Western Colorado University
OP-9: Landscape Management

The land excluded from the area of managed grounds includes the Facilities and Grounds storage areas, building footprints, parking lots and impervious surfaces. These areas contain no vegetation and is approximately 51 acres.

The area south of the main campus is Tenderfoot mountain. This area is an archeological site and is managed organically, without the use of fertilizers, chemicals pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides.

Within the Signal Peak area NE of the main campus, Western utilizes herbicides provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife to control the spread of cheatgrass. We chose to include this land under this category because it does not fall under the area managed organically nor the area managed using conventional, chemical-based landscape management practices.
Western began spraying herbicide in this area in 2020. The herbicides used are preemergent herbicides which stop the spread of new seed sources. In addition, Western hosts multiple cheatgrass pull days, in which they coordinate with students and the community to pull existing cheatgrass before it turns to seed.


Within the main campus, no formal IPM program has been adopted. The only pests Western has on its main campus are mice, and mice traps are used across campus.

Western has historically planted lots of cottonwood, spruce, and aspen trees on campus because they are local tree species and plenty of seed is available. Existing trees are protected from construction activities when possible by placing tree protection zones. Invasive species are controlled by weeding and spraying of herbicides. Herbicide use is minimized when possible and generally has to do with controlling dandelions in the spring. Western also has multiple native gardens with native shrubs, grasses, and forbs throughout campus.

Western has done some stream bank restoration on University property and has installed an area of porous pavement to help water infiltration near the fieldhouse building. A soil retention and water filtration area at the end of a long water drainage on campus was recently completed to promote water infiltration.
Western's xeriscape native gardens promote more sustainable water use and require less maintenance and water. They provide a learning tool to educate the campus body on xeriscaping.

Western composts or mulches most of it's organic waste (grass clippings, tree leaves, tree limbs, dead plants/shrubs) and chips up tree stems. There is land set aside behind Facilities to compost and mulch these items.

Western has planted many shade trees along major roads and sidewalks through campus to help reduce urban heat island effects.

Snow removal is a large part of our operations during the winter in Gunnison. We receive up to a foot of snow or more a year and temperatures often reach -20 degrees F. Crews use sand whenever possible and limit the use of salt. Roads, parking lots, and sidewalks are plowed by Western trucks as efficiently as possible. For lighter snows, a bobcat with a brush is often used to clear pathways. Student workers with hand tools often chip up ice in various places rather than using heavy machinery on sidewalks and stairs.