The Salida Natural Resource Center is a project of the Salida Natural Resource Development Corporation, a not for profit 63-20 corporation created at the dirction of the Salida City Council for this specific purpose.
Six separate federal and state natural resource management agencies currently operate 12 different facilities throughout Chaffee County. A seventh agency (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) has expressed interest in developing a new satellite office in the area. Each of these seven agencies has expressed an interest in forming a partnership to consolidate existing and proposed facilities into a single, multi-agency natural resource center:
• U.S. Forest Service
• U.S. Bureau of Land Management
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• U.S. Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Colorado State Parks
• Colorado Division of Wildlife
• Colorado State Forest Service
In addition to the tenants identified above, there may be additional opportunities to include related local agencies or providers of higher education. Discussions are underway with both Colorado Mountain College and Colorado State University about creation of a new education facility at the site.
Important components of the Salida NRC are the shared agency visitor reception area, interpretive exhibits, conference rooms and training/classrooms. The public will utilize this area for common information about public lands, education and area activities. This resource center will be developed with input from the various agencies. The current estimate for the size of this shared component is 6,000 sq. ft.
This project has been in development for seven years and is nearing construction. Buchanan Yonushewski Group of Denver, CO has been selected to head the development group and site planning and financing are underway. Incite Consulting, LLC has been selected to assist with grant writing and grant management services.
The concept of a multi-agency natural resource center is widely supported by the local community. The NRC would greatly improve and consolidate visitor information services, reduce operating costs, benefit the local economy, expand each agency’s operational capacity, promote outdoor education, provide a public meeting and education facility, and foster interagency cooperation. The NRC would also provide an exemplary national model for collocating federal and state agencies.
Plans for the NRC are being developed on property known as the Vandaveer Ranch in Salida, CO. Vandaveer Ranch is located approximately 1.5 miles southeast of downtown Salida and can be accessed from U.S. Highway 50. The site forms the gateway to Salida as visitors enter the Upper Arkansas Valley from the Big Horn Sheep Canyon to the east. The project should be designed with sensitive site planning and design as a gateway to Salida and Chaffee County.
The Vandaveer Ranch is currently owned by the City of Salida. The City Council is amenable to providing the land for this project, a $500,000 value. The property is within the municipal boundary and has been zoned as part of the Vandaveer Ranch Overall Development Plan.
The principal tenants of the Salida NRC would be the U.S. Forest Service, Colorado State Parks and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. These tenants will occupy approximately 85% of the project with the remainder of the agencies occupying the balance of the space. The NRC will include office space for all tenants, workshop and storage and a shared public area to receive visitors. The site will be designed to provide a campus feel with functionality for the agencies and services for visitors to the public lands in the area. Site features will include components such as a dump station for recreational vehicles, parking for large trailers, trails, interpretive areas, fishing pond, etc.
Agency needs at this time include approximately 22,125 sq. ft. of office space and 12,600 sq. ft. of shop/storage. The visitor center component will be approximately 6,000 sq. ft.
The project will be constructed in accordance with Colorado Senate Bill 07-051 and to LEED Gold certification through the U.S. Green Building Council. The buildings and site will integrate principles of smart growth, resource and energy efficiency conservation, and sustainable building concepts.
The City Council of the City of Salida and Board of County Commissioners for Chaffee County are supportive of the NRC project as an economic development tool for southern Chaffee County. A feasibility study for the project was completed in 2006 by OTAK which found that the Natural Resource Center will employ 131 full and part-time employees with a total of 11 new jobs added through additional office space and expanded services.
The feasibility study evaluated visitor habits and spending and found that visitation levels to the area would rise 1 % – 5% following construction of the Natural Resource Center. Total visitation can be expected to rise by 16,000 to 80,000 people per year. Direct visitor spending is expected to increase by $1.7 million per year under the medium growth forecast. After accounting for indirect impacts, the total annual economic impact of the NRC is expected to range from nearly $1.0 million (low), $2.8 million (medium), and $4.6 million (high). Cumulative economic impacts over 20 years are expected to range from $19 to $92 million.
