Former parks board member questions CSU’s methods for North/South Slope recreation plan

Susan Jarvis addressed the board during public comment on April 21 about Colorado State University’s proposed changes to recreation access on the North and South Slope areas. Drawing on her six years on the El Paso Parks and Recreation Board, Jarvis said improvements to public recreation and protection of water resources are not mutually exclusive.

Jarvis told commissioners she provided a packet of evidence and a bio and urged the board to scrutinize CSU’s methods for moving the recreation plan forward, saying the university’s surveys since 2023 have produced negative feedback primarily from on-site staff rather than broad community opposition. She said that in prior decades CSU has opened access without catastrophic impacts, and asked the board to seek clearer evidence before endorsing restrictions that could limit community use.

The board did not take formal action on the CSU topic during the meeting; Jarvis’s remarks were recorded as public comment.