Advocacy Director, Jon Hare, dives into the Red Lady package and it's protections for public lands.
This is definitely a great reason for all of us who love public lands to celebrate, yet at High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) we are focused on the next project in the Gunnison basin that is several years in formulation and moving toward completion in 2024. Right now, at our doorstep, the Mt. Emmons Land Exchange is the best chance this community has ever had to save the mountain known as Red Lady and the best opportunity to protect Gunnison Country from the impacts of a large-scale industrial mining operation.
Federal Judge Stops 35,000-Acre Fracking Plan in Western Colorado
A U.S. District Court judge today vacated a federal plan that allowed fracking across 35,000 acres of Colorado’s Western Slope.
The North Fork Mancos Master Development Plan would have allowed 35 new fracking wells in the North Fork Valley and Thompson Divide areas of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forests that provide habitat for elk, black bear and the imperiled Canada lynx and drinking water for downstream communities. Judge Marcia K. Krieger’s order prevents new drilling and fracking in the area.
Early Spring Public Lands Update
Spring is ramping up here in the high country, and with the promise of warmer weather I’m sorting camping gear, dusting off the lenses of my birding binoculars, and planning for summer public lands adventures. But in the meantime, I wanted to provide you with some updates and upcoming opportunities concerning our public lands.
Delta County rejects solar proposal that would generate millions in tax revenue
On March 2, the Republican-controlled Delta County Board of Commissioners rejected a proposed 80-megawatt solar project on private land that would have supplied the Delta-Montrose Electric Association with renewable energy. The 472-acre solar farm, creating enough local energy to power 18,000 homes annually, also would have generated an estimated $13 million in tax revenue over 15 years. This baffling decision was unsupported by law or fact, and flies in the face of energy independence, local control, private property rights, and other of their touted principles.
HCCA’s West Elk Coal Mine Advocacy Succeeds
As you may recall, in 2020 Mountain Coal Co. bulldozed a road into the Sunset Roadless Area to facilitate mine expansion, resulting in (amongst other things) a State-issued Cessation Order. On January 12, 2022, the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining, and Safety (DRMS) lifted that Cessation Order, but at the same time noted that Mountain Coal no longer has approval to construct roads under its state permit! If Mountain Coal sought such approval in the future, it would have to request a technical revision, a process that involves public notice and engagement opportunities
Sargents mine pollution raises worries
A mining company plans to propose that water quality standards on a creek near Sargents be lowered, a move that could allow more radioactive material to enter the Gunnison River watershed.
Coal mine commits to flaring methane under settlement
Mountain Coal Co. has committed to burning off methane and toxic pollutants through flaring at its West Elk Mine in the upper North Fork Valley while it pursues pollution permits, according to a lawsuit settlement approved by a federal judge Tuesday.
The consent decree was approved by U.S. District Judge Raymond P. Moore and requires the company to control its methane and volatile organic compound pollution using flares, and in the meantime, obtain legally required pollution permits, conservation groups said in a news release. The agreement will expire after Mountain Coal, a subsidiary of Arch Resources, complies with the terms of its pollution permits for two years.
Patagonia Film Screening and Local Clean Energy Discussion
Please join us for a screening of Patagonia’s “We the Power” followed by a discussion with rural cooperative organizers from the Sierra Club and Western Colorado Alliance. Learn more about the opportunity we have to push for change as part of Tri-State’s ERP process and discuss what we can do together to help power our community with affordable, clean energy.
Polis administration pushing green agenda, but isn’t objecting to coal mine royalty cuts worth millions
All six coal mines operating in Colorado last year won cuts to the royalties they paid to the federal or state government, denying treasuries millions of dollars and flouting policy claims by President Biden and Gov. Jared Polis to curb coal’s intense pollution.
Community Action Needed! Attend Tuesday’s Virtual Gunnison Ranger District Open House
On Tuesday, September 28, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, the Forest Service’s Gunnison Ranger District will host a virtual open house to discuss the GMUG’s draft forest plan and its alternatives. High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) is asking all of our members and supporters who care about the future of the Gunnison National Forest to attend and speak up on behalf of wilderness, wildlife, and sustainable recreation.
National Public Lands Day
On this year's National Public Lands Day HCCA partnered with the BLM to host a volunteer workday at Chance Gulch near Gunnison. We had 7 community members volunteer to spend their morning restoring and preserving critical mesic meadow habitat.
Attention Boaters, Anglers, and Water Rats: Wild & Scenic River Comments Needed
During the forest planning process, the public has the opportunity to weigh in on the unique qualities of our local creeks and rivers and to comment on whether certain segments are eligible for inclusion in the National Wild & Scenic Rivers System.
September Stewardship Opportunities
We are hosting THREE days of volunteer stewardship projects next week across the Gunnison Valley and are in need of your help in stewarding our public lands! Please consider volunteering for one of our upcoming stewardship projects listed below. Visit our Stewardship Page to view all volunteer events and read about past projects.
HCCA Meets With Senator John Hickenlooper
HCCA's Public Lands Director Matt Reed joined other community members last night for dinner, drinks, and conversation with Senator John Hickenlooper. They discussed public lands issues and opportunities facing Western Slope communities. Thank you Sen. Hickenlooper for listening and for sharing ideas.
Judge sides with conservation groups on stormwater
In a decision hailed by conservation groups as a win for water quality, a court has upheld a state decision to regulate a Gunnison County coal mine’s outlets as storm water drainages.
KBUT: Matt Reed says new GMUG Forest plan needs public input.
The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forest totals just short of 3 million acres across Colorado’s Western Slope. Once certified the new Forest Plan, which is open for public comment thru Nov. 12, will guide the GMUG decision for decades. Matt Reed wants the public to know how they can get involved, and talks about areas where he thinks the plan needs improvement.
Community Action Needed! Draft GMUG Forest Plan Released for Comment
On August 13, 2021 the U.S. Forest Service released its draft revised forest plan and draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest. This initiated a 90-day comment period that will conclude on November 11, 2021. Forest Plans provide a general framework to guide the management of a national forest regarding its resources, goods and services.
Groups Urge More Wilderness in GMUG National Forests' Draft Plan
The U.S. Forest Service has released its draft management plan for the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison national forests. The plan includes a significant increase in the amount of land that would be available for logging, and groups that advocate for public lands are raising concerns that it recommends only 34,000 acres of new wilderness across the forest.
GMUG releases draft forest plan for public review
The U.S. Forest Service has released its draft revised plan for managing the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, an action likely to be followed by intensified debate over how things such as logging, recreation and wildlife habitat should be managed on those forests in coming years.
The GMUG Draft Revised Forest Plan is Here!
At long last, the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forest published its draft revised forest plan and draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) today. This initiates a 90-day comment period that will conclude on November 11th, 2021. This is a critical opportunity for YOU to submit comments to the Forest Service…