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In this second installment of our special 50th anniversary podcast series on collaborative governance, we turn our focus to the federal level, where Keystone’s experience and steady hand have guided some of the nation’s most complex public policy challenges.

This episode highlights our work with the Department of Energy on siting facilities for spent nuclear fuel,  a continuation of Keystone’s founding legacy. We also explore how recommendations from our Energy Board on transmission permitting helped shape federal legislation, how we supported the safe closure and cleanup of Cold War-era military munitions sites, and how Keystone’s collaborative approach is now shaping family engagement strategies with the U.S. Department of Education.

These stories reflect Keystone’s deep experience working at the intersection of community, government, and industry — and how we continue to take on the work others shy away from, with a belief that durable progress is always possible through trust, dialogue, and courage.

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As part of our year-long series celebrating the 50th anniversary of Keystone Policy Center, this episode kicks off a two-part look at collaborative governance, a cornerstone of Keystone’s legacy.

In this first installment, we explore what happens when local, state, and tribal governments turn to Keystone to help solve complex challenges through inclusive, community-driven dialogue. From the Routt Recreation and Conservation Roundtable to tribal consultation work with the City of Boulder, and from guiding economic transition with the Office of Just Transition to navigating thorny issues like Colorado property tax reform, this episode showcases how collaborative governance builds solutions that are not only durable but deeply grounded in trust.

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In our continuing celebration of Keystone's 50th anniversary, we look at how Keystone Policy Center’s tribal engagement work is being implemented today. From government-to-government consultation to collaborative education initiatives, this episode highlights the deep relationships and trust required to turn policy into action. Featuring insights from Ernest House Jr. and project partners across Colorado, we explore how this work is embedded across Keystone’s programs—and why tribal voices and sovereignty must be centered in every policy conversation moving forward. 

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In this extended interview, Ed Gabriel joins Ernest House Jr. for a powerful conversation reflecting on the beginnings of Keystone Policy Center’s work with tribal nations. From the formation of the Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) to the creation of the Indian Business Roundtable, Gabriel shares personal stories, pivotal moments, and lessons in trust, collaboration, and sovereignty. This candid dialogue offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how tribal leaders and Keystone helped shape a new era of policy grounded in Indigenous leadership and mutual respect. 

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As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Keystone Policy Center, we explore how Keystone’s work with tribal nations began. We revisit a pivotal time in the 1970s, when Native leaders were asserting sovereignty and building new alliances. Through clips from an interview with Ed Gabriel, we hear how a ski trip, a conversation, and a shared vision gave rise to the Council of Energy Resource Tribes, the Indian Business Roundtable, and a model of non-adversarial dialogue that continues to shape policy today. 

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Few wildlife issues have been as divisive as gray wolf reintroduction in Colorado. In this episode, we take listeners behind the scenes of developing a wolf reintroduction and management plan, including the extensive public engagement process that followed. We explore how Keystone facilitated discussions among ranchers, hunters, conservationists, scientists, and policymakers, ensuring all perspectives were heard as Colorado navigated this contentious wildlife restoration effort.

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Public lands belong to everyone—but managing them requires balancing conservation, recreation, and access. This episode delves into Keystone's role in major public lands projects, from the designation of Browns Canyon National Monument to the Colorado Outdoor Strategy. We explore how Keystone has worked to ensure that voices from all communities are included in shaping the future of outdoor spaces. 

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For decades, Keystone Policy Center has helped address the environmental legacy of abandoned mines and military munitions sites. In this episode, we explore Keystone’s role in mine cleanups and munitions remediation, where balancing environmental restoration, economic realities, and community concerns was key. From navigating complex stakeholder dynamics to shaping policies that protect both people and ecosystems, this episode highlights how Keystone has brought diverse groups together to clean up the past and build a more sustainable future. 

Please help us continue this podcast by making a financial donation to Keystone Policy Center.

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In our second series of Keystone's 50th anniversary celebration, we explore Keystone’s influential work in the energy sector. The Keystone Energy Board has been at the forefront of some of the most significant energy policy discussions in the United States. This episode takes a deep dive into how the board was established, the key players involved, and how its unique model of trust-based dialogue has helped shape policies on grid resilience, transmission, and regulatory reform. Featuring first-hand accounts from energy leaders, we uncover how Keystone’s facilitation process has brought together stakeholders from across the energy spectrum to develop practical, forward-thinking solutions. 

Please help us continue this podcast by making a financial donation to Keystone Policy Center.

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In our second series of Keystone's 50th anniversary celebration, we explore Keystone’s influential work in the energy sector.  In the final episode of this series, we examine Keystone’s long-standing leadership in climate and decarbonization policy. From early dialogues on climate change in the late 1980s to modern efforts in federal policy recommendations, Keystone has helped shape the energy industry’s response to one of the most pressing challenges of our time. We also look ahead to the future of energy innovation, discussing how Keystone’s collaborative approach will continue to drive progress in renewable energy, electrification, and sustainability. 

Please help us continue this podcast by making a financial donation to Keystone Policy Center.

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In our second series of Keystone's 50th anniversary celebration, we explore Keystone’s influential work in the energy sector. In this episode, we explore Keystone Policy Center’s pioneering work in energy during the 1970s and 1980s. From tackling the complex issue of nuclear waste management to facilitating critical energy policy discussions, Keystone played a key role in shaping early regulations and fostering dialogue between industry, government, and environmental advocates. We also examine Keystone’s groundbreaking efforts to support Native American tribes in asserting control over their energy resources, leading to more equitable energy agreements and a stronger voice for tribal communities in energy negotiations. 

Please help us continue this podcast by making a financial donation to Keystone Policy Center.

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 What makes the Keystone process so unique? In this episode, we delve into Bob Craig’s model of collaborative problem-solving that brought together scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to tackle contentious issues. From pioneering dialogues on energy policy to empowering Native American tribes, Bob’s legacy continues to inspire Keystone’s mission today. Learn how his leadership turned division into progress and set the stage for the organization’s remarkable impact over the last 50 years. 

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Discover how Bob Craig’s respect for science and belief in dialogue as a tool for progress laid the groundwork for the Keystone Policy Center. This episode traces the steps from Bob’s time at the Aspen Institute to the creation of the Keystone process. Featuring stories from the center’s earliest days, we’ll explore how Bob’s commitment to neutrality and innovation helped Keystone address complex issues like nuclear waste management and biotechnology in ways that were ahead of their time. 

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Keystone Policy Center. In 2025, we will embark on a year-long celebration, highlighting its most impactful and foundational achievements. We’ll explore the organization’s journey from its innovative beginnings to its ongoing legacy of collaborative problem-solving. In this first episode, we explore the extraordinary life of Bob Craig, the founder of the Keystone Policy Center. From his early days as a mountaineer, including his harrowing experience on the 1953 K2 expedition, to his service in World War II and the Korean War, Bob’s adventures shaped his philosophy of resilience and collaboration. Hear from Bob himself, along with reflections from those who knew him best, as we uncover how his love for the mountains and the arts influenced his groundbreaking approach to problem-solving. 

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The creation of the Kwiyagat Community Academy is the cornerstone of Growing Ute Futures, but it is not the only impact of the endeavor. Growing Ute Futures is an education masterplan for the entire community as  there are so many more families with students –from Kindergarten all through high school—who don’t attend KCA than do. Growing Ute Futures serves students and families of the  entire community to provide more opportunities for all students of Towaoc and strengthen the future of the community. In this final episode in our four-part series, we detail the additional wrap-around services provided by the Growing Ute Futures Initiative.

Listen: Culture and Curriculum: The Story of Growing Ute Futures Part 1

Listen: Culture and Curriculum: The Story of Growing Ute Futures Part 2

Listen: Culture and Curriculum: The Story of Growing Ute Futures Part 3 

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Kwiyagat Community Academy officially opened in 2021 and was finally able to put into practice what had previously just been an abstract plan  – a culture-based curriculum grounded in Ute traditions that also delivers a modern academic education to prepare young students for the world. When you hear the world trailblazing—that’s exactly what this approach is. But the school would only get one shot to implement this approach and prove that it would work. In part three of our four-part series on the Growing Ute Futures initiative, we discuss the results of the Kwiyagat Community Academy.

Listen: Culture and Curriculum: The Story of Growing Ute Futures Part 1

Listen: Culture and Curriculum: The Story of Growing Ute Futures Part 2

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In the second part of our four-part series on the Growing Ute Futures initiative, we highlight the bold steps taken by Tribal leaders and their partners to upend generations of educational missed opportunities: the creation of the state’s first-ever tribal-run charter school operation on an Indian Reservation. This is the story of the creation of the Kwiyagat Community Academy.

Listen: Culture and Curriculum: The Story of Growing Ute Futures Part 1

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In 2020, at the direction of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council, educators, and families, Keystone Policy Center began facilitating strategic planning to develop an innovative, culturally-based education system for students and their families on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. A central pillar of this plan was integrating Ute arts, language, and culture into all levels of education, embedded within a curriculum that focused on science, technology, engineering, (Native) arts, and math. The project that eventually emerged became known as Growing Ute Futures, and it aims to provide an innovative, student-focused model of learning and support for all students of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. But to understand the monumental task this education-centered initiative would be, we first have to revisit the history of education for American Indian and Indigenous children in this country.  In this first of a four-part series, we outline the grim realities faced by Indigenous children who were forcibly removed from their families and cultural environments to attend federally run boarding schools and how the culture of assimilation continued even when the boarding schools ended.  

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We're thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2023 Keystone Leadership Award. Keystone Policy Center established the Keystone Leadership Awards in 1994 to recognize extraordinary leadership by individuals and organizations whose work embraces our model, spirit, and mission of creating lasting solutions through strategic collaboration. Keystone honors individuals and organizations within its areas of work as well as recognizes leaders in government and the media who create impact in the public interest.

Click here to learn more about the Keystone Leadership Awards!

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Agricultural soils are a large land-based sink for atmospheric carbon with additional potential to contribute to the sequestration of atmospheric carbon, though questions still remain as to the magnitude and rate of this mitigation opportunity. This potential has spurred a desire to connect growers with carbon markets to realize the environmental and economic value of agricultural practices. Concurrently, the markets are facing increasing scrutiny as well, given the evolving science, the necessity of mitigating our climate impact, and increasing public interest. This episode of Keynotes highlights the work of the Agricultural Climate Market Collaborative,  a voluntary group facilitated by the Keystone Policy Center to identify collective, precompetitive actions that could create more transparency and build trust in the marketplace; provide more coordinated and consistent feedback to protocol bodies, USDA, and others; and ultimately contribute to a clearer marketplace that can scale towards meaningful impact.

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The Browns Canyon National Monument was designated for federal protection in 2015 and encompasses more than 21,000 acres of scenic and diverse natural resources along the upper Arkansas River in Colorado. It was the culmination of decades of advocacy from local residents to protect the pristine lands. However, federal designation was only the first step in protecting these pristine lands. In 2019, Keystone Policy Center and a coalition of over 20 local citizens representing numerous organizations with diverse interests and experience, conducted a series of meetings to discuss a shared set of recommendations for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for resource management plan for the monument. The effort became a shining example of how collaborative action at the local level and between communities and federal agencies can give citizens a strong voice in shaping federal policy.

Show Notes

• Friends of Browns Canyon
• Browns Canyon National Monument - Keystone Policy Center
• Browns Canyon National Monument - U.S. Forest Service

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Collaboration is a powerful concept that requires a methodical approach to be most effective. To streamline this approach and help other organizations foster collaboration, Keystone partnered with Dow to create a step-by-step guide called the Collaborative Action Toolkit that provides a roadmap for anyone to develop a more collaborative mindset and organize their stakeholders and collaborations. The toolkit was born out of Dow's pursuit of company sustainability goals. Upon realizing the impact of the toolkit, Dow and Keystone adapted it and decided to give it away for free.

Download the Collaborative Action Toolkit.

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Federal and state governments are legally required to consult with Native American Tribes on issues impacting them, but city governments don't have the same mandate. In this episode, we highlight the work of the city of Boulder, Colorado, which has partnered with Keystone to develop and implement a city/Tribal consultation process that has opened a dialogue around issues of cultural, spiritual, and historical significance for Tribal and Indigenous members of the community. The initiative sets a standard for city governments throughout the country to follow in developing productive and respectful consultation with Native and Indigenous communities in their city and counties.

Previous episode to reference:  Tribal Sovereignty: Fostering the Government-to-Government Partnership

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In the final episode of this three-part series, we how leaders in Northwest Colorado are working together on collaborative initiatives that have impact for their communities. We also highlight how these collaborative efforts, in partnership with nonprofit leaders like El Pomar Foundation and Keystone Policy Center, help these communities navigate the best path forward to best utilizing the once-in-a-lifetime influx of resources to best serve the needs of all Coloradans, both rural and urban. These leaders are bridging the so-called urban/rural divide and providing a model for the nation of how Americans from different communities with different perspectives can come together to reach common higher ground for the betterment of society.

Learn more at El Pomar Foundation.

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In this second episode of a three-part series, we highlight how rural communities are navigating the obstacles they face in accessing the influx of federal funding coming to Colorado in the wake of COVID-19. These rural communities are meeting the challenge by working together along with the assistance of nonprofit partners. Almost two decades ago, El Pomar Foundation established a regional partnership program bringing members from a diverse range of backgrounds who represent the business, nonprofit and public sectors together to provide firsthand information about the needs in their region. They offer the kind of insights that can only come from living, working and volunteering at a local level. This program is now being utilized to assess and address the unprecedented needs and challenges of rural communities following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn more about this project at El Pomar Foundation.

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