Q&A with Rebecca Jewett, President and CEO, Palmer Land Conservancy
K: Tell us a bit about your land trust and how it’s working for Colorado’s future.
R: Palmer Land Conservancy is committed to ensuring that the beauty, wildness and productivity of southern Colorado's lands is protected today and for future generations. We believe that conserving land is about conserving our region's health, prosperity, identity and quality of life. Palmer focuses on a variety of conservation objectives including expanding outdoor recreation, maintaining productive agriculture and protecting inspiring scenic views. We've been committed to this work since 1977 and have permanently conserved 136,000 acres of land.
K: What is one thing you wish every Coloradan understood about the work of land trusts?
R: The work of land trusts impacts nearly every Coloradan's life nearly every day. From creating and permanently stewarding public lands for recreation, to ensuring the beauty and wild nature of Colorado remains, to keeping farmers farming and ranchers ranching, conservation of Colorado's landscape impacts the health, economy, food, awe and solace we all desire and need.
K: What inspired you to join the board of Keep It Colorado?
R: I have been involved in statewide land trust work since 2015, and was one of the voices that advocated for transforming the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts into Keep It Colorado. Through its passionate and influential membership, Keep It Colorado is a powerful voice for conservation throughout Colorado. While my daily work is focused on southern Colorado, I believe land trusts and our partners can unlock a greater vision for Colorado by working together and advocating for the thing that keeps Colorado Colorado. I am proud to serve on Keep It Colorado's board.
K: What does conservation mean to you?
R: Conservation is appreciating nature, wildness and the bounty of the land, and turning that appreciation into action to care for the land today and ensure its protection tomorrow. I'm a 5th generation Coloradan and I believe all Coloradans are inherently conservationists. Anyone who has looked in awe at snow-capped peaks and verdant valleys on a spring day, or enjoyed a Palisade peach or Rocky Ford melon in the summer, or gone on a fall drive to look at yellow aspens, or appreciated the quiet stillness of falling snow is a Colorado conservationist. The work of land trusts and Keep It Colorado is to provide opportunities for Colorado conservationists to ensure what they love is protected forever.
K: What is your favorite thing to do outdoors in Colorado?
R: I've been a mountain climber since I was 12 years old and climbed Mt. Elbert, the tallest peak in Colorado. Nothing recalibrates my soul like getting above treeline and taking in the grandeur, resilience and beautiful austerity of the alpine. I have summited 45 14ers (nearly done), with nearly 100 total summit trips from my years leading alpine trail crews. I also serve on the Colorado Fourteeners Initiative board of directors.
Thanks, Rebecca, for your leadership and inspiration!
