Colorado is considered a bellwether state in many regards. Not the least of these is the ability of a wilderness system to survive in such close proximity to a highly populated region. The pressure placed upon the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area is extraordinary with the undisciplined and rampant development which surrounds it.

The Indian Peaks wilderness was established on October 12, 1978. It started to get even more heavily impacted by visitors; so in 1980 a citizen’s forum was organized by Dr. Anne Forrest Ketchin, Anne Vickery and Jan Robertson.

This forum held roundtable discussions which developed 27 points of agreement among a very diverse group of interested parties. The US Forest Service agreed to most of the recommendations, and thus began a long-lasting citizen/agency partnership which is soundly in place today as the Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance.

The Indian Peaks Wilderness Alliance is the only private citizens nonprofit group actively protecting the Indian Peaks Wilderness on a regular basis with these volunteer programs:

• Backcountry Wilderness Volunteers who educate day hikers & overnight campers; and record vital data for managing this wilderness. Starting in 1984 with 4 Hosts, this popular volunteer program has exceeded 70 Volunteers, which is the equivalent of 6 full time wilderness rangers for this 3 month period.
  
• Reconstruction & Reclamation through trail crews who work on several travel zones during the summer to assure ecologically sound passageways. Past projects included a major trail relocation on Pawnee Pass in 1985, to routine 3 to 6 trail projects each year . Major revegetation projects were done at Lake Isabelle and Mitchell Lake.
  
• Research, Monitoring & Evaluation of raw data acquired in the field. Information is shared with specialists, through workshops & seminars and public meetings. Our water quality studies began in 1987, included a glacier study in 1993, and annual sampling for Air Quality surveys from 1995 to present. We worked with the Boulder County Nature Association in 1988 on the elk migration study; and offer up to $500 scholarships each year for graduate study in the wilderness.
  
• Community Outreach from educational events, booths at fairs, lectures, development of other wilderness groups, and various public presentations. We worked with the Rollins Pass/ Moffit Corridor Working Group in 1986, have been part of the Boulder Creek Festival since 1990, and assisted in the formation of 8 other wilderness groups – the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers the most recent.