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Cecily DeAngelo on Wildlife Crossings and Civic Duty
Manage episode 490364651 series 3402614
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Cecily DeAngelo read an article in the New York Times about wildlife crossings, and ever since, she has been laser-focused on developing wildlife crossings in the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado. She grew up there and has witnessed first hand the carnage along Pitkin County's roadways... dead bears, deer, elk, rabbits, and more and more moose. These vehicle wildlife accidents decimate wildlife in the Roaring Fork Valley and are responsible for 30% of vehicle accidents there.
What Cecily learned is that the Roaring Fork Valley, which runs from Aspen to Glenwood Springs, Colorado, is bisected in terms of wildlife and biodiversity. Highway 82, which runs parallel to the Roaring Fork River, has caused a dangerous divide for wildlife. To address this she formed Roaring Fork Safe Passages, a citizen-led coalition that raises awareness about the opportunity to build wildlife crossings, either overpasses or underpasses. Supported initially by the Aspen Skiing Company, she and her colleagues developed a "Prioritization Study" that ranks sections of the highway for safe crossings. Now, working with the communities in the Valley, and hopefully with the Colorado Department of Transportation, she is working raising funds to build overpasses in key areas, funneling wildlife in specific areas thanks to well-designed fencing for safe crossings.
The podcast also features Cecily's determination to get involved in politics. Inspired by the former president of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, who gave birth when in office, Cecily is passionate about urging young citizens -- reproductive age and underrepresented -- to take action and to get involved with school boards, commissions, and councils. In 2024, she ran for Snowmass Village City Council and won, expanding its female majority... working on key issues such as community planning, affordable housing, and sustainability. Despite the challenging juggling act of raising a family, managing Roaring Fork Safe Passages, and serving her community on City Council, Cecily is excited and fulfilled by positively influencing the region where she lives, and encourages others to follow suit.
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