Sheep Mountain Alliance (SMA) is a grassroots environmental nonprofit based in Telluride, Colorado, dedicated to protecting the public lands, waterways, wilderness, and wildlife of the San Juan Mountains. Founded in 1988 by citizens who stopped a logging project on Sheep Mountain—a 13,188-foot peak south of Telluride—SMA has served as the region’s environmental advocacy and watchdog group for over 35 years. The organization addresses threats such as resource extraction, forest mismanagement, irresponsible development, and water overuse, all of which harm biodiversity, climate resilience, and community health. SMA serves both the ecosystems and residents of the San Juan region—especially underrepresented communities—by advancing inclusive outdoor access, supporting wildlife protections, influencing land management policy, and advocating for legislation like the CORE Act. A guiding belief at SMA is that environmental and human health are intertwined. “When we’re speaking up for one, we’re speaking up for two,” says Ruthie Boyd, the organization’s program director.
Sheep Mountain Alliance has been standing up for people, wildlife, ecosystems, and wild places since 1988. Photo: Ryan Bonneau/Sheep Mountain Alliance
With two staff members and six board members, Sheep Mountain Alliance is a small nonprofit advocating for the environment and the people who are part of it. In response to a proposed luxury resort in 2000, SMA helped lead a grassroots campaign that culminated in a 2008 Colorado Supreme Court ruling protecting Telluride’s 572-acre Valley Floor as permanent open space. In 2009, in collaboration with other conservation organizations, SMA supported the introduction of the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act—legislation intended to designate approximately 33,400 acres as wilderness and 21,600 acres as the Sheep Mountain Special Management Area—which was later incorporated into the CORE Act. In 2018, SMA launched its Latinx Outdoor Initiative, a program designed to increase access to nature and promote well-being for Spanish-speaking residents of San Miguel County, where nearly 30% of the population identifies as Latino or Hispanic but has historically been underrepresented in outdoor recreation.
Elk roam in Colorado’s San Juan Mountains. Photo: Ryan Bonneau/Sheep Mountain Alliance