Crystal Petersen, Colorado Division of Wildlife

By Celine Hundt

On July 18, approximately 50 local residents attended an informational seminar entitled “Coexisting with Wildlife in Castle Pines North”. The seminar was rolled out to the community by Castle Pines North Master Association.  The meeting’s intent was to address residents’ safety concerns following recent sightings of mountain lions and a bear in the CPN vicinity.  Guest speakers at the event included Dave Hause, (Douglas County Park Ranger), Crystal Petersen (representing the Colorado Division of Wildlife), Jamie Moore, (Director, Emergency Management), and Sheriff Weaver.  Topics covered included co-existing with wildlife, security issues associated with open wireless internet connections and initiatives to improve the community’s response to natural disasters and emergencies.  The meeting also provided a forum to introduce an Emergency Preparedness Guide recently published by Douglas County Sheriff’s office.  This comprehensive guide covers a wide range of topics from avian flu to terrorism.  The publication will be distributed to homes in Castle Pines North over the next few weeks.

The seminar also sparked the interest of YourHub.com, a web site and weekly section of the Rocky Mountain News.  To read their in-depth coverage of the event click here.