About CNMA
The Colorado National Monument, a unit of the national park system, is a spectacular area of twenty thousand acres of steep-walled red rock canyons located in western Colorado near the cities of Grand Junction and Fruita. Situated on the eastern edge of the Colorado Plateau, the Colorado National Monument attracts approximately 720,000 visitors per year.
The Colorado National Monument Association (CNMA) is the official partner organization of Colorado National Monument and a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.* The CNMA mission, as an authorized cooperating association of the National Park Service, is to assist Colorado National Monument with interpretive, educational outreach programs in the park and in the surrounding communities, and to support resource related activities at Colorado National Monument. Through operation of CNMA’s retail and online stores, membership dues, grants, and other donations, the CNMA provides funds to help support National Park Service acitivities and projects in Colorado National Monument. In 2009, the CNMA donated $42,208 in goods and services to the Colorado National Monument.
Over the years, CNMA has funded many programs integral to Colorado National Monument:
- sponsoring Spring and Fall Walks & Talks, a series of lectures and hikes for the general public
- publishing books, the annual Colorado National Monument calendar, and other educational materials
- printing a variety of brochures for visitors
- providing a stipend for teacher-ranger-teachers for environmental education to local youth
- hosting a resident volunteer to work in the Visitor Center during the summer season
- granting honorariums for guest lecturers and program/hike leaders
- purchasing archival supplies to preserve historic photographs
- funding park tours for volunteers
- sponsoring community events such as band concerts, an advance showing of The National Parks: America’s Best Idea at a local cinema, and Public Lands Day events
- providing specialized lights for the campground to reduce light pollution
- staffing the Visitor Center information desk
- matching Centennial Challenge grants for Junior Ranger Explorer Day Camp
- paying for oral history transcriptions
- funding costs for Junior Ranger booklets
The Colorado National Monument Association was first incorporated in 1964 as the Colorado – Black Canyon Natural History Association. In 1977 that organization was reorganized, and we acquired our current name, Colorado National Monument Association.
The CNMA consists of two full-time staff members, a seven-person volunteer Board of Directors, and approximately 500 paid memberships. The current Board of Directors include:
Ginger Mitchell - Chair, Cindy Fry - Vice Chair, Mark Green – Treasurer, Ginny McBride – Secretary
Ken Boelte, Lauren Goodknight and Dan Flenniken
