methodology

The present and future challenges facing the Telluride region are studied using an analytical framework that has been applied in several prior studies. In this framework, various future scenarios are generated, each of which produces a different alternative future. The objective of the study is to understand the consequences of the range of the possible futures.

Rather than seeking to create a single vision for the future of the region, the study models the range of choices that decision-makers face today in order to better understand the implications of each of possible future paths. The approach utilizes available quantitative and qualitative information to represent a broad spectrum of values and opinions regarding the future of the Telluride region, with the counsel of residents guiding the development of the study to ensure that the study reflects local values.

A computer-based geographic information system (GIS) is used to organize the data spatially and to model and represent complex processes at work. Computer models assess key processes such as economic and ecological systems.

Interviews and discussions with relevant groups and individuals play a critical role in the study, both to help determine the types and extent of the conservation and development strategies to be studied, and to help define the economic, visual, and ecological assessment models.