It has been a long, slow evolution in the United States to achieve the environmental standards and protections that the American people have come to benefit from. We stand stunned at the short period of time that these achievements have unraveled. Clean air and water… are they not inalienable rights? Greed, an unquenchable thirst for […]
Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association
Posted inColumns
CVEPA VIEWS: Unite, baby, unite
Whether you viewed November’s election results with delight, disinterest or dismay, most of us find ourselves suffering from political fatigue right now. We’re shutting off the TV, avoiding the web and trying to ignore the news. But as tempting as it might be to hide under the covers, so many important issues need our attention, […]
Posted inColumns
Farewell, Ranger
I was deeply saddened by the loss of yet another Crystal Valley icon, a man who spent his career defending wildlife and an ally for the quality of life we all cherish here. The passing of John Seidel last week brings a tear and evokes many precious memories of our dear friend. John worked as […]
Posted inColumns
CVEPA Views: A conundrum, pure and simple
The news of the massive methane leaks emanating from the abandoned Coal Basin Mine above Redstone for years was shocking to many, but not to all. Anyone familiar with the Mid-Continent Coal and Coke (MCCC) mine knows that it was one of the most gaseous mines in the West.The horrific gas blast of April 15, […]
Posted inOpinion
CVEPA Views: Winter of ‘83 stampede
The breaking of branches and the thunder of hooves struck trepidation in my heart. The fading light of December dusk made the scene even more surreal. My girlfriend and I were directly in the path of a stampede of about 50 elk! The snow was so deep and the autumn so cold that the elk […]
Posted inOpinion
CVEPA Views: Nuts! An American Tragedy
I found myself giggling with the exhilaration of each steep, sinuous turn. We descended rapidly down a perfect ribbon of asphalt as if on a roller coaster. We had driven almost 3,000 vertical feet up from Italy’s Mediterranean Sea coast to hike the subalpine spine of the Ligurian Apennines. This hundred mile long mountain chain […]
Posted inEnvironment
Crystal River augmentation study raises hopes and concerns
Just downstream of the confluence of Avalanche Creek and the Crystal River, a 50-acre floodplain has become a site of optimism — and controversy — among water users in the Crystal River Valley. Early this summer, the West Divide Water Conservancy District and the Colorado River Water Conservation District published a report on a joint […]
Posted inColumns, Opinion, Uncategorized
CVEPA Views: Reverence for words
Management plans, stakeholder groups, augmentation proposals, land exchanges… it goes on and on. If one tracks issues important to our valley, the terminology can become heavy. A little levity might be in order to maintain balance. I love etymology, the study of words (not bugs), how they got their meanings — how words develop. I […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
CVEPA celebrates 50 years
For its 50th anniversary celebration at Sunfire Ranch on Sunday, Aug. 21, the Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association welcomed well over a hundred attendees, ranging from longtime supporters to newcomers bracing to take up the charge of protecting the Crystal Valley for another 50 years to come. Founding board member Karin Lindquist, 85, traveled from […]