BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Steve Glazer is the President for the Board of Directors for CCWC, and has been with the Coalition since its infancy when, as High Country Citizens' Alliance Water Director, he collected a few water samples from Elk and Coal Creeks in 2004, which helped to kick-start the EPA Superfund Standard Mine cleanup. Steve has been a resident of Crested Butte since 1969, and became involved with CCWC to identify and address the water quality concerns of Coal Creek and the land use issues affecting water quality protection. As a member of the Gunnison County Environmental Health Board, he pays particular attention to oversight of Individual Septic Disposal Systems installation and performance in the basin. His familiarity with the basin as well as involvement and understanding of the regulatory institutions and frameworks (he also sits on the Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District board, and has served on that board since 1999) is vital to the operation of the Coalition. Steve understands the collection of water quality data is important for decision/policy-makers, and in cooperation of multiple stakeholders, hopes to see the Standard Mine cleanup completed, oversee the continuing requirements, operation and performance of the Industrial Discharge Permit for the acid mine drainage from the old Keystone Mine and prevent any new threats to our watershed from mining proposals. Steve can be contacted at steve@hccaonline.org or 970-209-8512
Michael O'Loughlin is the Vice President of the Board of Directors for CCWC, and as a practicing attorney brings legal perspective and advice to the Board and the CCWC. His involvement with the Coalition stems from concern about the environment and water quality in our County, and wishes to see as many people as possible aware of the quality, or lack thereof, of the environment that they are living in. Mike grew up in Cleveland, Ohio and received his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Vermont, and his J.D. from the University of Denver, and moved to Gunnison in 2006. He expects the Coalition to continue to do good work in future, and keep informing the community of what is going on in the watershed. Michael can be contacted at mike@gunnisonlaw.net or 970-641-4900.
Harvey Castro was elected to Treasurer of the Board of Directors, and has served as an informed Crested Butte citizen on the Coalition since the beginning of the organization. Harvey has lived in Crested Butte for 15 years, and besides also drinking the water, he is concerned with maintaining a high quality water supply for the Town and maintaining a healthy ecosystem to support all plant and animal life in the watershed. With an MBA in science and liberal arts, and experience in development and presentation of written and graphic materials, meeting dynamics and organizational skills, he brings a lot to the administration of the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition. Expectations for 2008 and beyond include water (including storm-water runoff) sampling and strategies for remediation, and a better understanding of the impact of the iron fen on water quality. Harvey can be contacted at hbcastro@rmi.net or 970-349-0122
John Hess is a member of the Board of Directors, and as Crested Butte's Town Planner he not only drinks the water but also provides a Town perspective, grant writing and reporting, and land use planning. John heralds from West Seneca, NY, holds a Master of Architecture and has been a resident of Crested Butte for 17 years and with the CCWC since its inception. John is concerned about water quality and potential impacts to the Towns' water source, and has a strong interest in understanding water quality and how the quality could be affected by development in the town's watershed. He hopes to see a well-established water quality database for future effective remediation, and see the implementation of best management practices in the watershed to restore its health. John can be contacted at jhess@crestedbutte-co.gov or 970-349-5338.
Jim Starr is a member of the Board of Directors representing the public's interest. Jim has lived in Crested Butte since 1978, and has always played an active role in the community. He began as a member of the Board of Zoning and Architectural Review (BOZAR), this led him to joining the Town Council and becoming the Town Attorney. Jim was then a County Commisioner in Gunnison County, serving for 12 years. Jim decided to join the Board for the CCWC due to his concern for maintaining high water quality in Coal Creek and its surrounding streams. He hopes to see the CCWC follow through with reliable water quality monitoring and active mitigation of harmful pollutant sources. He also hopes CCWC will initiate and partner with other interested entities to expand monitoring and knowledge of the watershed. Jim can be reached at 349-5363, and mail can be sent to PO Box 1157.
The Coal Creek Watershed Coalition is also made up of a Steering Committee and Technical Committee which are open to all.
PROJECT COOPERATORS
These agencies have provided invaluable aid to our organization, both in funds and in-kind services.
US Forest Service The US Forest Service commissioned the first evaluation of the standard mine, owns most of the land in the watershed, and is heavily involved in the cleanup of Standard Mine. They also assist in permitting within the watershed.
State of Colorado's Non-Point Source Program This agency has provided the bulk of the funding for creating a Watershed Protection Plan and implementing the water monitoring program identified in the plan.
Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Remedial Program The EPA is currently remediating the Standard Mine Site and has analyzed water samples collected by the CCWC at no charge.
Western Hardrock Watershed Team (WHWT) The Coal Creek Watershed Coalition is a part of the Western Hardrock Watershed Team, a coalition of community/watershed improvement groups confronting the challenges that remain from historic mining in the West. They address environmental degradation and community impoverishment, providing rural mining communities with the skills and capacity they need to make their neighborhoods and watersheds better places to live and work.
The Colorado Department of Health and the Environment (CDPHE) has lent staff to assist in our water monitoring and has assisted us in other ways.
Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District The District provides applicable data from their sampling station at the mouth of Coal Creek.
Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund The Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund is financed by the Colorado checkoff program which provides tax payers the opportunity to contribute a portion of their tax return or to make a donation to assist locally-based conservation groups in their efforts to protect our land and water resources. Since 2003, Colorado citizens have directly contributed $560,000 to the Colorado Healthy Rivers Fund.
Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB) The CWCB provided funding for a riparian assessment completed in 2009. The assessment has identified major problem areas in the riparian corridor to be addressed as funding is secured.
Staff
Director - Anthony Poponi has been with the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition since April of 2006, having lived in Gunnison since 2005. Originally from Woodbury, NJ he has always been involved in environmental protection issues whether it be through research, education, or outreach and is a Certified Educator with a BS in Biology. The Director position involves all of these aspects, and Anthony spends many long nights thinking about the watershed. His technical expertise in water quality monitoring and data analysis has helped the CCWC gather vital information on the watershed and the Board is excited to have him join the effort for another year. The Coalition is poised to transition from monitoring and evaluation to remediation in the next few years - and will hopefully see results in the aquatic and terrestrial environments. The Coordinator position is funded largely by the State of Colorado's Non-Point Source Program. Contact Anthony at coordinator@coalcreek.org or (970) 596-7496.
VISTA Member - Zach Vaughter, an Office of Surface Mining VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) member, started in November 2011 with the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition. Zach originally hails from Nashville, TN. He attended Appalachian State University in Boone, NC where he graduated with a BA in Sustainable Development with a focus on Environmental Justice. He started working with the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition in June 2011 as a Summer Associate in a 10-week AmeriCorps Summer Program where he predominantly focused on field work pertaining to water quality monitoring, habitat restoration, and erosion control. He has been eager to shift into his new role and continue the ongoing projects conducting water quality monitoring to expand the Coalition's understanding of Coal Creek's ecological health; implementing restoration projects; volunteer organization, and conducting outreach and educational activities to increase public stewardship of the watershed. Contact Zach at zach@coalcreek.org and (615) 594-4676.
Bring your opinion to the table and join us at our next meeting see our Calendar of Events for meeting dates.
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