Category: "Uncategorized"

Q&A with Anna Jones

July 18, 2016

Anna_JonesAnna Jones is the new Executive Director of the North Denver Cornerstone Collaborative, a collection of six major redevelopment projects in Denver’s Corridor of Opportunity. Since its creation in 2013, the NDCC has achieved notable milestones including completing design for Brighton Boulevard redevelopment, completion of the National Western Center master plan, and having neighborhood plans in place for Globeville and Elyria Swansea.   What are you most excited about in your new role? The projects that fall within the NDCC portfolio are not small or timid – they are big and visionary. Being part of an effort that is borne of the understanding that the tremendous opportunities that come with the rapid growth facing Denver also create many challenges and pressures that can destabilize neighborhoods – is a big responsibility. I am passionate about Denver, its character and history, and I think this position gives me an opportunity to help shape a place that is better for every one of its residents. The plans Kelly Leid and his team have created in the 3 years have created a thoughtful and exciting framework and I consider myself lucky to be part of the team involved with implementation those plans.   What is your first priority? Listening first and foremost to the residents of Elyria, Globeville and Swansea to ensure their priorities are being heard. These neighborhoods have been underinvested for such a painfully long time that getting them to par with the rest of Denver in terms of basic infrastructure: curb, gutter, maintained roadways – is a heavy lift in and of itself. In addition to establishing a “base level” of infrastructure investment, I’m excited to work with the communities to facilitate better access to the South Platte, improve parks, and look for near-term strategies to address rising housing costs, provide greater access to fresh food, and leverage opportunities to provide more workforce and job development opportunities.   What would you like people to know about the NDCC or a specific project (particularly that you think is not well-known)? Watching efforts unfold that will physically reconnect the neighborhoods of G/E/S to the City of Denver via better bike, ped and vehicular access. I am excited to watch planning unfold for Washington Street through the Globeville neighborhood.  Washington Street is many things to many people, and addressing all the needs – from industry, to kids walking to school, to business development – will be a challenging and rewarding effort.  No matter what the outcomes, I hope creative strategies can be implemented in the near term.  

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Media Tip Sheet: Wildfire, emergency preparedness experts at CSU available to discuss current issues, topics

July 11, 2016

Note to Editors: As Colorado and the nation's wildfire season continues, CSU is providing the following list of experts who can address a variety of information about wildfires and emergency preparedness. Additional experts are available. Below are CSU experts whose work is most relevant to current wildfires.  The tip sheet can be found at source.colostate.edu/media-tip-sheet-wildfire and will be updated with new experts periodically. The tip sheet is intended to provide resources to the media but not contact information for the public. Wildfire behavior and risk, mitigation, economics, forest health Tony Cheng, professor in the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship and director of the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute Strategies and challenges associated with managing forests and forest fires in Colorado and across the Western U.S., how organizations address wildfire threats, from national-level policy to local community wildfire mitigation and forest restoration efforts Media contact: Mary Guiden, mary.guiden@colostate.edu, 970-491-6892 Kristin Garrison, Colorado State Forest Service assistant division supervisor, Fire/Fuels Management Cooperative fire programs with other states, prescribed fire - pile burning in winter to reduce fuels resulting from forest management actions - and CSFS-administered competitive grants that help recipients address wildfire risk in Colorado. Media contact: Ryan Lockwood, ryan.lockwood@colostate.edu, 970-491-8970 Chad Hoffman, assistant professor in the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Fire behavior and modeling, fuels management and wildfire hazard and risk reduction, disturbance ecology, fire and bark beetle interactions, fire and forest pathogen interactions Media contact: Mary Guiden, mary.guiden@colostate.edu, 970-491-6892 Rich Homann, Colorado State Forest Service staff forester, Cooperative Fire Programs Colorado Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (CO-WRAP), a CSFS-managed online mapping tool that provides access to statewide wildfire risk assessment information at https://www.coloradowildfirerisk.com/ Media contact: Ryan Lockwood, ryan.lockwood@colostate.edu, 970-491-8970 Courtney Peterson, Colorado State Forest Service Wildfire Mitigation education coordinator Fire mitigation near homes and communities; Community Wildfire Protection Plans in Colorado; the Firewise Communities USA program; Fire Adapted Communities; and questions about CSFS educational programs that address fire mitigation Media contact: Ryan Lockwood, ryan.lockwood@colostate.edu, 970-491-8970 Doug Rideout, professor in the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship and director of the Western Forest Fire Research Center Economics and management of wild and prescribed fires, the wildland-urban interface, strategic analysis and budgeting of fire programs, fuel management and initial attack systems Media contact: Mary Guiden, mary.guiden@colostate.edu, 970-491-6892 Monique Rocca, associate professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Wildland fire management, invasive species, climate change, and land use change Media contact: Mary Guiden, mary.guiden@colostate.edu, 970-491-6892 Irene Shonle, director of CSU Extension in Gilpin County Works with residents of Gilpin County on emergency preparedness and fire mitigation. Media Contact: Joanne Littlefield, joanne.littlefield@colostate.edu, (970) 491-4640, (970) 980-5880 Weather Nolan Doesken, Colorado State Climatologist Short- and long-term Western weather conditions that cause or sustain wildfires, outlook for potential new ignitions Media Contact: Anne Manning, anne.manning@colostate.edu, 970-491-7099 Health effects Sheryl Magzamen, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences Potential health effects of wood smoke Media contact: Mary Guiden, mary.guiden@colostate.edu, 970-491-6892  John Volckens, professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and CSU Energy Institute Air pollution sources, emissions, and health effects from smoke, particulate matter and combustion byproducts; occupational and environmental exposure and risk assessment Media contact: Anne Manning,  anne.manning@colostate.edu, 970-491-7099 Protecting pets, horses and livestock, including emergency preparedness Ragan Adams, veterinarian in the Department of Clinical Sciences Animal disaster response planning in the context of general emergency preparedness on personal and community levels Media contact: Mary Guiden mary.guiden@colostate.edu, 970-491-6892 Sharon Bokan, small acreage coordinator, Boulder County Extension Issues encountered on small acreages including pasture and grazing management, weed management, emergency preparedness, livestock information. Media Contact: Joanne Littlefield, joanne.littlefield@colostate.edu, (970) 491-4640, (970) 980-5880 Rebecca Ruch-Gallie, veterinarian and assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences How temperatures in the summer can affect dogs, cats and other pets; the effects of wildfire smoke on pets. Media contact: Mary Guiden mary.guiden@colostate.edu, 970-491-6892 Mental and emotional impacts of trauma Shawn Whitney, assistant director of the CSU Center for Family and Couple Therapy The mental and emotional impacts of trauma, such as the loss of a home to wildfire. Media contact: Jeff Dodge, Jeff.Dodge@colostate.edu, 970-491-4251

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