Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland Visits Crested Butte to Celebrate the Mt. Emmons Mineral Withdrawal
The celebration of the Administrative Mineral Withdrawal on the Thompson Divide and Mt. Emmons continues. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited Crested Butte on June 30th to celebrate with the community on this success for public lands and conservation. View HCCA’s full press release.
Advocacy Director, Jon Hare, dives into the Red Lady package and its 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.
the Mt. Emmons and Thompson Divide Mineral Withdrawal is approved - Protecting Over 221,000 Acres from Hardrock Mining and Oil and Gas Leasing
April 3, 2024 - 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.
Update on Red Lady and Thompson Divide
As the fight to protect the Red Lady continues, Colorado U.S. Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper provided tremendous support as they urge the department to move quickly to initate protections.
A Message From Red Lady #45
Red Lady #45 Gears Up for the Grand Traverse
Read HCCA’s comments in support for the Thompson Divide and Mt. Emmons Mineral Withdrawal
HCCA’s comments to the BLM in support for the Thompson Divide and Mt. Emmons Mineral Withdrawal
High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) Welcomes Draft Conservation Easement Language that Will Prohibit Mining and Development on Red Lady
Mt. Emmons Mining Company (MEMC) and the Crested Butte Land Trust have agreed to draft conservation easement language that would prohibit mining and development on MEMC’s currently held private lands and lands proposed as part of the Mt. Emmons Land Exchange. This development is a critical part of the pathway outlined by the local community to end the threat of mining on Mt. Emmons (Red Lady). Once the land exchange agreement with the United States Forest Service (USFS) is finalized, the proposed easement and extinguishment agreements will be executed
45th Annual Red Lady Salvation Ball
For 44 years, the Red Lady Ball has brought together our community to not only celebrate another year of keeping Mount Emmons mine-free, but also to raise funds to sustain HCCA’s Red Lady defense fund until the threat of mining on Red Lady is gone forever.
This year’s Ball will commence at 6:00 p.m., featuring a happy hour with complementary appetizers, cocktail specials. At 7:30p.m., Floodgate Operators take center stage. And don’t forget the Red Lady coronation and the legendary raffle, which will take place around 8:30 p.m.
Paul Andersen and Julie Nania Discuss Red Lady at Public Policy Forum
It’s taken a village and decades of advocates to prevent the mining of Red Lady over the years. Two weeks ago HCCA had the privilege of fielding questions alongside Paul Andersen, one of the folks that reported on and participated in advocacy against AMAX’s push to develop a mine in decades past.
Red Lady Ball Recap!
High Country Conservation Advocates would like to thank everyone for supporting the 44th annual Red Lady Salvation Ball. We had to wait just a little longer this year, but thanks to the hard work and generous donations from so many of you, this year’s Ball was a huge success for all the right reasons. We soaked in the summer sunshine, danced to fabulous local music, supported the work to protect Red Lady/Mt. Emmons, and of course, we crowned our newest Red Lady—Audrey Anderson!
Path Cleared to Eliminate Mining at Red Lady
High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) is excited to announce another positive development in our community’s four decade-plus battle to save Mount Emmons (Red Lady) from a destructive molybdenum mine. This week the Town of Crested Butte, Gunnison County, and the Mount Emmons Mining Company (MEMC) agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that plots the path forward to end the threat of mining on Red Lady.
44th Annual Red Lady Salvation Ball
For 44 years, the Red Lady Ball has brought together our community to not only celebrate another year of keeping Mount Emmons mine-free, but also to raise funds to sustain HCCA’s Red Lady defense fund until the threat of mining on Red Lady is gone forever.
This year’s Ball will commence at 6:00 p.m., featuring a happy hour with complementary appetizers, cocktail specials. At 7:30p.m., Floodgate Operators take center stage. And don’t forget the Red Lady coronation and the legendary raffle, which will take place around 8:30 p.m.
HCCA on KBUT
Please take a moment to listen to this great interview from KBUT with our Water Program Director, Julie Nania, and Board President, Sue Navy.
Land Exchange and Mineral Withdrawal Proposed for Mount Emmons
Mt. Emmons Mining Company (MEMC), the owner of mine claims on Mt. Emmons, a prominent peak rising above the Town of Crested Butte and known locally as Red Lady, has initiated a federal review process for a land exchange with the U.S. Forest Service on properties in the Gunnison National Forest.