16 Dec Action Alert! BLM Proposes to Cancel Leases in the Thompson Divide

In a just released a Draft Environmental Impact Statement, BLM proposed to completely cancel 18 and partially cancel 7 of the 65 illegally issued leases on the White River National Forest. If adopted, BLM’s proposal will protect tens of thousands of acres in the Thompson Divide from development and ensure that pristine roadless lands aren’t bulldozed for new oil and gas development.

To gather input on whether or not to cancel the leases, BLM is holding three public meetings. They’ll be gathering public comments and watching very closely to see if the Thompson Divide community shows up. But this is critically IMPORTANT to the North Fork Valley. If the leases are cancelled there are no leases to exchange in the Hubbard Park area up Stevens Gulch. The CHC Board is opposed to any proposed lease exchange. So we need to be there en masse to demonstrate how important it is that these leases are cancelled. Here are the details (all meetings are from 4:00 to 7:00 pm):

• Glenwood Springs – Dec. 14 | Glenwood Community Center, 100 Wulfson Rd.
• De Beque – Dec. 15 | DeBeque Elementary School, 730 Minter Ave
• Carbondale – Dec. 16 | Roaring Fork High School, 2270 Hwy 133

If you would like to carpool or need assistance getting to the meeting please contact us at info@citizensforacommunity.org.

In addition please act now, and tell BLM to stand strong behind their proposed lease cancelations and go further, by canceling all the illegal leases! 

This BLM process was initiated after years of advocacy by citizens, Wilderness Workshop, Earthjustice and Pitkin County. This DEIS is BLM’s attempt to resolve the fact that they issued the 65 leases illegally. The leases were sold with no environmental analysis by BLM, no roadless protections, and no consultation with experts at the Fish and Wildlife Service.

The only way to adequately remedy these fundamental errors is to clean the slate by cancelling the leases. Please act now and urge BLM to void the leases! 

Local communities cherish the lands in question; they include large portions of the Thompson Divide and swaths of inventoried roadless areas. Lands at risk contain some of the best and last undisturbed swaths of aspen forest in the state and provide important habitat for wildlife, unparalleled backcountry recreation, and clean water to people in local communities and throughout the Colorado River Basin, including the North Fork Valley.

We know that the fossil fuel industry will try to use its lobbying muscle to prevent BLM from finalizing this proposal, so your voice is needed. Please take a moment now and send BLM a message urging them to cancel the illegal leases and to protect the Thompson Divide and nearby roadless areas on the White River National Forest.

Convincing the BLM to do the right thing will require everyone to help out. Please invite your friends, family, and anyone else who loves these public lands to join you and comment as well.

Thank you for adding your voice to this important campaign.