“Farmers and ranchers play a critical role as stewards of much of our state’s open space,” said Pam. “It will be exciting to work with them to try to hammer out what more can be done to support their efforts.”
Pam Kiely
Land Use Associate
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Pam Kiely, the new Land Use Associate, comes to Environment Colorado with a passion for the environment and a lot of energy.
Before arriving in Denver this fall, Pam spent her summer captaining a 30-ft sailboat for Outward Bound’s sea program off the coast of New England, where she grew up.
Teaching groups of teenagers about marine ecosystems and instilling in them a sense of environmental stewardship was a challenge she enjoyed, and one that prepared her for the task of trying to instill a similar care for the environment in Colorado’s state and municipal leaders.
Her job researching and advocating sound environmental policy is a natural extension of her time working in outdoor education. As an undergraduate at Harvard University, Pam led freshman orientation backpacking trips and she thinks that the “Leave No Trace” guidelines she taught her groups could provide a great model for land management and development.
From her early experience of natual beauty and clean air, Pam believes that everyone should be able to live in a place where they can enjoy open space, and she is inspired by the dramatic beauty of Colorado. Yet, while the mountains are much taller and the ocean is only a distant memory, Pam thinks Colorado can learn a lot from small New England towns, like the one she grew up in.
Describing her hometown as a “smart growth bubble” (though it was incorporated back in 1645 before phrases like mixed use and multi-modal were even invented), Pam grew up thinking it was normal to be able to bike to school, walk downtown to the grocery store, and hop on the commuter rail whenever she wanted to go to “the big city” (Boston).
Pam is committed to promoting sustainable development and growth policies that preserve and enhance the natural environment, as well as create a true sense of community that she feels many places don’t even realize they are missing.
Since she joined Environment Colorado staff in August, Pam has authored a report documenting the rapid loss of agricultural lands in Colorado and the critical environmental and economic impacts of losing these working landscapes.
To follow up on her findings, Pam hopes to put together a coalition with agricultural interests to start working on developing policies that would reinforce the value of our farm and ranch lands. “Farmers and ranchers play a critical role as stewards of much of our state’s open space,” said Pam. “It will be exciting to work with them to try to hammer out what more can be done to support their efforts.”
This summer, Pam will be directing a citizen outreach office in Boulder, getting the word out about Environment Colorado and their final push to protect 4.4 million acres of Colorado’s national forest lands. “I’m really looking forward to it,” she says. “It will be exciting to work with a team of enthusiastic college students who really care about making a difference by fighting to preserve the very areas that define our state.”
The Roadless Area Review Task Force will be making its recommendation to Gov. Owens this fall about whether or not to protect these lands, so this summer’s grassroots focus will be on making it politically impossible for the recommendation to be anything but full protection by demonstrating widespread citizen support. Pam is ready to start talking to as many Coloradans as possible, educating them about the urgency of this fight, and showing them the huge opportunity that exists for success. |
