COLORADO ENVIRONMENTAL COALITION RECORDS

The Colorado Environmental Coalition is a non-profit, member-supported organization that focuses on environmental concerns within the state of Colorado, such as air quality, mining, nuclear waste, pesticides, public land management, water pollution, wilderness and wildlife protection.

History of the Coalition (abstracted from CEC website www.ourcolorado.org)

• 1965 Sixteen organizations form Colorado Open Space Coordinating Council (COSCC) to monitor and protect Colorado's outdoor resources. "Coordinating" is later dropped from the name, and in 1984 it is changed to Colorado Environmental Coalition.
• 1967 Coalition is presented Clean Air Award by the City and County of Denver.
• 1968 Coalition stops the proposed Red Buffalo Pass route for I-70 across the future Eagle's Nest Wilderness Area.
• 1969 Coalition begins one of the first battles to give long-term protection to Colorado's wild places by proposing that 422,000 acres be designated as the Weminuche Wilderness.
• 1970 Recognizing the harmful environmental impacts of the expanding oil shale industry, the Coalition fights for clean energy development during the 1970s.
• 1972 Coalition conducts citizen workshops in conjunction with the Roadless Area Review of federal lands. Citizen workshops, training and organizing become hallmarks of the Coalition's efforts to designate 4.5 million acres of Colorado wilderness.
• 1974 Congress approves the establishment of the 405,000-acre Weminuche Wilderness Area.
• 1975 Coalition's work leads to Congressional designation of 235,000 acres of wild lands as the Flat Tops Wilderness Area.
• 1976 Coalition wins a ten-year battle when the 133,000-acre Eagle's Nest Wilderness Area is designated by Congress.
• 1977 Coalition fights both the delay of auto emission standards and attempts to weaken the protection of air quality in national parks and wilderness areas.
• 1980 Colorado Wilderness Bill signed, permanently protects 1.4 million acres.
• 1982 Coalition helps turn back Interior Secretary James Watt's attempts to lease wilderness areas for oil and gas drilling.
• 1984 Name changed to Colorado Environmental Coalition.
• 1985 Coalition secures Wild and Scenic status for 76 miles of the Cache La Poudre River.
• 1986 Coalition begins the TimberWatch program to train local citizens to monitor and review Colorado timber sale activities.
• 1988 Coalition receives the American Rivers Conservation Colleague Award.
• 1989 Coalition begins monitoring all Bureau of Land Management proposals to lease potential wilderness areas and other lands for oil and gas development.
• 1990 The Coalition organizes activists to pass a strong Colorado Clean Air Act.
• 1990 Coalition helps halt construction of the Two Forks Dam and Reservoir on a wild stretch of the South Platte River.
• 1993 Coalition helps pass the1993 Colorado Wilderness Act, protecting nearly 650,000 acres.
• 1994 Coalition leads the Sustainable Transportation Coalition in building a broad statewide coalition in support of clean air, alternative transportation methods, and limits on sprawl.
• 1994 Coalition publishes the Citizens' Wilderness Proposal, recommending wilderness protection for 1.4 million acres of Bureau of Land Management lands, and coordinates 46 other groups supporting the proposal.
• 1995 Coalition spearheaded the adoption of an Urban Growth Boundary by the Denver Regional Council of Governments. The Coalition also helps ensure that the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission caps levels of harmful air emissions.
• 1995 Coalition lends expertise to local groups and helps block the proposed Deep Creek gravel quarry.
• 1996 Coalition celebrates ten successful years of the TimberWatch program.
• 1996 Coalition releases the Colorado Environmental Handbook. This report explores 14 environmental issues affecting Colorado and gives citizens tools to take action and protect their state.
• 1997 Coalition works collaboratively with grassroots citizen groups to mitigate sprawling development, protect open spaces, and activate the public on environmentally damaging projects.
• 1998 Coalition's volunteers, staff and partner organizations run a successful voter education and get out the vote campaign to help pass a ballot initiative to protect Colorado's air and water from corporate hog farms.
• 1999 Coalition helps pass ballot initiative to provide funding for light rail in the Denver metro area.
• 1999 Coalition starts reactivating and building support for the Citizens' Wilderness Proposal for Colorado's Bureau of Land Management lands. The Coalition becomes a founding member of the Colorado Wilderness Network, a coalition of organizations that endorse the Citizens' Wilderness Proposal.
• 2000 Coalition secures permanent protection for pristine areas of Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Great Sand Dunes National Parks, Black Ridge Canyons and Spanish Peaks Wildernesses, Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area, and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.
• 2001 After an extensive field inventory effort, the Citizens' Wilderness Proposal expands to include 270,000 acres in 17 areas of newly identified wilderness-quality lands.
• 2001 Coalition organizes a series of Town Hall Meetings on Growth. From these meetings come potential solutions that would help ensure Colorado's responsible growth: comprehensive land use planning, protecting open space and ranchman, and transportation planning.
• 2001 Coalition teams with more than 30 conservation organizations across the Rocky Mountain West to promote responsible energy policy for Western lands, to protect the remaining wild places on our public lands, and to protect communities and citizens from unregulated energy development.
• 2004 Coalition helps pass Renewable Energy Initiative, assuring 10 percent of Colorado’s energy from renewable sources by 2014. Voters approve investment for full build-out of light rail, commuter rail and bus service.

1965

Sixteen organizations form Colorado Open Space Coordinating Council (COSCC) to monitor and protect Colorado's outdoor resources. "Coordinating" is later dropped from the name, and in 1984 it is changed to Colorado Environmental Coalition.

1967

Coalition is presented Clean Air Award by the City and County of Denver.

1968

Coalition stops the proposed Red Buffalo Pass route for I-70 across the future Eagle's Nest Wilderness Area.

1969

Coalition begins one of the first battles to give long-term protection to Colorado's wild places by proposing that 422,000 acres be designated as the Weminuche Wilderness.

1970

Recognizing the harmful environmental impacts of the expanding oil shale industry, the Coalition fights for clean energy development during the 1970s.

1972

Coalition conducts citizen workshops in conjunction with the Roadless Area Review of federal lands. Citizen workshops, training and organizing become hallmarks of the Coalition's efforts to designate 4.5 million acres of Colorado wilderness.

1974

Congress approves the establishment of the 405,000-acre Weminuche Wilderness Area.

1975

Coalition's work leads to Congressional designation of 235,000 acres of wild lands as the Flat Tops Wilderness Area.

1976

Coalition wins a ten-year battle when the 133,000-acre Eagle's Nest Wilderness Area is designated by Congress.

1977

Coalition fights both the delay of auto emission standards and attempts to weaken the protection of air quality in national parks and wilderness areas.

1980

Colorado Wilderness Bill signed, permanently protects 1.4 million acres.

1982

Coalition helps turn back Interior Secretary James Watt's attempts to lease wilderness areas for oil and gas drilling.

1984

Name changed to Colorado Environmental Coalition.

1985

Coalition secures Wild and Scenic status for 76 miles of the Cache La Poudre River.

1986

Coalition begins the TimberWatch program to train local citizens to monitor and review Colorado timber sale activities.

1988

Coalition receives the American Rivers Conservation Colleague Award.

1989

Coalition begins monitoring all Bureau of Land Management proposals to lease potential wilderness areas and other lands for oil and gas development.

1990

The Coalition organizes activists to pass a strong Colorado Clean Air Act.

1990

Coalition helps halt construction of the Two Forks Dam and Reservoir on a wild stretch of the South Platte River.

1993

Coalition helps pass the1993 Colorado Wilderness Act, protecting nearly 650,000 acres.

1994

Coalition leads the Sustainable Transportation Coalition in building a broad statewide coalition in support of clean air, alternative transportation methods, and limits on sprawl.

1994

Coalition publishes the Citizens' Wilderness Proposal, recommending wilderness protection for 1.4 million acres of Bureau of Land Management lands, and coordinates 46 other groups supporting the proposal.

1995

Coalition spearheaded the adoption of an Urban Growth Boundary by the Denver Regional Council of Governments. The Coalition also helps ensure that the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission caps levels of harmful air emissions.

1995

Coalition lends expertise to local groups and helps block the proposed Deep Creek gravel quarry.

1996

Coalition celebrates ten successful years of the TimberWatch program.

1996

Coalition releases the Colorado Environmental Handbook. This report explores 14 environmental issues affecting Colorado and gives citizens tools to take action and protect their state.

1997

Coalition works collaboratively with grassroots citizen groups to mitigate sprawling development, protect open spaces, and activate the public on environmentally damaging projects.

1998

Coalition's volunteers, staff and partner organizations run a successful voter education and get out the vote campaign to help pass a ballot initiative to protect Colorado's air and water from corporate hog farms.

1999

Coalition helps pass ballot initiative to provide funding for light rail in the Denver metro area.

1999

Coalition starts reactivating and building support for the Citizens' Wilderness Proposal for Colorado's Bureau of Land Management lands. The Coalition becomes a founding member of the Colorado Wilderness Network, a coalition of organizations that endorse the Citizens' Wilderness Proposal.

2000

Coalition secures permanent protection for pristine areas of Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Great Sand Dunes National Parks, Black Ridge Canyons and Spanish Peaks Wildernesses, Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area, and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

2001

After an extensive field inventory effort, the Citizens' Wilderness Proposal expands to include 270,000 acres in 17 areas of newly identified wilderness-quality lands.

2001

Coalition organizes a series of Town Hall Meetings on Growth. From these meetings come potential solutions that would help ensure Colorado's responsible growth: comprehensive land use planning, protecting open space and ranchman, and transportation planning.

2001

Coalition teams with more than 30 conservation organizations across the Rocky Mountain West to promote responsible energy policy for Western lands, to protect the remaining wild places on our public lands, and to protect communities and citizens from unregulated energy development.

2004

Coalition helps pass Renewable Energy Initiative, assuring 10 percent of Colorado’s energy from renewable sources by 2014. Voters approve investment for full build-out of light rail, commuter rail and bus service.