December 10, 2009

Gopa Ross-After living near Niwot Colorado for 26 years, Gopa’ moved to Southern Colorado between Weston and Stonewall off highway 12 overlooking the Culebra Mountain Range of the Sangre de Cristos in 2004.  Gopa’ holds advanced degrees in education, child development, and has worked as an Early Childhood Administrator, teacher, counselor, and Special Ed. Service Coordinator. Gopa ’purchased property on the North Fork Ranch to build a home office and develop an intervention program for children, more than five years ago. Many residents in her new community were expressing concerns about contamination of their water wells and streams due to Coal Bed Methane operations in nearby canyons in Las Animas County. At this time she became actively involved with Sierra Club and is now a lifetime member. In July 2006 her water well was contaminated by CBM drilling when Pioneer Natural Resources was drilling on State Trust Land. Gopa has been the Rocky Mountain Chapter’s CBM Special Issues Chair for several years. Gopa’ continues to be a Sierra Club activist demanding “best management practices” from extractive gas industries to protect the environment and promote the protection of water resources. Several Sierra Club members on the North Fork Ranch and other areas of Las Animas County are also actively defending the environment, wildlife, and our water resources. Additionally, Gopa’ also actively participates in traditional Indigenous ceremonies year round on an intertribal unified basis. She enjoys hiking, visiting with family and friends, ceremonial singing and drumming, watercolor painting, beading and making drums.

email:Gopa.Ross@rmc.sierraclub.org