Photo by Xavi Fane
Welcoming New Faces to CBLT
Cheryl Cwelich
Development & Communications Manager
The Crested Butte Land Trust is excited to welcome Cheryl Cwelich onto the Development team! She previously worked with CBLT, and we are thrilled to welcome her back. As Development and Communications Manager, Cheryl will lead community engagement and events such as the Starry Evening Gala and Caddis Cup, while also supporting outreach through newsletters, social media, and donor communications. She will additionally assist with accounting and organizational operations.
Mars Charlebois
Recreation Lands Coordinator
The Crested Butte Land Trust is thrilled to have Mars Charlebois back for her fourth summer with the organization. Mars previously served as the Conservation Ranger for two summers before stepping into the Recreation Lands Coordinator role last summer.
As the Recreation Lands Coordinator, Mars leads recreation outreach, planning, and conservation efforts across CBLT’s publicly accessible lands.
Spring Updates: Forestry Work & Gunsight Maintenance
Gunsight Parcel
The Crested Butte Land Trust is preparing for several exciting improvements at the Gunsight Bridge parcel aimed at enhancing visitor safety, site management, and overall stewardship of the property.
This spring, contractor Glacier Earthworks completed planned parking lot, driveway, and emergency access improvements. The project will improve vehicle circulation and user safety, enhance site drainage, reduce impacts from parking, support cattle operations, and ensure reliable emergency vehicle access.
Additional stewardship improvements are also planned throughout 2026. CBLT staff will construct a buck-and-rail fence near the south side of Gunsight Bridge to better direct vehicle and trail traffic while allowing restoration of a heavily impacted quarter-acre area. The Lands Team will also install additional signage across the parcel to improve visitor communication and site management. Future enhancements include the installation of vehicle gates and a screened enclosure for the port-o-potty.
These improvements are part of CBLT’s ongoing commitment to balancing recreation access, conservation, and long-term stewardship at one of the valley’s most popular public access sites.
Lower Loop
In response to the rapid spread of mountain pine beetle in lodgepole pine stands within the Lower Loop Recreation Area, the Crested Butte Land Trust has partnered with Mountain Treescapes to implement a proactive fuels reduction and forest health project this spring. The work is focused on improving public safety, creating wildfire defensible space for neighboring properties, and reducing the risk of post-wildfire impacts to the nearby Slate River.
Project work includes the removal and chipping of beetle-impacted trees near the Magic Meadows Yurt, along trail corridors, and adjacent to neighboring residences. In addition, CBLT staff has installed pheromone treatment packets on high-value trees along the shared property boundary with Wildwood Subdivison. Lands Team staff also assisted with pheromone packet installation on neighboring properties to support broader forest health efforts in the area.
These stewardship efforts are part of CBLT’s ongoing commitment to protecting the ecological health, recreational value, and long-term resilience of the Lower Loop landscape.
Summer Events
We are excited to be out and about in the community all summer long. Come say hi and learn more about the Land Trust at one of our field trips, tabling events, or happy hours. Stay tuned for more to come!
June 11th (Thursday) @5:30 PM | Float with a Ranger
Join our Conservation Ranger on an educational float down the Slate River. Starting at the Aperture Boat Launch and ending in Skyland. There are limited spots available please RSVP to attend.
June 18th (Thursday) @6:30 PM | The American Southwest at the Majestic Theater
Join us at the Majestic Theater for a screening of The American Southwest. This film is a wild and unforgettable journey down the mighty Colorado River. Produced by Fin and Fur Films, you won’t want to miss this special screening.
June 20th (Saturday) @ 10 AM | Bike Ride with CBMBA
Get your bike out and join the Crested Butte Land Trust and the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association for a ride on Lupine 1 and 2! Learn about the history of the trails and the collaboration that brought them to life from CBMBA’s own Dave Ochs. Limited space please RSVP to attend.
June 22nd (Monday) @ 5 PM | Alpenglow Concert Booth
Come say hi, meet new folks at the Land Trust and check out some super cool CBLT merch while enjoying an evening of live music!
July 26th (Sunday) @ 10 AM | Yoga in the Park
Move, stretch, and soak up the sunshine while supporting conservation and open lands in the Crested Butte community!
August 3rd (Monday) @ 5 PM | Alpenglow Concert Booth
Round Two! Check out our table at Alpenglow to say hello, learn what conservation is all about and grab some awesome CBLT merch too!
September 6th (Sunday) @ 9 AM | Farmers Market Booth
Stop by our booth at the Farmers Market to connect with faces both new and old then check out some great CBLT merch while enjoying the market!
September 21st-25th (Monday-Friday) | CBLT Week
Join CBLT for a weeklong celebration featuring hikes, community gatherings, and special events designed to connect people with the places they love and the conservation work that protects them – More details coming soon!
October 4th (Sunday) @ 9 AM | Farmers Market Booth
Round Two! Stop by our booth at the Farmers Market to say hi and check out some great CBLT merch while enjoying the market!
Event Spotlight
Join us at the Majestic Theater on June 18th at 6:30PM for a free screening of The American Southwest. This beautiful Fin and Fur Films production showcases the region’s abundant wildlife, explores the ecological impacts of dams and river depletion, and advocates for increased water and wildlife conservation. The film travels through legendary landscapes from the perspective of some of the Southwest’s most fascinating characters, including wetland-building beavers, bugling bull elk, and desert-adapted rattlesnakes. With portions of the film taking place in our own backyard, you will not want to miss this special screening.
For Your Entertainment
Enjoy this song highlighting the importance of beavers in wetland environments. Take a walk up Lower Loop or by Gungsight bridge to see their impressive work!
