We would love your donations, and you can deduct us! Donate online, or just learn more here. Or call 970-259-3583 or email us.

Comments Due November 25!
Protect the Dolores River Watershed and Southwest Colorado Communities from Large Scale Natural Gas Development San Juan Public Lands have projected the development of approximately 1,800 new natural gas wells across 1,000 square miles of farmlands, canyons, mesas and upland forests bisected by the Dolores River in Dolores and Montezuma counties of Colorado. The SEIS and related documents are available at http://ocs.fortlewis.edu/forestplan

The Forest Service and BLM have a unique opportunity to create and follow a sensible and proactive management plan for the Gothic Shale play as the field is in an early stage of development with about 1/3 of the public land now leased for minerals. YOUR COMMENTS are needed to urge these federal agencies to plan wisely.

November 5, 2011 information and talking points

Gothic Shale Update

November 7, 2011, posted
The Durango Bag It! Campaign. Is your life too plastic? Say no to plastic bags.

View the award-winning documentary, "bag it" November 17, at the Smiley Building. 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm. durangobagit.com

Currently in Washington there are many Bills and riders (amendments to appropriation bills) that are being proposed or passed that would have terrible repercussions for those of us in the Four Corners region.  Two bills are listed below.  Read the full list of riders.

SJCA does not work on all the issues included, and has no position on many of these issues.  But there are many which will affect us here in the Four Corners, and many which do affect our work.  Please review this list and contact your Representative to voice your opinions.  To see how your Representative voted on any particular bill, and get contact information go to http://www.govtrack.us/

Bills the San Juan Citizens Alliance is watching:

Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011 (H.R. 2018) which passed the House on July 13th, without any legislative hearings. This bill would strip away long-standing protections provided by the Clean Water Act.
H.R. 2018 attacks the heart of the Clean Water Act and would shred this federal safety net by preventing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from ensuring adequate water quality standards to protect public health and the environment. This federal role is necessary to ensure that states do not give a pass to polluters at the expense of their downstream or adjacent neighbors. There is no state in the lower 48 that does not share a body of water with a neighbor. That fact alone should shut down debate. Americans need a minimum level of clean water and safe drinking water regardless of which state they live in. H.R. 2018 would force states into a race to the bottom.
In addition to crippling EPA’s ability to set a minimum “floor” for a state’s water quality standards, H.R. 2018 would make America’s water dirtier by handcuffing the EPA’s oversight of discharges of dredged or fill material, which pollute the nation’s waters.

The Wilderness and Roadless Release Act (H.R. 1581/S.1087), introduced in the House by Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and in the Senate by Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), proposes to roll-back protections for tens of millions of acres of roadless and wilderness-quality National Forest lands and public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. It is a wholesale assault to provisions of the law that protect these lands.  This is a large, and very dangerous bill that includes all kinds of favors for oil and gas companies.  For more information go to http://wilderness.org/content/anti-wilderness-bill-groups-across-country-sign-letter-opposition

Oil and Gas Surface Use Agreement to Help Landowners — If you are a landowner impacted by drilling, we have provided a copy of a Surface Use Agreement currently being given to land owners in La Plata County, Colorado, for your review.

An annotated version is also available containing commentary and perspectives offered by landowners with experience dealing with oil and gas companies coming onto their property.

Donate, Join, Renew, or Contribute!
Our fundraising program is supported in part by a challenge grant from Earth Friends Wildlife Foundation!

Act Locally: Support the Hermosa Creek Watershed Today! 6/28/11
San Juan Citizens staff and members have worked tirelessly to protect the Hermosa Creek watershed and all of its resource values over the past few years. Hermosa's natural abundance and "wild backyard" nature feature. NOW we are poised to move the effort forward one HUGE step by supporting the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act that Senator Bennet is poised to introduce to Congress later this summer. Senator Bennet needs to know that we are STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE of the legislation that was crafted by the collaborative Hermosa Creek Workgroup.
Read our overview.
Write Sen Bennet a letter today.

What you can do…

WRITE a letter to the editor in support of the legislation to the Durango Herald or the Durango Telegraph W

Let's join together to provide permanent protection for the Hermosa! For further information phone Jimbo Buickerood at 565-7191 (ext. 3) or Dan Randolph at 259-3583 (ext. 1).

Coal power plants in Four Corners see clean-up rules

The Environmental Protection Agency is cracking down on two of the nation's oldest and dirtiest coal-fired power plants, situated just 15 miles from one another near Farmington, N.M. The San Juan Generating Station and Four Corners Power Plant are both undergoing rule-makings that will require the facilities to reduce harmful emissions that negatively impact the region's air quality, public health, economies, and treasured public resources including Mesa Verde National Park and the Weminuche Wilderness.

This opportunity to address an important regional and national issue is unprecedented, and public input will be instrumental to ensuring the EPA's rules are as strong as they can be. Get involved and make sure your voice is heard in this critical process!

Find out more here.

What’s Hot - San Juan Forest Plan
The 20-year plan for managing 2.3-million acres of San Juan National Forest and public lands in the Dolores River basin was available for comment through April 11, 2008. The plan proposes new wilderness, wild river protection, and snowmobile-free areas. More>

• Watch a 10-minute video on YouTube - "The Drill Man Cometh"