range of different projects, all of which center environmental protection and conservation. Locally, we advocate for an intersectional approach to conservation, wherein the most important habitats and landscape features are preserved while allowing for community-focused initiatives to thrive.
Where the fight for the environment goes, Sheep Mountain Alliance follows.
In 2022, SMA partnered with Wilkinson Public Library to create an online digital archive of some of our biggest historical moments.
The archive is public, and anyone can access additional information about pivotal moments in our history by visiting the Sheep Mountain Alliance archive.