Outdoor Pikes Peak Initiative · Article 9 of 24
Phase 1 did not only ask public agencies. PPORA used a Colorado Tourism Office Reimagine Industry Association grant to build a 24-question survey of outdoor businesses and nonprofits. It asked about revenue, wages and benefits, the toughest jobs to fill, and seasonal hiring, then about outlook, relationships, the economy, inclusivity, user behavior, infrastructure, regional assets, and whether the industry itself is sustainable.
The survey went to 160 outdoor businesses and nonprofits in El Paso, Teller, and Fremont counties. The response rate was 27 percent. More than a third added open-ended comments on what PPORA could do next. Those answers became one of the five building blocks of the Vision Plan.
Where the industry is uneasy
Four findings are printed as the hard news. Ninety-six percent said the risk and impact of natural disasters do or will affect the recreation industry. Only 11 percent felt there are ample enforcement personnel. Only 16 percent felt funding for conservation and stewardship is sufficient. Only 33 percent felt outdoor recreation infrastructure — parking, bathrooms, and the rest — is well maintained.
Where it is not
The same survey was not a gloom report. Ninety-two percent recognized the importance of relationships with other stakeholder groups, and most felt those relationships were good. Eighty-two percent felt positive about the next 12 months. Sixty-five percent believed they would benefit from increased protection of public lands. Fifty-eight percent felt the vast majority of users act responsibly. Fifty-eight percent believed the outdoor industry is becoming more diverse and inclusive.
Read against the land-manager chapter, the overlap is the story. Businesses and agencies are describing the same thin spots: enforcement, stewardship funding, and infrastructure that has not kept up with use. They are also describing a sector that still believes the next year can be better, and that protecting public land is good for the businesses that depend on it. The full stakeholder report was posted at ppora.org.
Source: Outdoor Pikes Peak Initiative Vision Plan 2025, prepared through the Pikes Peak Outdoor Recreation Alliance as the local Colorado Outdoor Regional Partnership, with support from Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Great Outdoors Colorado. Project team: PPORA, Trails and Open Space Coalition, N.E.S. Inc., Bachman PR, and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs Geography Department. The plan was written across a four-year process and released in 2025; some statistics reflect a point in time before publication. Industry Assessment, pages 54–55.
