Change is both inevitable and beautiful. We’re reminded of this with each changing season, and especially now as we bear witness to the natural beauty of a Colorado autumn. At Western Colorado Alliance, we are fortunate to be surrounded by a natural environment that inspires our work and sustains our spirits. The changes that abound in our weather and climate, in our communities, and in our political landscape inspire us into action to do what we do best: organizing to create the change we want to see, focused on building communities that are healthy, just, and self-reliant.

Our Alliance is planning and organizing for growth and positive changes across our organization and region as we close out 2021 and look ahead to 2022. Members in attendance at this year’s virtual Annual Conference got a sneak peek at some of these changes, and you can review them in the Annual Conference summary article contained in this issue. Don’t miss additional articles about the West Slope Youth Voice (notice the name change?), Tri-State’s electric resource plan, the current state of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests, and what’s happening at the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC). We’re also excited to introduce you to new staff members who will help expand the reach of our Alliance and multiply our collective impact in building grassroots power across Western Colorado.

We are ready to grow and face the changes happening around us, but we also embrace tradition and value the legacy of the people and ideas that brought us here. One of our favorite traditions around this time each year is hosting MountainFilm On Tour – Grand Junction.

For years, our Alliance has invited our members and the broader community to come together to enjoy, to learn, and to be inspired by a curated list of documentary short films in the annual MountainFilm On Tour screening. It’s something fun that we look forward to every year — and this year is no different! At the end of the year, we’ll also be inviting our members and supporters to ensure that we can continue our work organizing for healthy, just, and self-reliant communities by supporting us in our End-of-Year Fundraising Campaign. You’ll find details of both opportunities right here in the Clarion.