The opportunity of a lifetime has arrived for Redstone resident Dr. John Emerick as he was recently appointed to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Commission on July 3 by Governor Jared Polis. Filling the member at large position, Emerick, a retired professor of environmental biology, will use a scientific lens to help set regulations and policies for Colorado’s state parks and wildlife programs.
“CPW has an enormous responsibility to manage hunting and fishing and our parks. We have a lot of state land out there,” said Emerick. “It’s certainly been an interesting agency to me because of my interest in park lands and wildlife. I applied for the position because I wanted to give back to the people and state that have given so much to me.”
A lifelong ecologist, Emerick is best known for his work with riparian, stream and wetland ecology. In the Roaring Fork and Crystal River valleys, he founded multiple watershed health and restoration efforts, including a three year assessment of the in-stream and riparian habitats with ecologist Delia Malone and the Roaring Fork Stream Health Initiative; this work continues onward with the Roaring Fork Conservancy.
Furthermore, Emerick has co-authored numerous books (e.g., “From Grassland to Glacier: The Natural History of Colorado”), conducts research with the Colorado Natural Heritage program, held board positions with Wilderness Workshop and ColoradoWild and currently serves as the Crystal River Caucus chair. As chair, he has advocated to thoughtfully conserve the flow and health of the Crystal River, including a current movement to designate it as Wild and Scenic. Across the state, peers have praised Polis for Emerick’s nomination, noting his versatility and commitment.
“The appointment of Dr. Emerick continues the unprecedented effort by Governor Polis to add to the professionalism and scientific expertise of the Commission by nominating an esteemed field expert whose career demonstrates his proficiency in the topics under the purview of the CPW,” said James Pribyl, Colorado Nature Action Board Chair and former CPW Commission chair.
Growing up, Emerick was raised to appreciate the natural world. His father was a geologist and the family often relocated to follow his studies; but Emerick’s fascination for ecology remained consistent. Recalling his youth, Emerick said he brought home snapping turtles and alligators from the Florida swamplands, Tucson desert tarantulas and, one time, a family of shrews.
“My dad would let them go, but I’d go out there and collect more,” laughed Emerick. “One of the things my dad taught me was that you have to be kind to critters. At some point I stopped collecting them and went another direction.”
That other direction became academia. After finishing his B.S. in fisheries biology from the University of Washington, he earned a M.A. and Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Colorado. During his graduate studies he met the late Dr. Beatrice Willard, an internationally recognized tundra ecologist who greatly influenced Colorado ecological education and policy. Willard, impressed by Emerick’s work, recruited him to teach at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). Together they developed the Department of Environmental Science and Ecology and became the first full-time faculty members to offer students a degree that married ecology, engineering and economics. Emerick continued teaching for two decades and found his greatest joy bringing CSM students into the field to explore various American West ecosystems.
“It was so much fun. The students were very focused on their studies, smart and a pleasure to work with,” said Emerick. “You build lifelong relationships with these students.”
Emerick retired from CSM in 2001 and said he is looking forward to this next chapter with CPW. Pending confirmation from the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee he could serve for four years and work with an esteemed group of commissioners such as Carbondale cattle rancher Tai Jacober and Farm Collaborative Executive Director Eden Vardy. Alongside Emerick, Polis appointed Frances Silva Blayney of Colorado Springs to CPW’s sportsmen and outfitters position.
“I am excited to appoint two well-qualified Coloradans who will bring people together and bridge divides,” said Polis. “Together these appointments will help bring down the temperature and move away from any politicization of this board.”
Emerick attended his first commissioner meeting on July 17-18 in Grand Junction and was struck by the collaborative atmosphere.
“So many of the staff and commissioners welcomed me,” said Emerick. “During the deliberations, there was a sense of decency and civility despite opposing viewpoints. That really impressed me.”
While he mostly listened during that first meeting, since he is digesting the depth of information, Emerick is excited to offer the commission his comprehensive insight.
“I really hope to bring a scientific viewpoint to managing the wildlife and ecosystems … It’s more than managing numbers of wildlife and predators — it’s taking a holistic viewpoint,” she said. “I don’t know how this is all going to work out, but it’s something that I’m very honored to be part of.”