[Note added by SaveChatfield.org: The photographs on this page were taken by renowned nature photographer John Fielder. They are used here with his permission. Titles and comments about the photographs were added by SaveChatfield.org.

More information about John Fielder and his work can be found at johnfielder.com. A press release describing John's work with Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) and two related books is reproduced at the bottom of this page.]

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Gravel Pond at Chatfield State Park View #1 by John Fielder

SaveChatfield.org: Under the currently proposed Chatfield Reallocation Project a levee would be constructed to protect the pond in this photograph from flooding at times of maximum water level. The proposal also calls for replacing a nearby parking lot with a new one built in the open space on the far side of the pond.

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Gravel Pond at Chatfield State Park View #2 by John Fielder

SaveChatfield.org: This is a another view of a gravel pond. Trees in the background are on high enough ground so they would not be cut down for the Chatfield Reallocation Project. Trees at slightly lower elevations would be less fortunate.

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Looking West Toward the South Platte River by John Fielder

SaveChatfield.org: The paved trail in this photograph descends toward the South Platte River in Chatfield State Park. Trees on the left side of the background are on the bank of the river. They would be cut down as part of the Chatfield Reallocation Project. Trees rooted in higher ground on the right side of the photograph would probably be spared.

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Summer, 2012

Press Release:

John Fielder and Great Outdoors Colorado Announce the Publication of Two New Books and a Fall, 2012 Promotional Tour and show Colorado's Great Outdoors: Celebrating 20 Years of Lottery-Funded Lands

When Coloradans voted to create a lottery in 1980, the issue put to voters authorized the establishment of a state-supervised lottery with the net proceeds allocated to municipalities and counties for park, recreation, and open space purposes. Great Outdoors Colorado’s mission is to help preserve, protect, enhance, and manage the state’s wildlife, park, river, trail, and open space heritage.

John Fielder was a founder of GOCO, and was appointed by Governor Roy Romer to the Great Outdoors Colorado Board in 1993, and served two four year terms. He approached the Great Outdoors Colorado Board in 2010 and beseeched it to consider celebrating GOCO’s 20th anniversary in 2012 with the publication of a guide book, Guide to Colorado’s Great Outdoors: Lottery-Funded Parks, Trails, Wildlife Areas & Open Spaces, and a picture book, Colorado's Great Outdoors: Celebrating 20 Years of Lottery-Funded Lands, depicting many of the places invested in by GOCO. The board partnered with him to photograph hundreds of county and city open spaces; wildlife habitat; state parks and wildlife areas; local and regional trails; community parks, ball fields, and playgrounds; and private ranches. John drove 35,000 miles in less than two years from one end of Colorado to the other, and visited all of the state’s 64 counties and practically every city and town, in order to complete the project. The many working ranches depicted have benefited from GOCO grants because of the significant wildlife habitat they provide. They are not accessible to the public, but instead remain in private ownership. This will be the first time many people have been able to see these lands.

John also agreed to tour Colorado in 2012 and 2013 to present his photography and recount his impressions of GOCO’s accomplishments, in dozens of venues across the state at events hosted by Colorado’s land protection community. Events will consist of a slide show entitled Colorado's Great Outdoors: Celebrating 20 Years of Lottery-Funded Lands with beautiful music married to the images, and book sales from which 30% of gross proceeds are donated back to sponsoring organizations. Slide shows will be tailored to each community in order to feature photographs of what’s been invested in locally. Both books and John’s fall, 2012 tour of Colorado will be published in September.

John Fielder has worked tirelessly to promote the protection of Colorado’s ranches, open spaces, and wildlands during his 30-year career as a nature photographer. His photography has influenced people and legislation, earning him recognition including the Sierra Club’s Ansel Adams Award in 1993 and, in 2011, the Aldo Leopold Foundation’s first Achievement Award given to an individual. Over 40 books have been published depicting his Colorado photography. He lives in Summit County, Colorado, and operates a fine art gallery, John Fielder’s Colorado, in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe. He teaches photography workshops to adults and children. Information about John and his work can be found at johnfielder.com.