Since 1972 the Crystal River Environmental Protection Association (CVEPA) has been fighting for the water, land, air, and rural and wilderness culture of the Crystal River Valley. Although we are a small, volunteer organization with no paid staff, we have an impressive history of fighting to protect the incredible environment surrounding us. CVEPA stopped the development of an alpine ski area above Marble, helped to oversee the reclamation of a major coal mine, helped prevent a proposed dam from destroying the upper Crystal River Valley, and continuously works to ensure public access to public lands around the valley.
We hope your mission matches ours. Dues start at $20 per year. Visit our Support CVEPA page and complete the New Membership Form and/or sign-up for our Newsletter.
We'd be happy to have you join us!
Twelve minutes of my drive to work takes me through the scenic north end of the Crystal Valley on Highway 133. It’s an opportune time to get centered; to plan the day; to observe nature’s beauty and the changing of the seasons; and, sometimes, to curse out the driver who just passed me going 70+ mph. I may have left the house intending to bask in awe at what God hath wrought, but I end up yelling at the empty road in front of me: “What the heck, dude? On a blind curve? Geez Louise!” Or, if I’m being honest, something more colorful.
These almost daily vehicular dustups certainly frustrate. So far, my experiences have been minor compared to those of some Crystal Valleyans. Folks have been driven off the road because of such circumstances. It’s extreme stuff to encounter on a curvy two-lane road bordered by the Valley wall and the river. Add nighttime driving, and those new low-beam headlights that sear your eyeballs, and safely reaching one’s destination can be a mini miracle.
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that endure as long as life lasts. There is symbolic as well as actual beauty in the migration of the birds, the ebb and flow of the tides, the folded bud ready for the spring. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night and spring after the winter.
Rachel Carson
Copyright © 2022 Crystal Valley Environmental Protection Association - All Rights Reserved.
PO Box 921
Carbondale, CO 81623
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