Welcome to the Fort Collins Natural Areas Feedback Portal!
Your perspectives are crucial and will help the City manage natural area sites effectively. We want to hear from you regardless of whether you visit natural areas and no matter what your feelings are about them. You play an important role in shaping the future.
What is your feedback on how natural areas are managed? Would you like to see more or fewer visitor amenities, habitat restoration, or facility projects? New ways to reach people? A change to a rule or regulation? The Natural Areas Department is listening!
En Español: ¡El Departamento de Áreas Naturales le está escuchando! Clic aqui.
Guide the Next 20 Years of Natural Areas
What do you want for the future of your natural areas? For over 30 years, the Fort Collins and Larimer County community has prioritized natural areas conservation. Now, your voice will guide the future forward with a planning document called the Natural Areas Strategic Framework. Your perspectives will help the City embody community-driven conservation and stewardship.
Share Land Management Feedback Anytime
Share your thoughts about the management of natural areas at any time. On this form, you can indicate whether your input is about a specific natural area or group of natural areas, what type of feedback you are leaving, and your comments.
The comments will be reviewed annually. A summary will share themes and how management will be adapted.
Questions, Comments, Service Requests
Access Fort Collins is an easy way to contact the City with your questions, comments, and service requests whenever it is most convenient for you. Responses from City Staff are provided within a few days.
You may also email naturalareas@fcgov.com, call 970-416-2815, or reach an on-duty ranger at 970-416-2147.
Public Engagement Events#
Red Fox Meadows, one of the Urban Zone natural areas.
Kids in the Park: Kids in the Park encourages kids of all ages to get outside and play! At this annual City of Fort Collins event, community members learn about exciting recreation activities, play in the park, dance to live music, enjoy snacks from local food trucks, and of course, fly kites.
- Where: Twin Silo Community Park
- When: Sunday, April 28, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
World Migratory Bird Day: Dixon Reservoir is a great place for migrating birds. Check out the bird banding efforts of the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies and see what might be passing though. Natural Areas volunteer naturalists will be leading bird walks every 30 minutes starting at 7AM to see what's around the reservoir. Bring your binoculars if you have them and celebrate World Migratory Bird Day with us! Learn more and register at
- Where: Pineridge Natural Area
- When: Saturday, May 11, 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Natural Areas Zones#
Explore natural areas divided by geographic location.
- Foothills Zone
- Fossil Creek Zone
- Montane Zone
- Mountains to Plains Zone
- Poudre River Zone
- Urban Zone
Frequently Asked Questions #
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The Natural Areas Department is changing the way it gathers community input for management planning. Instead of bringing questions about one zone to the community every 10 years, management questions needing community input will be brought to the community every year spanning the whole City natural areas system. This means that the community has more opportunities to give input and your input has more impact because it is timely and relevant.
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What happens after you comment depends on how you get in touch:
The Natural Areas Department reviews comments annually to influence and inform the management of the natural areas. Due to the amount of feedback received, staff cannot respond directly to every comment. A summary document will be published annually summarizing themes and ways management will be adapted.
Engagement Cycle Feedback Form
Your input will be shared with planners to inform the specific management questions being asked and the Zone Update document. Due to the amount of feedback received, staff cannot respond directly to every comment.
Access Fort Collins, Calls, Emails, Tag @FCNaturalAreas on Social Media
Your feedback and questions will receive a response and be shared with planners to inform the management of natural areas.
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If you commented via Access Fort Collins, called Natural Areas, emailed naturalareas@fcgov.com or tagged @FCNaturalAreas on social media, you'll receive a response within 5 business days.
If you commented on the Anytime Feedback Form or an Engagement Cycle Feedback Form, subscribe to Natural Areas Enews monthly email newsletter (top of page) to read summaries and responses which will be published in Enews and on the Natural Areas website.
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- 911 - Call in an emergency
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Access Fort Collins is an easy way to contact the City with your questions, comments, and service requests whenever it is most convenient for you.
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Email naturalareas@fcgov.com
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Call the Natural Areas Department at 970-416-2815, M-F, 8 a.m.- 5 p.m.
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Reach an on-duty ranger at 970-416-2147
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The Natural Areas Department listens to the community through the feedback opportunities on this webpage and also through scientifically-valid surveys:
Resident Survey- completed every five years, this mailed and online survey measures community perceptions and satisfaction with the Natural Areas Department's work and the natural areas. Visitation and recreation patterns at natural areas are also documented. Read the Resident Survey reports since 2006 here.
Intercept Surveys- The data from these on-site visitor interviews gives insight into visitor demographics, place of residence, visitation patterns, primary activities, group characteristics, and perceptions of visitor satisfaction and safety. The locations of the intercept surveys correspond to the Natural Areas Department's management zones.
- Visitors to the City of Fort Collins Poudre River Natural Areas, 2021
- Indicators and Standards for Quality Visitor Experiences at City of Fort Collins Soapstone Prairie Natural Area, 2019
- Indicators and Standards for Quality Visitor Experiences at City of Fort Collins Foothills Natural Areas, 2019
Community Survey- The Fort Collins Community Survey serves as an annual consumer report card for the entire City, including the Natural Areas Department's work. Residents rate the quality of life, their satisfaction with community amenities and local government. Residents also provide feedback on what is working well and what is not, and identify priorities for community planning and resource allocation.