Our Grounding

Pete Kolbenschlag brings more than two decades of experience working on the Western Slope of Colorado and across the Mountain West.

Fulcrum Rural Solutions is a new endeavor led by long-time regional activist and rural leader Pete Kolbenschlag, using a curated team of experts drawn from a deep and established network of professionals as needed, to tailor services. Some of Pete’s accomplishments include:

Team Captain and Lead Applicant (w/ CO Farm & Food Alliance) in two winning NREL clean energy and innovation prizes.
• Won two phases of Community Power Accelerator Prize, and first phase of SOLVE-It Prize through the HeroX platform.

Wrote and submitted proposal that was awarded as Finalist in U.S. EPA Thriving Communities Grant (January 2025)

• Secured commitment to fund innovative project supporting a few dozen small and low- to moderate-income farmers move into more regenerative practices, and to create economic incentives and income streams around that work. Federal grants and program subsequently cancelled (May 2025).

Helped secure Colorado's anti-SLAPP law protecting civic engagement
• Won precedent-setting victory against oil and gas company SLAPP lawsuit using it as a platform for education and advocacy.

Campaign Leadership: 20+ years designing and winning issue campaigns
• 9 years Western Slope Field Director, Colorado Environmental Coalition 

• Founded Mountain West Strategies (2007-2017) - strategic consultancy that led numerous high-profile conservation efforts.

• Colorado Farm & Food Alliance - Founded and led rural conservation and food security organization (2015 - 2025).

Selected Commentary & Media

Pete’s commentary, leadership, and advocacy are regularly featured in state and national outlets. Selected examples include:

Colorado Newsline (Oct. 10, 2025) — “Rural lessons for resisting authoritarianism,” Op-ed on the strength of rural communities.

Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Oct. 1, 2025) — “Colorado roadless forests are under threat,” Op-ed on the Colorado Roadless Rule and value of National Forests.

KUNC - NPR News (July 1, 2025) — “Solar panels could help make farms more resilient to climate change — but they need cash to make it work,” Feature highlighting agrivoltaics, farm resilience, and funding challenges

Colorado Newsline (May 25, 2021) — “Infrastructure can help unite urban and rural frontline communities” Op-ed on the importance of investing in the most impacted communities

Congressional Testimony (June 20, 2019) — Statement to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Oil & Gas Leasing Reform National-level policy testimony on public lands and energy development.

Inside Climate News (Dec. 20, 2019) — “Colorado Fracking Threatens Sustainable Agriculture Industry in North Fork Valley” Feature on energy and agriculture conflicts in western Colorado

We scale our team to fit your project needs.

Fulcrum Rural Solutions principal Pete Kolbenschlag is based in the North Fork Valley where he continues to work at the intersection of community resilience, environmental protection, and rural opportunity through this and other endeavors.

His LinkedIn profile is here.

We support your project with its mission in mind whether its getting maximum impact with policy-makers, helping prepare that funding or project proposal, or delivering effective and authentic media content we put collaboration first in our approach to fit our services to your needs.

We pull in trusted and vetted colleagues to offer a well-rounded suite of services specific to individual needs. As we consider projects, prospective clients meet with potential team-members to help shape the approach best suited to their project and situation - before we agree to proceed.

With deep regional and national connections - we tailor services to facilitate your project from stakeholder and collaborations locally to curating DC ‘fly-ins.’ We maintain close working relationships with videographers, content creators and social media experts, specialized grant-writers, and DC and Denver capitol and agency guides.

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