B. Travis Wright, MPS is a 2022 Colorado Preservation Inc. State Honor Award recipient for his advocacy of Rollins Pass, President of the Board of the Grand County Historical Association, Vice Chair of the Gilpin County Historic Preservation Commission, and has written multiple academic works and published books about Rollins Pass and the Moffat Tunnel. Travis’ latest publication, "Rollins Pass: Past and Present" discusses 12,000 years of the Rollins Pass story and how the pass has served as a “Great Gate” across the Continental Divide. Travis is an FAA Part 107 certified drone pilot (and DronePro Representative with the FAA Safety Team); his aerial photography and cinematography have been featured in broadcast television as well as in both regional and international documentaries—including as a collaborating photographer for the Endangered Places Program with Colorado Preservation, Inc. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of Denver, Travis received a master’s degree with a concentration in alternative dispute resolution—helping to facilitate deliberative engagement methods designed to bring out the best in elected officials and volunteers while elevating community decision making processes.
Travis is a keynote speaker delivering presentations across Colorado and he has been interviewed for evening news, regional and international documentaries, podcasts, as well as for print and online newspaper articles related to Rollins Pass, the Moffat Tunnel, and historic preservation. He is also the recipient of a 2018 Archaeology and Historic Preservation Award for contributions to local history and historic preservation in Boulder County given by the Boulder Heritage Roundtable and Historic Boulder.
Travis sits on the Regional Council of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places Program (EPP), working with organizations to identify threatened historic resources, providing advice for competitive EPP nominations, assisting individual preservation projects on a limited basis, building partnerships at the local and regional level, publicizing and sharing successful project efforts with other EPP sites, and otherwise assisting the director with program implementation.
In select cases, Travis serves as a Section 106 consulting party; he is actively involved with and advocates for multiple historic preservation projects listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places across Colorado: East Portal Camp Cabins at the Moffat Tunnel, Balcony House at Winter Park Resort, Moffat Road/Hill Route (Rollins Pass/Corona Pass), the town of Selak in Granby, and a World War II prisoner of war (POW) camp in Fraser. As the Grand County Historical Association board president, Travis oversees four history museums: one is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and two are named as a Distinctive Destination of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; two other structures are listed on the State Register of Historic Properties.
Travis is also co-founder of Preserve Rollins Pass. Preserve Rollins Pass strives to fulfill a Native American adage: “In every deliberation, consider the impact of decisions on the next seven generations.” As one of Colorado’s Most Endangered Places, prehistoric and historic preservation of Rollins Pass are paramount. Through partnerships with state and federal representatives, Native American tribes, special interest groups across the nation, archaeologists, historians, and university professors, Preserve Rollins Pass applies strategic pressures to protect the integrity of this national historic district. Credited for their professional facilitation, negotiation best practices, and ability to deliver a “master class on how to make a point,” Preserve Rollins Pass makes the case for preservation, delivered through breathtaking videography and photography, modern marketing, technology, and presentation skills. These efforts—combined with active volunteer and public outreach, education, and field archaeology—have culminated in the collapse of significant threats to the area, including a proposed federal land exchange involving Rollins Pass.
Travis lives in the mountains of Colorado with his wife, Kate.
© btraviswrightmps.com | B. Travis Wright, MPS | Updated: January 1, 2023