Our Background
Our History
The San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council (SLVEC) was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1998 by citizens inspired to defend the integrity of the Valley's environment, including the 3.1 million acres of public lands across Colorado's Rio Grande region.
Our Mission
To steward Colorado's Rio Grande region through collective public actions
![Lobatos Bridge [6], Rio Grande Natural Area, (c) Kaitlyn Fletcher_SLVEC.jpeg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/13bf88_d53a534b765f444d9cced4f1b1ea520e~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_147,h_98,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_avif,quality_auto/Lobatos%20Bridge%20%5B6%5D%2C%20Rio%20Grande%20Natural%20Area%2C%20(c)%20Kaitlyn%20Fletcher_SLVEC.jpeg)
Community members walk down to the banks of the Rio Grande near the Lobatos Bridge.
Credit: Kaitlyn Fletcher/SLVEC
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Our Vision
A community conserving the habitat, heritage, and health of the San Luis Valley and its current and future inhabitants
American Avocets rest, feed, and forage in the Blanca Wetlands.
Credit: Bob Wick/BLM
Science
The Valley's ecosystems are intricate, interconnected networks that deliver vital services to the Rio Grande watershed and merit thorough baseline research for conservation.
Stories
The Valley's landscapes, rich in natural, cultural, and historical resources, come alive through stories that date back to time immemorial.
Sense of Place
The Valley's communities hold a deep connection to the land, water, and sky, calling this place their 'querencia', as a reflection of belonging, safety, and authenticity to their true selves.
Our Values
We are rooted in three core values that shape our collective advocacy efforts.
Land Acknowledgement
SLVEC honors that the San Luis Valley is the ancestral territory for many Indigenous nations including the Ute, Navajo, Comanche, Cheyenne, Jicarilla Apache, Hopi, and northern Pueblo (Santa Clara, Tewa, Tesuque and Taos). Alongside our mission, SLVEC aspires to always celebrate the first stewards of this beautiful landscape, as well as the thriving Indigenous communities that continue to enhance Southern Colorado.
