CNAP Council

The Colorado Natural Areas Council was created by the Natural Areas Act of 1977, and renewed in 2004.  The advisory council provides advice on program administration and approves the designation of natural areas.  For more information, check out the Council News link.

CNAP Council Members

Kathy Yates (Chair) – Governor Appointee
Kathy Yates has worked with not-for-profit and profit organizations.  Experience includes general management, operations, human resources and training. She has expertise in leading internal change initiatives, business analysis, developing effective business processes, strategic planning, consensus driven decision making, problem solving and contingency planning. Kathy holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Claremont Graduate School in California, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Loyola Marymount University.
Appointed 2005

Dr. Lee Shropshire (Vice Chair) – Governor Appointee
Dr. Shropshire has lived in Colorado for 50 years and is an authority on the geology of the state of Colorado.  After receiving his doctorate in geology from the University of Colorado in Boulder, Dr. Shropshire served as a researcher, consultant and professor of geology at the University of Northern Colorado for 33 years.  After his retirement from UNC in 1998, Dr. Shropshire has been involved with the Geological Society of America, the Colorado Scientific Society and the Colorado Natural Areas Council, where he did a previous stint as a member from 1994-2002. 
Appointed 2004

Renee Rondeau – Governor Appointee
Appointed 2007

Jill Ozarski – Governor Appointee
Jill N. Ozarski is the Executive Director of the Colorado Coalition of Land Trusts, the umbrella organization uniting nearly 60 not-for-profit land trusts and local government open space programs across Colorado.  The Coalition supports its members across the state by providing important leadership at the state capitol, conservation trainings, policy updates, and public relations.  Ms. Ozarski has over a decade of experience in public and private land management, including work for The Wilderness Society, The Nature Conservancy, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Town of Southampton, New York. She received a Master of Public Policy and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University.
Appointed 2007

Dr. Tom W. Ready - Representative of the Colorado State Parks Board
Tom Ready's involvement with Colorado's outdoors began during his college years when he worked for Rocky Mountain National Park while studying zoology and geography. His interest in being part of the Parks board and Natural Areas Council came from the desire to preserve land in Lake Pueblo for use as wetlands and game areas. As a precinct chairman, third congressional chairman, state executive committee member and local party chairman, Ready has been actively involved in politics since 1973.
Appointed 2000

Dennis G. Buechler - Representative of the Colorado Wildlife Comission
Dennis is the Principal of Wetlands and Watersheds, LLC. He is a biologist with expertise on mitigation and restoration of habitats (particularly wetlands and riparian), endangered species, and related laws and policies. Dennis was selected by Governor Ritter to represent sportsmen. He is an avid hunter and angler, has actively worked on fish and wildlife issues in Colorado since 1989, and is a member of numerous sportsmen and conservation groups. Dennis is a Director Emeritus and past President of the Colorado Wildlife Federation. He retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and previously worked for the ND Game and Fish Department.
Appointed 2007

Michele ("Mike") Bloom - Board of Land Comissioners
Dean Emeritus of The Women's College of the University of Denver. She is an educator with over 40 years of experience in higher education and K-12 public education. Mike has served on a number of Advisory Committees and Boards of Directors including the Mental Health Association of Colorado, Girls Count, Colorado Springs Public Schools, the Denver Foundation, and the Rose Foundation. Mike and her husband Steve have lived in Colorado for almost 40 years. She is an avid birder and has traveled extensively throughout Colorado, the US and 22 foreign countries to watch and study birds and their natural habitats. They share their love of the natural world and a commitment to conservation with their three sons and three grandsons.
Appointed 2008