the Mt. Emmons and Thompson Divide Mineral Withdrawal is approved - Protecting Over 221,000 Acres from Hardrock Mining and Oil and Gas Leasing

For more information contact: Julie Nania, Red Lady Program Director at High Country Conservation Advocates, Julie@hccacb.org,  (509) 999-0012; Ian Billick, Mayor of Crested Butte, Ian@ianbillick.com; Jonathan Houck, Gunnison County Commissioner.  JHouck@gunnisoncounty.org; Roger Flynn, Western Mining Action Project. Roger@wmaplaw.org; Ashley Bembenek, Coal Creek  Watershed Coalition, Abembenek@yahoo.com  

April 3, 2024 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CRESTED BUTTE, CO – Today, Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland took action to protect the Mt.  Emmons and Thompson Divide area from new mining claims and oil and gas leasing. President Biden first announced the intent to protect this area at the designation of the Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument in October of 2022.  

As a result of this action, over 221,000 acres will be protected from new oil and gas leases and the filing of new mining claims for a 20-year period. The Secretary’s decision results after an extensive show of support during the public review process for the proposed action. Over 50,000 comments were submitted to the Bureau of Land Management and United States Forest Service in support of the mineral withdrawal.  

The stated purpose of the proposed withdrawal is to protect and preserve cultural, agricultural, ranching, wildlife, air quality, recreational, ecological, and scenic values in the Thompson Divide area of Colorado from potential impacts that might arise from mineral exploration and development. A secondary purpose of the withdrawal application is to retain a more contiguous landscape with more efficient and effective management of federal public lands.  

Jonathan Houck, Gunnison County Commissioner, shared that, “Gunnison County is proud to have worked with a team of strong partners to bring forth the opportunity to take this monumental step forward on removing the threat of mining on Mt. Emmons. The citizens of Gunnison County have never backed away from this challenge and for decades have been persistent in their desire to remove  the threat of mining on Red Lady—today we celebrate with every one of them and thank them for their advocacy and dedication to the place we call home.”  

Mayor of Crested Butte Ian Billick added, “Catalyzed by High Country Conservation Advocates, protecting the Red Lady has been a community effort spanning 50 years, involving generations of community members, activists, and politicians. This is a major success that we collectively made happen! It’s time to celebrate!”  

The benefits of this withdrawal are extensive for the local community. For over four decades, the community of Crested Butte has opposed the development of a large molybdenum deposit located in its drinking water watershed. Members of High Country Conservation Advocates have been  protesting this development since the 1970s. Sue Navy, Board President of High Country Conservation Advocates, shares:  

“‘Save Red Lady!’ has been a rallying cry in Crested Butte since 1977, when our beloved mountain was first threatened with a massive molybdenum mining operation. Now, 47 years later, we are finally seeing resolution to this long-fought, heartfelt battle, allowing our mountain valleys to thrive mine-free long into the future.” 

The community has also been working for decades to address impacts from legacy mining operations on local water supplies. Coal Creek Watershed Coalition has been coordinating the effort to improve impaired waters above the town of Crested Butte. Ashley Bembenek, Executive Director of the Coal Creek Watershed Coalition, shares that, “CCWC is thrilled that the mineral withdrawal is complete because it protects our community’s water supply and local watersheds. We are grateful for the hard work of every person that helped make the withdrawal possible.”  

The protections for the Thompson Divide and area surrounding Mt. Emmons come after decades of  community advocacy to protect these resources. The withdrawal is part of an ongoing effort to end new mining activities in the headwaters of the Gunnison Valley. “This is a monumental moment for our community. It’s the first step in protecting our headwaters from large-scale mining,” said Julie  Nania, Red Lady Program Director for High Country Conservation Advocates. “We’ve worked for  decades to protect the headwaters of the Gunnison River and the area surrounding Mt. Emmons from  industrial development that would impair our water quality and impact our wildlife populations.  Secretary Haaland’s action will protect our wildlife, water resources and the spirit of our community.  The support for this effort has been overwhelming, from members of the public to our representatives  who have worked tirelessly to support this process.”  

“This mineral withdrawal is a key element in ending the threat of mining on the Red Lady,” noted  Roger Flynn, Managing Attorney and Director of the Western Mining Action Project, which has  represented HCCA for over 30 years. “This withdrawal, plus the pending conservation easement and extinguishment of mining and water rights on and around Mt. Emmons, will finally achieve the  community’s long-sought goal of a mine-free Red Lady.”  

The environmental assessment that preceded the withdrawal action recognized the importance of this area for diverse uses, noting that, “The Thompson Divide withdrawal application area is relied upon for its multi-use values – by local grazers for summer range, sportsmen and women for its superlative hunting and angling opportunities, and recreationists for a broad range of year-round activities.  Protecting the Thompson Divide area from energy development impacts has long been the goal of a diverse group of stakeholders, including hunters, ranchers, conservationists, and local governments.”  

“This Withdrawal is a critical layer of protection for public lands over the next 20 years. It prevents the impacts of new oil, gas and mining operations and brings positive outcomes like maintaining wildlife habitat connectivity between the Gunnison, Paonia, and Aspen zones; conserving large acres of public lands that are wild and accessible for people to use for recreation; shutting off climate impacts like  emissions,” emphasized Jonathan Hare, Advocacy Director, High Country Conservation Advocates.  

The approval of the administrative mineral withdrawal has provided important interim protections against mineral and oil and gas development in this area for the next 20 years. Permanent protection of the Thompson Divide would be secured through enacting the CORE Act through Congress.  

High Country Conservation Advocates is a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Crested Butte, Colorado, whose mission is to protect the health and natural beauty of the land, rivers and wildlife in and around Gunnison County now and for future generations. 

The Coal Creek Watershed Coalition is dedicated to protecting and restoring Crested Butte’s  local watersheds by increasing the use of locally collected data and science-based land and water management practices that protect or improve water quality, high-quality habitat, and resilient ecosystems. 

The Western Mining Action Project, based in Lyons, CO, is a non-profit public interest law firm focusing on hardrock mining issues in the West.