Strategic Plan
2021-2023
ADVANCE SCIENCE
EMPOWER COMMUNITIES
INNOVATE SOLUTIONS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A great deal of internal and external critical thinking was devoted to developing this extension of the
original (2015-2020) plan. We would like to thank our board of directors, the Executive Director, Marcie
Bidwell, and the MSI staff for assisting with this monumental task. Specifically, we would like to thank
G. Sam Foster, Board President 2017-2018, Mark Stiles, and Rob Milofsky, current Board President, for
leading the Strategic Planning Committee.
We would also like to recognize Dr. Robert Blair (1943-2015) who inspired the formation of MSI and
functioned as its creative muse, and whose passing reminds us of the contribution of many leaders in
the San Juan Region who have devoted themselves to land stewardship and conservation.
CONTENTS
HISTORY AND NICHE 1
MISSION AND VISION 2
OUR GOALS 3
OUR CORE VALUES & RELATIONSHIPS 4
ADVANCE MOUNTAIN SCIENCE 5
EMPOWER COMMUNITIES 7
INNOVATE SOLUTIONS 9
CAPACITY GOALS 11
NEXT STEPS 13
APPENDIX 15
1
Mountain Studies Institute
HISTORY AND NICHE
MSI was first conceptualized in the late 1990’s as a “living classroom without walls” in the San Juan Mountains
through discussions with over 20 collaborators. Conversations brought together members from the Town of
Silverton, San Juan County, Fort Lewis College, San Juan Public Lands Center (USDA Forest Service and Bureau of
Land Management), and many others to develop the concept of a non-advocacy, mountain center of education
and research in Silverton, Colorado. As the effort grew, the group hosted the State of the San Juan’s Conference
at Purgatory Resort, proving the need for leadership and desire for mountain research in the region. MSI was
granted legal status as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in 2002. Two federal appropriations through the US
Forest Service were sponsored by Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, which helped establish the Institute.
Mountain Studies Institute (MSI) has partnered with San Juan Mountain communities to foster and enhance
understanding and sustainable use of our valued natural resources since 2002. We have grown to embody
a dynamic initiative to care for the San Juan Mountains, one of Colorado’s most special places. Through
applied research, education, and stewardship programs, we strive to go beyond scientific inquiry to the
meaningful application of knowledge and information that makes a difference in the quality of life for mountain
communities and for the environment in southwest Colorado. MSI was created to expand knowledge about
mountain systems, their connections, and their environmental challenges; to ensure that such knowledge is
readily available to decision-makers and leaders in mountain communities; and to contribute to the well-being of
Silverton, Durango, Pagosa Springs, and Telluride as well as the San Juan mountain region in general by helping
to improve the overall health of the mountain ecosystems, and specifically diversify Silverton’s economy.
Our focus on mountain systems rather than the isolated components has made us unique since the beginning.
We have always seen people as important elements within mountain systems and have actively pursued applied
research that includes human actions in disturbed, modified, and non-pristine environments, such as our lands
that have been mined, grazed or otherwise managed. The issues of our time, such as climate change and air
quality, remind us that the world is intricately connected, and all actions have cascading effects that reach across
time and space. While other organizations may focus on a particular aspect of a mountain environment such as
water quality, we have pursued the creative tension at the intersections of disciplines, such as how air quality
impacts high alpine lakes’ water quality through deposition of mercury and nutrients, as an example of a systems
approach.
In the last nineteen years, we have grown significantly, the scope of our work and expertise has expanded, and
our partners have multiplied. Simultaneously, so have the types of challenges and opportunities facing our
mountain communities.
Strategic Plan 2021-2023 2
OUR MISSION
To empower communities, managers, and
scientists to innovate solutions through advancing
mountain research, promoting education, and
improving best practices.
OUR VISION
We cultivate collaborations that enable resilient
mountain communities to articulate issues, develop
partnerships, and ignite initiatives that sustain the
social, cultural, natural, and economic resources of the
San Juan Mountains and mountain systems worldwide.
3
Mountain Studies Institute
OUR GOALS
Advance
Mountain Science
Empower
Communities
Innovate
Solutions
• Identify scientific
information needs and
knowledge gaps relevant to
the resilience of people and
mountain ecosystems.
• Recruit and include diverse
voices, perspectives, and
under-represented people
in our work, on our staff,
and in our collaboratives.
• Collaborate with community
members and stakeholders
to design and conduct
research relevant to
emerging issues.
• Strengthen and increase
our monitoring capacity
and infrastructure to
better understand shifting
systems, including rapid
and long-term changes and
immediate, chronic, and
episodic events.
• Raise awareness,
understanding, and a
culture of stewardship
through community
engagement, collaboration,
stewardship actions, and
accomplishments.
• Promote learning about
mountain systems and
scientific literacy in K-12 and
higher education.
• Develop future leaders
in our communities with
science skills, understanding
and appreciation for
natural resources, and
tools through hands-on
training and professional
development.
• Innovate solutions to
address challenges relevant
to mountain communities,
now and in the future.
• Facilitate new methods
of collaboration and
science-based initiatives to
promote and sustain social,
ecological, and economic
resilience.
• Promote innovative
solutions at multiple scales,
connecting place-based
innovations to higher levels
of decision-making and
discussion to be inclusive,
diverse, and representative.
• Translate science into
usable formats and useful
knowledge for the public
and decision makers.
Strategic Plan 2021-2023 4
OUR CORE VALUES & RELATIONSHIPS
A set of interconnected values and principles guide our work. These values are demonstrated through a variety
of research and educational approaches. MSI focuses on both the ecological concerns and community needs of
the San Juan Mountains region during a time of significant social, economic and environmental transition.
1) Is Place-Based in the San Juan Mountains
MSI is an active part of the social, physical, and ecological landscape of the San Juan Mountains region. We
are consistently informed and driven by our sense of place. We seek to learn alongside our communities
and serve as a connector to help disseminate information and knowledge to our partners and stakeholders
here in the San Juans—and beyond to other communities around the world.
2) Enhances Interactions between Natural Resources and Communities
MSI builds capacity by emphasizing the interaction among natural resources, social and economic change,
and needs for community understanding and/or adaptation.
3) Seeks Useful and Meaningful Outcomes
MSI stresses applied science and meaningful research that results in useful outcomes, pursuing
opportunities that link science, community understanding, and knowledge.
4) Leads by Example
MSI leads by example, engaging in hands-on forest, watershed and river restoration work on the ground
when it can be structured as a participatory action research, pilot testing, and/or education activities.
5) Cultivates Collaborative Partnerships
MSI works through collaborative partnerships in all phases of its research and education processes. We
seek to enhance the strengths of our partners by building productive relationships and connections.
6) Encourages Active Community Involvement
MSI is committed to empowering communities through consistent inclusion and active involvement of
community leaders in science-based initiatives, citizen science, and stewardship.
7) Sponsors Community Dialog in Public Forums
MSI fosters collaborative dialogue to enable people with the skills, information and opportunity to
participate in and inform community decision making. We use innovative applications to connect people to
address ecological and community concerns in the San Juan Mountains.
8) Seeks Resilient, Adaptive Solutions
MSI tests new solutions to vexing problems, emphasizing resilient, adaptive solutions.
There is no power greater for change than a community
discovering what it cares about. Margaret Wheatley
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Mountain Studies Institute
ADVANCE MOUNTAIN SCIENCE
ISSUE STATEMENT:
The rapid environmental and societal changes that are taking place locally
and globally pose considerable challenges to the fabric of natural and social
systems. Coping with the challenges will require new discoveries, improved
knowledge, robust and relevant information, and the ability to use these
advances appropriately. While scientific advances and discoveries are
constantly being made, there is often a significant disconnect between the
scientists generating the information and the policy makers and managers
who are trying to use that information.
Priorities for Action
• Mountain conditions are constantly changing. Research—and the policy and
programming it should inform—also needs to be ongoing and adaptive.
• We need to learn—and then apply that learning—at the same pace and with
agility, unafraid of changing course or shifting our focus.
• MSI will use a process to prioritize which research questions and initiatives we are
addressing to ensure we are asking the right questions.
• Collaboration across communities, expertise, and perspectives is key to breaking
down barriers and realizing relevancy. We will intentionally include diverse voices,
perspectives, and experiences in the process of identifying, conducting, and
applying mountain science.
• To overcome the disconnect between the scientists
generating the information and the decision
makers who need to use this information, we
seek new pathways for mountain research
to inform decision-making on policies,
regulatory frameworks, and programming.
Strategic Plan 2021-2023 8
IF WE:
Identify scientific information needs and knowledge gaps relevant to the
resilience of people and mountain ecosystems;
Recruit and include diverse voices, perspectives, and under-represented people
in our work, on our staff, and in our collaboratives;
Collaborate with community members and stakeholders to design and conduct
research relevant to emerging issues;
Strengthen and increase our monitoring capacity and infrastructure to better
understand shifting systems, including rapid and long-term changes and
immediate, chronic, and episodic events; and
Translate science into usable formats and useful knowledge for the public and
decision makers,
THEN:
Information gaps are filled and new knowledge improves strategies and actions
that supports mountain ecosystem resilience;
Decision makers are better informed with improved knowledge and have
relevant data to plan, manage, and set policies for protecting ecosystems; and
Communities and stakeholders will value the importance of mountain
ecosystems to the survival of nature and people,
AND THEREFORE:
The San Juan Mountain ecosystems will become resilient,
and the continued and healthy existence of this vital resource will be
assured for future generations.
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Mountain Studies Institute
EMPOWER COMMUNITIES
ISSUE STATEMENT:
Everyday, the world is becoming more complex and interconnected. We are ever more
dependent on the earth’s limited resources, a fragile climate, and fellow humankind.
As a society, we are more global, technological, and mobile with each generation.
Recent events in 2020 have highlighted the need to address environmental injustice
and inequity in our society and community. Success in the 21st Century—our human
and natural welfare—will depend on our awareness, understanding, collaboration,
and capacity for action. We have a moral imperative to create a sustainable,
equitable, and resilient community and environment that benefits all people.
Achieving environmental integrity, social equity, environmental justice, and economic
prosperity is not a lofty ideal, but a necessity for our planet and people to survive.
Priorities for Action
• Access to resources, information, education, participation, and influence is not equal. As
MSI’s mission is to empower all within our communities, we work to raise awareness and
end systemic racism and environmental injustice that affects Black, Indigenous, and People
of Color. We renew our dedication to elevate all voices, identify and address barriers to
participation, and promote equity and inclusion in our initiatives.
• Knowledge alone does not lead to action. MSI embraces a holistic approach for transformative
action through increasing awareness, connecting people with our unique mountain resources,
building knowledge and skills, and increasing capacity to participate and act.
• Complex problems require collaboration
and connected action. Beyond science, MSI’s
programs need to increase literacy in systems
thinking, problem solving, and 21st century
skills.
• Critical scientific information is being
lost in politicized debate, distrust or
misunderstanding of science and the scientific
process. MSI is uniquely poised to work
toward rebuilding trust and understanding of
the role of science and collaboration through
our community-based initiatives.
Strategic Plan 2021-2023 10
IF WE:
Raise awareness, understanding, and a culture of stewardship through
community engagement, collaboration, stewardship actions, and
accomplishments;
Promote learning about mountain systems and scientific literacy in K-12 and
higher education; and
Develop future leaders in all our communities with science skills, understanding
and appreciation for natural resources, and tools through hands-on training and
professional development,
THEN:
People build connections, are better informed, and are equipped to support
scientific endeavors through investing, funding, collaborating, and stewardship
activity;
More youth envision a path as future leaders in science, have opportunities to
explore and practice leadership; and
More people trust science, make informed decisions, and take action to protect
and/or restore our environment,
AND THEREFORE:
A science-literate public will appreciate the value of our unique mountain
systems, understand scientific principles and emerging issues, engage in
stewardship and civic action, apply the knowledge gained to conserve and
protect our natural resources, and inspire the behavior and beliefs of those
around them.
11
Mountain Studies Institute
INNOVATE SOLUTIONS
ISSUE STATEMENT:
The challenges of our time—environmental degradation, climate change, drought, social
disruption—call us to find new solutions, methods of collaboration, and creativity to
improve lives and the environment. To effect change requires asking questions, challenging
the norms and practices of people and institutions, and thinking differently about our work,
about the way we do our work, and about who is doing the work. It also requires creating a
culture and support network that believes change will result in a better outcome.
Priorities for Action
• Invest in our capacity to facilitate the full cycle of understanding, thereby evolving and solving
complex problems—investigate, define, prototype, test, adapt, and apply—to increase the pace
and scale of developing and adopting solutions that meet community needs.
• Strengthen our ability to facilitate and lead initiatives in design thinking that generates solutions
that are local and generated in partnership with end-users and intended benefactors.
• Enhance support for networks and collaborations which will yield benefits from continuous
learning and emergent organizational practices to accelerate and institutionalize rapid learning.
• Support the design process and new ideas at the peer and institutional levels. MSI models of
collaboration will build networks, support leaders, and reduce risk in innovation.
• Stress the urgency of local context in our
work. There is often a lack of urgency among
governmental and donor decision-makers to
understand local problems and conditions. Instead,
decisions are based on generalized viewpoints
instead of contextualized, local data that carries
significant downstream effects on broader
ecosystems.
• Guide innovation to be local, relevant, and beneficial
for the users of the solutions.
Strategic Plan 2021-2023 12
IF WE:
Innovate solutions to address challenges relevant to mountain communities,
now and in the future;
Facilitate new methods of collaboration and science-based initiatives to
promote and sustain social, ecological, and economic resilience; and
Promote innovative solutions at multiple scales, connecting place-based
innovations to higher levels of decision-making and discussion to be
inclusive, diverse, and representative,
THEN:
A network of practitioners with the knowledge, skills, experience, and
confidence to advance the state of practice and policies is active;
Market and donor demand for applied mountain science is increased and
sustained; and
More people and institutions contribute to, support, and activate science,
AND THEREFORE:
The resilience of the mountain ecosystem is strengthened through restorative
and regenerative solutions that are derived from and supported by a
myriad of community voices and institutions. This includes a local economic
ecosystem that supports mountain science and its applications.
13
Mountain Studies Institute Institute
CAPACITY GOALS
Our strategic goals require significant resources and capacity to accomplish. As part of the strategic
planning process, we reviewed our internal capacity and resources. In response, we established a set of
capacity goals to ensure that we have the people, resources, and policies necessary to attain our vision.
1) SUPPORT OUR PEOPLE, ENHANCE OUR CULTURE
Our talented staff and board are the strongest assets of the organization. Our goal is to
maintain a high level of capacity by providing the necessary development and support for
staff and board, as well as ensure our organizational culture fosters teamwork, collaboration,
and positive outlook and growth. Staff professional development will receive greater
attention. We will ensure our work environment is conducive to productive and satisfying
work and reflects the technology needs of the day.
3) DEVELOP A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS AND ADAPTIVE LEARNING
It is imperative that MSI staff are at the forefront of scientific advancements in mountain
science and are versed, trained, and competent in leading-edge technologies. We must remain
aware of how we impact, or are impacted by, our partners, the political and economic climate,
and current issues that can influence our collective success. The rapidly changing world of
information technology also presents challenges and opportunities. We will ensure resources
are made available and effectively used and that MSI thoughtfully evaluates its work to
understand our effectiveness, adapt as needed, and constantly improve our approaches.
5) EMBRACE STORYTELLING TO SHARE “SCIENCE PEOPLE CAN USE”
MSI strives to fill information needs and knowledge gaps that enhances knowledge and
informs better decisions to sustain our communities and mountain systems. Yet, our
audience—as varied as it gets—has different interests and information needs, as well
as preferred modes of engagement. We will develop and implement a communication
strategy that leverages our work into engaging and relatable stories (Science People Can
Use), enhances our social media presence, and connects to the values and interests of our
communities, policy and decision-makers, and funders.
Strategic Strategic Plan Plan 2021-2023 14
2) BE A HIGH-LEVEL NONPROFIT INSTITUTION AND TRUSTED PARTNER
We seek to serve a wide geography of the San Juan Mountains region which spans many
thousands of square miles, is separated by mountain passes, and includes diverse cultures
and values. We receive funding from a variety of sources, and develop and participate in
numerous collaborative partnerships. Our donors, partners, board, and staff deserve nothing
less than absolute transparency, accountability, and fiduciary responsibility, and our growth
depends on it. Therefore, MSI will deliver those attributes.
4) BUILD FINANCIAL RESOURCES THAT UNDERGIRD SHORT AND
LONG-TERM STABILITY
We need to ensure that our people and programs have the resources they need to succeed.
To achieve long-term stability, we require a diverse funding portfolio, productive relations
with funders, and strong partnerships. We will strengthen our rainy-day reserve fund and
carve out base-operational funds to support targeted innovative research activities. This
will enhance staff opportunities to contribute directly to the body of mountain science
research and/or its application. We will embark on a comprehensive fundraising strategy that
advances MSI into new markets and revamps its donor giving platform.
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Mountain Studies Institute
NEXT STEPS
MSI’s Strategic Plan 2021-2023 sets forth the organization’s vision, three strategic goals, and
internal organizational capacity goals. Each strategic goal is supported by a defining issue
statement, priorities for action, a theory of change, and concrete objectives and initiatives
designed to meet the goal. A set of capacity goals completes the Strategic Plan, communicating
the strengths MSI will build on and the gaps it will address to realize the plan. MSI’s Strategic
Plan is co-created by MSI’s Board of Directors and all staff every three years. It is approved by the
Board of Directors and enacted by MSI’s senior
leadership through annual workplans, with highlevel
results reported quarterly to the Board.
Staff’s individual contributions to goal attainment
will be inscribed in annual workplans and
measured in annual performance reviews.
Our goal is to attain our vision by working
collectively toward our strategic and capacity
goals to ensure MSI contributes effectively
to advancing mountain science that provides
solutions for strengthening the resilience of the
San Juan Mountains, as well as demonstrates
best practices and models that can be replicated
further afield. MSI’s work is indeed place-based
and local—but it carries global impact on the
world’s resources.
Strategic Plan 2021-2023 16
Strategic Plan, Work Planning, and Evaluation Process
MSI Executive Team
measures progress and
reports to staff and the
Board; adapts and adjusts
plan goals and objectives
as needed
Board and staff
co-develop Strategic Plan
in participatory process
Quarterly &
Annual
Reporting
3-Year
Strategic Plan
Adopted
MSI supervisors work
with direct reports on
staff workplans aligned
to annual organizational
workplan; hold regular
check-ins on progress
and issues
Annual Staff
Workplans
Implemented
Annual
Organizational
Workplan
Enacted
MSI Leadership Team
develops annual plan
aligned to Strategic
Plan with clear roles,
responsibilities, and
accountability
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Mountain Studies Institute
APPENDIX
GOAL 1: ADVANCE MOUNTAIN SCIENCE
Objectives
Objective 1: Identify scientific
information needs and
knowledge gaps relevant to
the resilience of people and
mountain ecosystems
Objective 2: Recruit and include
diverse voices, perspectives, and
under-represented people in our
work, on our staff, and in our
collaboratives
Objective 3: Collaborate with
community members and
stakeholders to design and
conduct research relevant to
emerging issues
Objective 4: Strengthen and
increase our monitoring capacity
and infrastructure to better
understand shifting systems,
including rapid and long-term
changes and immediate, chronic,
and episodic events
Initiatives
• Establish a system to prioritize research initiatives and
investments; ensure the entire mountain system, from high
alpine elevation to downstream gradients, is addressed.
• Grow MSI’s ability to lead research and monitoring efforts, as
well as data management, through strengthening expertise, both
internally and externally, to support research initiatives.
• Re-establish the San Juan Collaboratory to advance and formalize
research partnerships, especially with local and regional-based
educational institutions.
• Increase efforts to recruit and hire diverse staff, board members,
interns, and researchers.
• Analyze and improve efforts for our collaborations to be more
inclusive and representative of the communities in which we
work.
• Provide appropriate inclusiveness training to all staff and make it
available to collaborators.
• Demonstrate thought leadership such as through development
of science communications, papers, and journal articles that
represent our place and build integrated perspectives in our
ecologies and communities.
• Connect science to decision-makers and the public through
workshops, forums, media, and MSI communication initiatives.
• Develop strategy with partners to harness diverse perspectives
and enhance collaborative research design and implementation.
• Assess monitoring infrastructure needs to support emerging and
prioritized research initiatives.
• Prepare and train for planned and unplanned monitoring events
in order to respond during disturbance and rapid changes.
• Obtain funding, tools, and methods for relevant monitoring that
are cost effective, robust, and sustainable, such as automation,
citizen science, and remote sensing.
Objective 5: Translate science
into usable formats and useful
knowledge for the public and
decision makers
• Develop communication and marketing tools to better
disseminate scientific activity and findings.
• Offer science-based forums presenting best available science
and lead debate on the research questions.
Strategic Plan 2021-2023 18
GOAL 2: EMPOWER COMMUNITIES
Objectives
Objective 1: Raise awareness,
understanding, and a culture of
stewardship through community
engagement, collaboration,
stewardship actions, and
accomplishments.
Objective 2: Promote learning
about mountain systems and
scientific literacy in K-12 and
higher education.
Objective 3: Develop
future leaders in all our
communities with science skills,
understanding and appreciation
for natural resources, and tools
through hands-on training and
professional development.
Initiatives
• Develop curriculum for the public and students combining
science, collaboration, and systems thinking, and take it to scale.
• Provide opportunities to build environmental and scientific
literacy through developing digital and dispersed offerings,
including virtual and online options, citizen science, and
trainings, including summer work-learn programs.
• Develop partnerships with local businesses and organizations
to promote mountain science, stewardship and conservation
through co-creation and sponsorship.
• Build trust and reduce polarization of information through
programs that is are relevant to people’s interests and locales.
• Advance our facilitative skills in supporting dialogue, diverse
perspectives, and representation.
• Strengthen existing and develop new partnerships with schools
and other environmental organizations with participatory action
goals in order to reach broader audiences, as well as enhance
our work and that of our partners.
• Communicate the outcomes- transformative experiences, media,
videos, and testimonials; identify key contacts and partners
within communities and partner organizations who will have a
multiplier effect on our activities and messaging by encouraging
others in their circle to act and spread the word.
• Identify and engage underrepresented people and voices
in science learning, career development, and community
conversation opportunities.
• Partner with social science experts to improve the outcomes and
beneficial impacts of community discussions and participatory
science for all.
• Work with local (Four Corner states) higher education institutions
to facilitate professional development in the natural science and
natural resource management fields.
• Share success stories from champions and interns on how MSI
programs impacted their professional development.
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Mountain Studies Institute
GOAL 3: INNOVATE SOLUTIONS
Objectives
Objective 1: Innovate solutions
to address challenges relevant to
mountain communities, now and
in the future.
Objective 2: Facilitate new
methods of collaboration and
science-based initiatives to
promote and sustain social,
ecological, and economic
resilience.
Objective 3: Promote innovative
solutions at multiple scales,
connecting place-based
innovations to higher levels of
decision-making and discussion
to be inclusive, diverse, and
representative.
Initiatives
• Deploy cutting edge design thinking/methods to elicit innovative
solutions, including using tried and true approaches in new
contexts or with new partnerships.
• Test and prototype new ideas and technologies through pilot
projects, partnerships, incubators, adaptive management, and
resource generation.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate programs to improve
program delivery for transformative experiences and innovative
best practices.
• Build diverse and inclusive networks of leaders and scientists
who initiate and promote innovative approaches to sciencebased
problem-solving through MSI’s Science & Innovation
Center.
• Position MSI in science-based coalitions and formal networks as
the science advisor, fluent in design techniques.
• Explore creative market approaches to conservation finance
and partnerships with corporate/business partners whose
actions and values align with and support MSI’s mission and
organizational goals.
• Document the impact of learning and adaptation, then
disseminate the results and impacts widely; identify avenues for
putting results in the hands of decision-makers at all levels.
• Elevate new or underserved voices in MSI work through inclusive
recruiting practices for partners, staff, and internships in order to
generate new perspectives and experiences.
• Develop long-term relationships with interns, volunteers, and
young professionals for mutual learning and generation of new
ideas which will advance through their careers.
Strategic Plan 2021-2023 20
Students get hands-on experience in monitoring their local watershed as part of MSI’s Silverton Ecology Camp.
970-387-5161
info@mountainstudies.org
P.O. Box 426 Silverton, CO 81433
679 E 2nd Ave #8 Durango, CO 81301
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