Assure the rich, vast and diverse heritage of NW Colorado is preserved for generations to come through interpretation and historic preservation programs. You will support interpretive signage, short videos and technical assistance on historic preservation projects through a 5 county region.
2017 Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation Report - a partnership of Colorado Preservation Inc. and History Colorado: NORTHWEST COLORADO - NORTHWEST COLORADO CULTURAL HERITAGE PROGRAM
•5-county effort to promote cultural heritage tourism in northwest Colorado
•A partnership of 20+ government agencies, non-profits, local businesses, and individuals
The Northwest Colorado Cultural Heritage Program (NWCCHP) is a regional organization that seeks to promote and coordinate heritage tourism efforts through collaboration among its federal, state, and local partners in Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Jackson, and Garfield counties. The 14,919-square-mile region features a variety of unique historic, cultural, recreational, and natural attractions, many of which were identified and mapped in order to both preserve the assets and also to harness the potential for heritage tourism as a regional economic development strategy. Using an overall theme of "Forces of Nature and Ways of Life," the program promotes attractions, touring routes, and other sites of interest in a range of sub-themes, all tied to the history of the region and the peoples who have called it home. The program acts as an interface between local partners and federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. NWCCHP also acts as a technical resource for its partners, providing information to assist local governments, non-profits, and others involved in heritage tourism in the region to develop and strengthen their own local programs.
Mission: Through collaboration, interpret the vast heritage of Northwest Colorado and impart the legacy and stories of the region and its communities in order to generate economic vitality.
Vision: Leading resource for Cultural Heritage in Northwest Colorado!
Core Values: Respect ● Integrity ● Inclusive
From the beginning, the NWCCHP initiative has been a grass roots effort. In the fall of 2004, a group of citizens with an exuberant passion for heritage and historic preservation, as well as a keen perspective of "community," began their journey to assess the potential of cultural heritage tourism in Northwest Colorado. The Yampa Valley Economic Development Council worked with Judy Walden, a specialist in heritage tourism from Walden Mills Inc. Ms. Walden made an on-site visit to each of the ten communities and found that "The region is rich in all asset categories for tourism-- historic, cultural, natural, recreational, archaeological and scenic." Further Ms. Walden noted in her that the region has "rich assets which provide two essentials of cultural heritage tourism - authenticity and experience."
With the 2010 expansion of the program, the region now includes Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco, Jackson and Garfield Counties. Seventeen communities continue to benefit from the leadership and technical assistance provided by the NWCOCHP program coordinator.
The past five years has yielded incredible success in several key areas of programming.
1- Interpretive signage for the region has been the fastest growing program. within 6 months, NWCOCHP will have completed the research, content development and fabrication of large scale interpretive signs for all 17 participating communities in the program.
Partnering with area heritage organizations, significant site specific signs have been developed for interpretation of a) Moffat Avenue in Yampa, b) Hahns Peak Fire Tower c) Steamboat (More) Barn, and the Arnold Barn. A 2020 goal is to complete and interpretive sign for the historic Steamboat Depot. As well, slightly out of region, the NWCOCHP will be working on the team to replace damaged interpretive signs for near Camp Hale on CO HWY 24
2- Film has been an important part of our 2019 programming. NWCOCHP spearheaded the digitization of the original Film of the Dawson Ranch - now known as the Carpenter Ranch. Copies of the digitized film have been gifted to Hayden Heritage Center, The Nature Conservancy, Historic Routt County and the Tread of Pioneers Museum.
The NWCOCHP Short Video program has lagged behind a bit this past year. With that said, the trailer for "Energy in Northwest Colorado" is ready for distribution with plans to complete the production of the 4 short video series in 2020.
3- Partnership in historic preservation has been a keen effort of NWCOCHP over the past two years. First, working closely with a citizens group from the town of Yampa, an interpretive brief to fulfilled the desire to have direction for developing an interpretive/visitor center at the newly restored Crossan's Market. Secondly Pro-Brono services for proposal development for an Historic Structure Assessment Grant that would guide the subsequent rehabilitation project for St. Paul's Episcopal Church historic chapel.
4 - Recognized as one of the leading regional organizations, NWCOCHP will be convening and leading two new initiatives in 2020
A- A new travel region;The Great West was identified by the Colorado Tourism Office. NWCOCHP has been tapped to lead the working group for the new region to identify linkages of cultural, recreational and natural resources in an expanded region that now includes communities in Grand County.
B- NWCOCHP will provide leadership for the development of a corridor management plan for the Flat Tops Trail Scenic Byway. this will provide guidance to improve way-finding and interpretation for this incredible regional assets.
Organization name
Northwest Colorado Cultural Heritage Program
other names
NWCOCHP, Northwest Colorado Cultural Heritage Tourism
2013
Tax id (EIN)
46-3279185
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
1020 Crawford Avenue PO Box 770507Headquarters
743 Oak Street PO Box 770507Mailing
PO Box 770507 0Routt County, CO, US