Local business owner sign-on form in support of the Thompson Divide and Mt. Emmons mineral withdrawal
You can participate as a local business owner by signing HCCA’s Petition
HIGH COUNTRY REPORT (Winter Newsletter)
Stay up to date with HCCA and view our latest High Country Report.
Farewell to Andi Bonato!
My name is Andi, and I am a second-year law student who has been a legal intern at HCCA since June 2022.
We’re nearly there- we need your help to get a mineral withdrawal for Red Lady and the Thompson Divide!
In early October Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland initiated an administrative withdrawal process for the Thompson Divide and lands surrounding Red Lady (Mt. Emmons).
Federal Land Management in Gunnison County
Did you know? 78% of land in Gunnison County is public land owned and managed by the federal government.
18th Annual Backcountry Film Festival comes to Crested Butte and Gunnison!
A fundraiser to benefit HCCA's Save Red Lady campaign, don’t miss this celebratory backcountry community event!
HCCA Annual Meeting Recording
Did you miss Paul Andersen's inspirational presentation, "Crested Butte and the Sacred Bond of Community" at our annual meeting? Want to see it again? Well, we've made it available for your viewing pleasure.
Breaking News: Biden Initiates a Mineral Withdrawal of the Thompson Divide and Lands Surrounding Red Lady!
This morning, October 12th, 2022, President Biden announced that he has initiated a mineral withdrawal of the Thompson Divide area and lands surrounding Mt. Emmons. This announcement is an enormous step forward with the plan to forever eliminate the threat of mining from Red Lady.
Environmental Racism / Environmental Justice (part 2)
In response to the historic and current environmental racism occurring in Colorado, the Colorado Legislature passed the Environmental Justice Act (“the Act”) on July 2, 2021.
Environmental Racism / Environmental Justice (part 1)
Nobody should have to experience the negative environmental impacts from industrial, governmental, and commercial activities, let alone bear a disproportionate burden of these impacts. Environmental racism is the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on low income communities and communities of color.
Highlighting Important Environmental Decisions: The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
The term infrastructure often brings up images of man-made structures in urban areas. However, infrastructure also includes natural infrastructure such as “healthy, functioning ecosystems that deliver clean air and clean water, support wildlife, sequester carbon, and are less prone to the effects of catastrophic wildfire.”
Recap: Labor Day Weekend Wet Meadow Restoration Project
Our Labor Day Stewardship Weekend was a huge success thanks to the hard work and volunteerism of this community. In partnership with the US Forest Service, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Upper Gunnison River Water Conservancy District, and Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, 61 volunteers spent three days restoring five acres of critical wildlife habitat and improving watershed health at Black Sage Pass in Waunita Park, and Miller Ranch State Wildlife Area in the Ohio Creek Valley.
Volunteer Opportunity: Labor Day Weekend Wet Meadow Restoration Project
Volunteers will spend time building rock structures to improve critical habitat for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse. We will use innovative, yet simple, restoration methods-small rock structures to raise the water table to support plants and insects needed by wildlife.
Highlighting Important Environmental Decisions: Colorado River Basin Emergency Plan
On June 14, 2022, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton declared that states in the Colorado River Basin, including Colorado, must create an emergency plan to stop using between 2 and 4 million acre-feet of water over the next year. States in the Colorado River Basin continue to negotiate and agree on a plan.
Willow Creek Fence Project Recap
High Country Conservation Advocates (HCCA) hosted their first volunteer stewardship day of the season partnering with the US Forest Service (USFS) and Gunnison Valley Mentors (GVM) to build a buck and rail fence to protect a critical riparian area. The project took place along Willow Creek, a stream that feeds into the Taylor Reservoir, an area that contains significant wetland vegetation and is often frequented by moose.
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.
Lawsuit Aims to Protect Western Colorado’s Air From Arch Coal’s West Elk Mine.
Conservation groups sued Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’s administration today over its failure to ensure the West Elk coal mine in western Colorado complies with state and federal clean-air laws.
Highlighting Important Environmental Decisions: The Endangered Species Act and Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill
As shown in the dramatic case of Tennessee Valley Authority v. Hill, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973 is a landmark piece of legislation that provides expansive protection for species at risk of extinction.
Highlighting Important Environmental Decisions: West Virginia v. EPA
On June 30, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the case of West Virginia v. EPA, restricting the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) power to limit carbon emissions from power plants.