Since our inception in 1998, our dedication to our watershed, our community, and striving toward a greater good have driven our work. We believe in working with stakeholders big and small, supporting our local communities and economies with our work, fostering stewardship of the land and water, working with nature, and sharing knowledge and skills with partners near and far to promote and sustain high quality water supplies and ecological health.
Our work to protect the Upper South Platte Watershed is guided by three core principles:
Cooperative Efforts of Stakeholders
CUSP does almost nothing alone, but with our partners we accomplish a tremendous amount. Whether we’re working on-the-ground or in the boardroom, we bring a diversity of interests together and take action to protect and sustain shared values. Our non-advocacy approach allows us to work with all watershed stakeholders to understand what the needs in the watershed are, and work cooperatively to address those needs across jurisdictional boundaries.
Community Values
Rather than separating out humans from the environment, we understand that communities are an integral part of the environment they inhabit. The needs and values of our communities are central to our work, and we prioritize programs and projects based in large part on what offers the most value to the people who depend on the watershed. We highly value your input and continually seek to be more responsive to community needs.
Economic Sustainability
We understand that fulfilling our mission and supporting a healthy watershed for years to come requires economic responsibility and long-term planning. We are dedicated to using our limited resources thoughtfully and never working beyond our means. This is why we work closely with partners and leverage your donations for additional funding.