This summer the San Juan Citizens Alliance teamed up with Ecoflight for a flyover of the Southern San Juans. EcoFlight is a nonprofit organization that educates and advocates for the protection of remaining wild lands and wildlife habitat using small aircraft….
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2023 DOLORES, Colo.— Forest advocates sued the U.S. Forest Service today for violating environmental laws when it approved a nearly 23,000-acre timber sale that would cut large, century-old ponderosa pine trees and threaten wildlife in…
Please join the San Juan Citizens Alliance in showing our support for BLM’s new public lands rule on Conservation and Landscape Health. The new rule emphasizes the importance of conservation on federal public lands and creates and refines tools to protect wildlife habitat, cultural resources, and ecosystem services.
Close your eyes and imagine you are sitting next to a stream. What do you see? What do you hear? You may be imagining noises associated with a babbling brook with water quickly moving down-gradient. Perhaps you see a bright green strip of vegetation next to the stream that transitions to sagebrush and pine as the ground rises away from the streambed. Do you see wildlife? Do you see beavers?
Encourage the Bureau of Land Management to honor Greater Chaco by limiting exploitative extraction industries!
Wolf Creek Pass, straddling the Continental Divide between Pagosa and Del Norte along the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forest boundary, is a haven for wildlife – including critical habitat for the endangered Canada lynx and an important migration…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 21, 2022 A Federal District Court Thursday once again rejected plans by the would-be developers of the Village at Wolf Creek to gain access across national forest lands for the ill-conceived project. Senior Federal Judge Christine…
Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit heard oral arguments related to the Trump administration’s illegal approval of more than 370 drilling permits in the Greater Chaco region of northwest New Mexico. Attorneys with the Biden administration defended the…
Bighorns need our help! Disease from domestic sheep is threatening bighorns in Colorado. We need CPW to help close high risk domestic allotments.
Today, four northwest New Mexico community groups, along with the Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy (CCAE), joined an appeal to the state’s Supreme Court challenging the rejection of a merger between PNM Resources and Avangrid, a global leader in renewable energy.
Living a green life is the ultimate goal, right? You’re doing better by the environment, making sustainable choices, and even potentially bringing down your expenses. What’s more, by living a greener life, you’re doing your part to help address climate…
Expose Enchant Energy – We need your voice in asking the Farmington BLM to do a comprehensive environmental analysis of this project that includes thorough public participation.
Enchant Energy is a company that seeks to continue burning coal at the San Juan Generating Station outside of Farmington, NM after it closes in Summer 2022.
Rivers and streams in the West are facing a lot of challenges these days, especially in the face of an undeniably warming world. As climate change progresses, our waterways are increasingly stressed by worsening droughts, wildfire, and diminished flows. The…
Or linked here: https://www.sanjuancitizens.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Hydrogen-Press-release-October-5-2021.docx.pdf
Spring is upon us and in Southwest Colorado that means forthcoming elections for the La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) Board of Directors. Each year, the member-owners of LPEA (anyone with an electric meter account) choose the directors to manage the electric cooperative….
Today the New Mexico Public Regulation Commission (PRC) approved the abandonment of San Juan Generating Station, a ruling long in the works after months of painful legal back-and-forth. This decision paves the way for Public Service Company of New Mexico…
New Mexico and the Four Corners is experiencing a transition that, far from being unique, is mirrored in coal regions across the nation. In the fourth quarter of 2019, the market reality is that coal is being left behind by…
Breaking: The Environmental Protection Agency, under the Trump administration, just announced that they intend to “sharply curtail” methane regulations. This rollback will keep vital federal oversight away from the vast majority of the nation’s hundreds of thousands of oil and…
In New Mexico, oil and gas operations release more than 1 million metric tons of methane every year into the atmosphere. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, this has the same short-term impacts as 22 coal-fired power plants or 28…
For months the City of Farmington has been scheming with a small two-person outfit to keep San Juan Generating Station (SJGS) open past the 2022 closure date agreed upon by all other owners. Their plan is to install expensive Carbon…
The Four Corners finds itself in an unprecedented economic landscape and elected officials are choosing to expend valuable time, resources and money pointing fingers and aggressively combatting the entities working to make sure our communities don’t get left behind. The…
“This lease sale is just another example of the BLM putting the cart before the horse. We’ve been waiting for years for the BLM to complete its Resource Management Plans for the Greater Chaco. But the agency continues to allow…
This is a big step forward for protecting the rivers and taxpayer dollars in Colorado! While the federal 1872 Mining Law is still in desperate need of reform, this improvement for Colorado provides long overdue protections for our water resources…
After almost 6 years spent outside of Farmington and San Juan County, it is great to be back in the community I grew up in and will always call home. It is refreshing to experience the kindness I remember being…
It’s been over two years since the designation of the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site above Silverton, CO, and questions remain as to the severity and extent of more than a century of hard-rock mining pollution in the upper…
Today, while government leaders convene from across the world at the Global Climate Action Summit, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released their plan to weaken critical methane pollution protections. Last summer we went to D.C. to comment on the…
Photo: Rob Zeigler Last spring, Secretary Zinke instructed the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to defer a lease sale in the Greater Chaco region due to a need for “more study.” This December, they plan to auction those same parcels…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 2, 2018 Colorado County and Conservation Groups Sue Trump Administration Again Over Southwest Colorado Oil and Gas Leases San Miguel County, Rocky Mountain Wild, the San Juan Citizens’ Alliance, and Conservation Colorado filed another lawsuit against…
Two years ago, we and our partners challenged the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on the leasing of 20,000 acres in the Santa Fe National Forest to oil and gas drilling. At that point, the BLM hadn’t (and still hasn’t)…
The road for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane waste rule has been long and winding, and unfortunately we’re not at the end. Last week, however, we threw a big wrench in Secretary Zinke’s never-ending attempts to rollback this…
Last night, we heard news we didn’t dare hope for: Secretary Zinke canceled next week’s oil and gas lease sale in Greater Chaco. This is because of you. You and thousands of others who spoke up and said drilling without a…
After hundreds of you spoke up in support of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) methane rule, Secretary Zinke is gutting it. In a move that proves the Administration will bend to corporate interests over public interests, Zinke just put…
Regulations around energy production can be complicated, but it’s also really important to our region’s ability to pursue local renewable energy through our rural cooperatives. This week, we joined forces with our partners at Local First to file a motion to…
Photo: Rob Zeigler The BLM is going further and further out of its way to avoid public input, but we’re not going to let them get away with it. When they released the protests for the March 2018 lease sale,…
This fall, over 175,000 people commented against a proposed delay of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) methane rule, a rule that is particularly important for those of us under the Four Corners Methane Hotspot and suffer the royalty losses,…
Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) issuing a one-year delay of the BLM methane regulations, pushing aside 175,000 public comments, a vast majority of westerners, and the public interest of New Mexico. Read the full press release below, learn…
Photo: Anna Peterson Last week, we took three big steps toward a local, renewable energy future. We unveiled the extent of grassroots support in Durango, gained the City of Durango as an enthusiastic ally, and finally felt a breeze…
Photo courtesy of Thomas Roberts By Guest Blogger: Donna Stewart “With this bellows I will pump the flames of this fire which looks like from Hell, and witches will flee, straddling their brooms…and when this beverage goes down our throats, we…
This administration is committed to rolling back environmental and public health protections for the benefit of corporate profits. And they have perseverence. First they tried to erase the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) methane waste rule entirely using the Congressional…
By Guest Blogger: Donna Stewart Part III in a four part series on Renewable Energy. See Part I, The Rising Tide of Renewable Energy and Part II, Solar Power: Who Came Up With That?? Ah, the Seventies! Paislies! Poofy smocks! Blondie,…
“The budget request before us today is downright offensive. I can’t square this with your rhetoric about returning EPA to its core responsibilities. Nothing was spared. EPA’s core is hollowed out…These cuts aren’t an intent to rein in spending, they…
What’s going on? Earlier in July, the Superfund team completed surface water sampling from the Upper Animas River, Cement Creek, and Mineral Creek as part of their ongoing study of our river’s headwaters. The samples will be analyzed for metal…
The San Juan Generating Station and San Juan Mine coal complex (SJGS/SJM) is New Mexico’s single largest polluter. While the facilities provide electricity to 500,000 customers, and employ several hundred of our community members, they do so at a great…
Yesterday, alongside our members and tribal partners, we took to D.C. to stand up for clean air. Since entering office, the Trump Administration has attacked both Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane regulations. We saved…
What’s going on? This summer is the first full work season since the declaration of the Bonita Peak Mining District Superfund site last September. So what’s going on amidst those mountainous peaks to the north? Summer 2017 Projects Compiling and…
This week, despite recognizing the disproportionate impact it will have on our children, the Bureau of Land Management and Environmental Protection Agency both postponed the implementation of their methane regulations so they can revisit and rewrite them. Delaying and…
By Guest Blogger: Donna Stewart Part II in a four part series on Renewable Energy. See Part I, The Rising Tide of Renewable Energy You could say solar power was “discovered” when humans first started strategically setting crops to optimize…
What’s the latest on the Bonita Peak Superfund District? Last week the Superfund Team, made up of folks from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), United States Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the Colorado Department of Public…
By Guest Blogger: Donna Stewart Part I in a four part series on Renewable Energy. See Part II,Solar Power: Who Came Up With That?? and Part III, Check’n New Solar System(s) “A dam about to break.” That’s how Chris Riley, President…
In March, we were forced to file a Freedom of Information Act Request (FOIA) to see the public comments on the Silverton heli-ski expansion. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Gunnison Field Office refused to provide public access to the…
News flash: The Dalai Lama, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, just weighed in on the proposed expansion of heli-ski terrain around Silverton. Really? Truth be told, no. But have you ever noticed how the Dalai Lama is a veritable tour…
In these trying times for environmental advocates, good news deserves emphatic celebration. And boy, do we have good news! As we previously told you, the San Juan National Forest (SJNF) has been facing the threat of a new era of…
Do you know the name George Lakoff? If you don’t, you should. George Lakoff is a professor of cognitive science and linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley and an author of Don’t Think of an Elephant. It’s a…
This is our last chance to submit scoping comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) plan for oil and gas leasing in Greater Chaco. The BLM is telling us they don’t have a choice, that they have to lease: This is…
Today, the U.S.House of Representatives put the special interests of big oil and gas companies ahead of the public interest by voting to roll back the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane rule. The measure now heads to the Senate….
A prehistoric granary in Bears Ears National Monument. Photo by Josh Ewing/Courtesy Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. A century of bi-partisan conservation Established in 1906, the Antiquities Act is one of our country’s most important conservation tools. Born out of necessity…
On Tuesday, four Navajo Nation chapter presidents, impacted community members, and one NM State Representative met with State Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Amy Lueders. The group requested a cancellation of the January 2017 oil and gas lease sale…
On Friday, Donald Trump will be inaugurated as our nation’s 45th president. Here’s an odd thought: What if President Trump is exactly what America needs? How, you may ask, can a man who possesses open contempt for women, minorities, democratic…
The oil and gas industry is no longer exempt from reporting toxic releases publicly through the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). EPA estimates the oil and gas industry releases more toxic chemicals than any other industry, save power plants. Yet, they haven’t been…
Chaco just got a huge break. Friday afternoon, Saddle Butte San Juan Midstream LLC (“Saddle Butte”) withdrew their proposal for the Piñon Gathering System Project, better know as the Piñon Pipeline, in northwest New Mexico. The 150-mile pipeline would have carried 50,000 barrels per…
Of the many emails we’ve received at San Juan Citizens Alliance, this may be the oddest. “I see that you are not on board with our President elect. Please remove us from your mailing list. Proud Deploreable (sic) who used…
This is getting ridiculous. This week, with many partners, we submitted our protest to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field Office’s January 2017 oil and gas lease sale – a lease sale that shouldn’t be happening in the first place….
In 2014 we (the San Juan Basin) became the national methane hotspot. Last month we had a huge win in curbing the hotspot with the passing of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s methane standards… and they’re already under attack. But before…
Today we filed a motion to intervene in the case recently brought against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) methane rule. The rule would protect the climate, public health, and our economy. It would also help address the Four Corners methane hotspot….
91% of public lands in northwest New Mexico are already leased for drilling… much of the last 9% is in Greater Chaco, and now the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wants to frack for oil and gas there, too. In…
Here’s a question for you. Can I call President-elect Donald Trump out as a dangerously uninformed and unprincipled bigot without alienating his supporters? Better question. Why am I worried about alienating someone who voted for a dangerously uninformed and unprincipled…
Today, the Obama Administration released the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) methane rule, aimed at curbing natural gas waste on public and tribal lands. It’s a win-win regulation. The standard will help to end the waste of valuable public resources,…
Today, the Obama Administration released the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) methane rule, aimed at curbing natural gas waste on public and tribal lands. It’s a win-win regulation. The standard will help to end the waste of valuable public resources,…
Friends, At the close of the constitutional convention in 1787, Ben Franklin strode out the doors of Independence Hall to be greeted by a question from an onlooker in the crowd. “Well, Doctor, what have we got—a Republic or a…
What changed? Right now, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field Office (FFO) is amending its 2003 Resource Management Plan (RMP) to include new industrial fracking in Greater Chaco. The process recently reopened for official public comment until December…
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field Office has agreed that their 2003 Resource Management Plan (RMP) does not sufficiently plan for fracking around Chaco Canyon. Yet, while they amend their RMP to reflect this awareness, they are still approving…
It’s easy to overlook what’s happening in oil and gas fields. Most of us don’t live at ground zero and the pollution is often invisible to the human eye. So, last weekend SJCA bussed folks from Durango, CO 45-miles south to Bloomfield, NM. We examined…
Area threatened by existing oil and gas development (yellow) on top of public lands (blue) in Northwest New Mexico. See oilandgasthreatmap.com for interactive map. You can’t drive through Northwest New Mexico and Southwest Colorado and miss our region’s oil…
Photo Credit: Ecoflight In the past week, I have had the opportunity to speak with some truly inspiring people, and get this: a few were politicians. I know, sounds improbable, right? This election season, the words “politician” and “inspiring” seem…
As the father of a 3-year-old boy, I’ve become an expert on the topic of momentum. You see, my little guy has yet to cross paths with a hill he doesn’t want to race down. Grassy, rocky, dirt, paved –…
This week we received evidence of a local public servant sacrificing the public interest for personal gain. Federal investigators released results of their inquiry into Steve Henke’s conduct while head of New Mexico’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington Field…
The oil and gas industry is awfully, dangerously, predictable. This week, in response to NASA fingering oil and gas operations as the primary cause of the infamous Four Corners methane hot spot, industry shills did what industry shills do: distort…
Today NASA published a report that confirms the energy industry, primarily the natural gas extraction industry, is responsible for the Four Corners methane hotspot. The Four Corners methane hotspot is yet another environmental climate and public health disaster served to our…
Has Animas River spring runoff been normal? Is normal safe? Definitely. Not. Got it? Late spring in the West means surging creeks and rivers. As water flows rapidly increase, so does the water’s turbidity and discoloration. Still reeling from the…
Yesterday, Chaco got a moment to breathe. BLM’s Farmington Field Office announced it would not auction parcels in Greater Chaco for fracking leases as planned in October. This is the third time the sale of these three parcels has been postponed….
As the world transforms in response to technological innovation and evolving political preferences, chaos claws at order, building the future with every rip and tear. It’s a painful thing, this process. Inevitable, yes, but still painful. In April, San Juan…
Today the Environmental Protection Agency finalized standards for dangerous oil and gas methane pollution from new infrastructure. These are the first-ever national safeguards limiting methane waste and pollution and will go far to protect public health, address climate change, and…
The Bureau of Land Management in Farmington, NM hasn’t updated it’s 2003 Resource Management Plan (RMP) since horizontal fracking technologies became viable in the Four Corners. Currently, they are revising the RMP to reflect these new technologies. Yet, at the…
The Four Corners Power Plant (FCPP) and Navajo Mine complex is a massive source of pollution. It can’t be permitted to operate until 2041. Learn More. Amid last year’s crumbling coal economy, and despite promises to address climate change, the Obama Administration approved a…
Last week Peabody Coal joined Arch, Alpha, Patriot, and other US companies in bankruptcy. This progression of bankruptcies is raising a myriad of concerns about the financial viability of coal, the future costs of clean up, the dangers of self-bonding,…
This is part of our Wolf Creek Files blog series. Each post explains, in detail, the context behind an email or string of emails: who is writing, what is being discussed, and why it concerns us. Click here to see…
BLM deferred the sale of three oil and gas lease parcels near Chaco Canyon … again. It’s the third time. The deferment is a huge win, and it clearly illustrates the need for the BLM to complete its ongoing Resource Management Plan Amendment. As…
Photo Credit: Mark Pearson Victory! (Kind of.) This week, San Juan Citizens Alliance members helped persuade the federal government to give our community more time to weigh in on five parcels of public land to be leased for oil and…
“This path must be paved with common sense policy changes that address our near-term climate challenges, aid coal-dependent communities to help them emerge from transition more sustainable and prosperous, defend taxpayers and the broader American interest, and protect our legacy of public lands.” In…
This morning President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a pact between the two countries to take climate change head on. They announced intentions to reduce methane pollution from oil and gas industry by 40-45 percent over the…
“It is one of the best elk hunting experiences … people wait upwards of ten years to actually get the tag … and it would be forever changed to have a population center in literally a world class elk unit.”…
This is part of our Wolf Creek Files blog series. Each post explains, in detail, the context behind an email or string of emails: who is writing, what is being discussed, and why it concerns us. Click here to see…
“It makes me feel like bad decisions keep following bad decisions.” For three decades we have fought to protect Wolf Creek Pass from Texas-billionaire Red McCombs’ “Village at Wolf Creek” development. Wolf Creek Pass is a remote landscape in southwest…
What’s causing the loss of oil and gas jobs in the Four Corners region? For some readers, this question is an abstraction; for others, it is deeply personal. In the past few months, economic news for oil and gas producers…
This is part of our Wolf Creek Files blog series. Each post explains, in detail, the context behind an email or string of emails: who is writing, what is being discussed, and why it concerns us. Click here to see…
“There’s a sense of… disgust and outrage with our federal agency employees who know better.” For three decades we have fought to protect Wolf Creek Pass from Texas-billionaire Red McCombs’ “Village at Wolf Creek” development. Wolf Creek Pass is a…
Hey all, there is a really important meeting on Tuesday, February 16th in Farmington that we want you to know about. It’s from 1-4 pm, which we know is hard for a lot of people. If you can make it,…
This is part of our Wolf Creek Files blog series. Each post explains, in detail, the context behind an email or string of emails: who is writing, what is being discussed, and why it concerns us. Click here to see…
Our attorney’s dug through the “Wolf Creek Files” and what they found confirmed our worst fears: The National Forest Service was in collusion with developer Red “B.J.” McCombs, again. We’re sharing the evidence with you. Ever had the desire to read through…
“Where is that balance between economic development and sustainability, and preservation of the ecosystem?” For three decades we have fought to protect Wolf Creek Pass from Texas-billionaire Red McCombs’ “Village at Wolf Creek” development. Wolf Creek Pass is a remote…
This is the first in our Wolf Creek Files blog series. Each post will explain, in detail, the context behind an email or string of emails: who is writing, what is being discussed, and why it concerns us. WHO:…
“I think that the only hope we have to preserve this area is by the gathering of community to fight with political power.” For three decades we have fought to protect Wolf Creek Pass from Texas-billionaire Red McCombs’ “Village at…
Great news. Today the BLM released its proposed methane waste rule. We’ve worked on the rule, and advised BLM on its contents, with our partners Western Environmental Law Center and Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment. The rule is 300 pages,…
When will the fight over Wolf Creek Pass end? This past weekend, The Durango Herald broke a story about document destruction, collusion and continued avoidance of public transparency requirements that plague the latest iteration of the slow-moving train wreck otherwise…
Our attorney’s dug through the “Wolf Creek Files” and what they found confirmed our worst fears: The National Forest Service was in collusion with developer Red “B.J.” McCombs, again. Emails show the agency concealed and destroyed information about the “Village at Wolf…
Photo Credit: EcoFlight This is a huge moment. Today we joined together with Diné CARE and other regional and national conservation groups to seek justice for the communities and species threatened by the the Four Corners Power Plant and Navajo…
This holiday season I’d like to propose a corollary to Durango’s well-loved buy local movement: give local. December is a month awash in fundraising requests, and let’s face it: being on the receiving end can get tiresome. But let’s face…
We’re about to finally discover what the Forest Service has been hiding for over a year and a half. ———— Ever had the desire to read through and analyze 69,701 pages of correspondences and reports? No? That’s okay, we’re doing…
Let’s talk numbers. 22: inches of fresh snow Wolf Creek Ski Area reported as of Wednesday morning. 69,701: pages of public records opponents of the Pillage at Wolf Creek just received from the federal government. 2: over-caffeinated lawyers reading those…
“Isn’t that over? Wasn’t McCombs’ deal approved?” I keep hearing this, despite the fact that San Juan Citizens Alliance, and Friends of Wolf Creek partners, continue fighting tooth and nail (in three lawsuits) to prevent the construction of a massive…
The Forest Service is stalling again. Last month, partner organization Rocky Mountain Wild (RMW) won a lawsuit against the Forest Service for inappropriately withholding public documents that RMW requested in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) concerning the proposed development…
In June nearly 40 artists convened on top of Wolf Creek Pass to celebrate its beauty and draw inspiration from the landscape. The over 70 pieces that resulted from the art day day are arriving at the Taylor Raymond Gallery…
In his Tuesday column, “The Republicans’ Incompetence Caucus,” conservative New York Times writer David Brooks excoriated the more radical elements of the Republican Party. Sordid intra-party politics playing out in broad daylight, now that’s a writer’s ticket. And yet, I’ll…
We have some excellent news. The fight for Wolf Creek Pass continues, but today we took a great step forward. The Forest Service has not been transparent with the public about the “Village at Wolf Creek” project. Today we are thrilled to…
If emotions were assigned a color, along the banks of the Animas and San Juan rivers, the color of fear is muddled orange. In the turbulent wake of the Gold King Mine accident, it is hard to miss the signs…
Photo Credit: Kathy Myrick If you are like me, you were probably hoping that by now – 6 days into the Gold King Mine release – the EPA would be giving our beloved river the “all clear.” Unfortunately, that is…
Well… that was lively. Here are a few SJCA takeaways from tonight’s EPA/Community meeting: 1. Our communities want good data on what is in the water, and the EPA has been slow in producing that data. Sure, it takes time…
This is a sample of Animas River water taken by Mountain Studies Institute late last night in Durango. Not good folks. A lot of people have been contacting SJCA to ask what they can do. Here’s a pass at our…
It’s time. Time to take action on Wolf Creek. (not that we haven’t been taking it all along… but you know what I mean.) Next week we are sending a delegation to Washington, D.C. to meet with our elected officials…
For months people have been asking: “What can I do to help save Wolf Creek Pass?” Well, here’s a very immediate and concrete request. Next week, representatives from a number of community groups will be visiting officials in Washington, D.C.,…
Photo Credit: Mark Pearson The entire Dolores River Canyon below McPhee Reservoir is a special place to be sure. Anyone that has had the opportunity to explore the corridor via boat, foot, horseback, bike or vehicle, knows this to be…
Let’s talk about the biggest little coal mine in La Plata County you’ve never heard of. Six miles southwest of Hesperus sits the King Coal II mine. Operated by GCC Energy, a subsidiary of Mexico-based Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua, the…
We live in exciting times. Just how exciting? Check this out. What was a fairly sedate affair historically – the La Plata Electric Association annual board of director’s election – has transformed into a proxy vote for the community’s vision…
I want you to envision a day with me; it’s the day that bulldozers begin ripping apart Wolf Creek Pass to build Texas billionaire Red McCombs’ version of Vail South. Last week, that possible dark day moved closer to reality, leaving…
Photo: Mark Pearson San Juan Citizens Alliance has long prioritized protection for the Lower Dolores River. We worked with the Dolores Water Conservancy District to start the Dolores River Dialogue in 2004. In 2008, we became a stakeholder in the…
It is not often enough that we get to celebrate wins in my line work, so today let’s pause to do exactly that. A few weeks ago, San Juan Citizens Alliance and our partners won a hard-fought legal case against…
Rampant and unplanned drilling is threatening archeological sites and communities around Chaco. Despite the pleas of many, the BLM continues to permit drilling without assessing the impact to those sites, the environment or nearby communities. So, we’re suing them. Below…
The day before the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO) released its Resource Management Plan (RMP), the Alliance drafted a list of 10 things to watch for in the final document. I’d like to think that…
If you’ve been following the multi-year saga of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO) Resource Management Plan (RMP), then you know a lot is at stake. As we highlighted in a previous post, this planning…
To see the actual IMF document referenced below, click here. It’s jarring to see your credibility attacked in a letter to the editor – a bit less so, though, after you realize the writer’s argument is baseless. In my bi-weekly…
I break the world of ideas into three categories. Good ideas, bad ideas and this idea. In 2012, Utah passed the Utah Transfer of Public Lands Act, a uniquely cynical piece of legislation that demanded the U.S. government transfer all federally…
A few weeks back I was called a bomb-thrower for the content I share in this column. Though this is far from the worst thing I’ve been called in print, it did get me thinking. Is what I write really that…
Sometimes people say outrageous things. Case in point: In response to the Obama administration announcing plans to cut methane emissions, the president of the Institute for Energy Research uttered this: “EPA’s proposed methane regulation is redundant, costly and unnecessary. Energy…
Here we go again. The fight over the Pillage at Wolf Creek is on, folks, and we need your help. Haven’t heard of this little gem? Trying to block negative thoughts in the New Year? This column is for you….
What does it mean to give thanks? I believe that the act of giving thanks is an act of sincere humility, an expression of vulnerability, connectedness and need. We express thanks for the things that sustain us, without which we…
Can democracy work if corporations are free to spend their limitless plunder to affect the outcome of community dialogue and electoral politics? Last week, our community got a firsthand look at the dysfunction that results when ill-gotten gains bump up…
Wow. A new and really hard-hitting storyline from Conservation International. Nature Doesn’t Need People, People Need Nature. Check out the storyline – told through a series of short vidoes – at natureisspeaking.org. Here’s one narrated by Julia Roberts:
What does democracy look like? Last week, I marched through the streets of Manhattan with a crowd 400,000 strong. I could hardly keep count of the number of times march participants trotted out the tried and true protest slogan: This…
The Animas River has long been polluted by run-off from old mines throughout the San Juan Mountains. At a meeting with county commissioners, the EPA announced plans to “plug” two of those mines in 2015 to slow the flow of…
It’s time. Time to make a ruckus. This weekend tens of thousands will converge in New York City to protest the uninspired, inept and cynical global response to climate change. If ever there were a time to stand up and…
Let’s talk subsidies. When the topic of renewable energy subsidies comes up, someone in the room invariably points out that such subsidies give renewables an unfair advantage over fossil fuels in the “free market.” This argument, while good sport for…
There’s nothing quite like money for getting otherwise sane people to do and say outlandish things. Case in point: Last week, I attended an Oil and Gas Community Advocates Training Program hosted here in Durango by our very own Chamber…
Here is a recent blog post from the San Juan Headwaters Forest Health Partnership (SJHFHP). The Alliance is a proud member of this collaborative effort to bring best-available science and forest management practices to play throughout the San Juan Headwaters….
It’s August – summer in transition. A quotient of light erodes from either side of every day, portending the inevitable fall. Cooling temperatures, changing smells. I feel a tinge of autumnal sadness in the still warm August days, a feeling…
Have you ever been played for a fool? Go to that place with me. Which was worse: the anger that dawned on you upon realizing you’d been had or the shame in admitting you had let it happen? I hate…
It’s the fifth of July, and it’s early. I’m alone on a dirt road in the mountains, climbing. The American flag dominates my thoughts, three archetypes rising from somewhere deep. The angry flag In 2003, I marched down Massachusetts Avenue…
Who cares about lynx? I ask this question for two reasons. One: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, by law, is supposed to care about lynx, but doesn’t. Two: Members of the San Juan Citizens Alliance care about lynx, and…
With much fanfare, two weeks back the Obama administration announced its proposed rules for regulating greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants. The resulting fireworks were quite the sight. Progressives tripped over themselves to laud the president for restoring…
Ever think we place too much emphasis on leaders? We do, too. This video shows that it’s the first follower, not the leader, that creates a movement. What lesson can we learn as community activists?
So many small organizations struggle to stay focused – especially small organizations with tight budgets that need focus more than anything else. Great short clip of Steve Jobs describing focus, or strategy, as what you say “no” to, not “yes.”
Our society has an unhealthy infatuation with the image of the reasonable man. You know the one I’m talking about. Well-coiffed, prudent, good with money – he exudes an air of paternal stability, a counterbalance to an otherwise dangerous and…
Stop the press! Something wild just happened. I, Dan Olson, found common cause with the tea party. Coming from your local environmental group, this declaration deserves some unpacking. Two Saturdays ago, I attended a “public meeting” at the Durango Community…
We are always looking for great examples of storytelling here at the Alliance. And man… did we find one with this video. Engaging, hilarious, and convincing (even if we don’t fully support the “buy this way to save the world”…
Good news! (Kind of). Once again, election season is upon us. No, no – not the 2014 midterms. I’m talking about the annual La Plata Electric Association Board of Directors election. For the uninitiated, LPEA is our electric cooperative. Unlike…
We couldn’t help it…. here’s another video from This is Reality ripping on “ clean coal. ” Too funny….!
Have you ever seen a monster? I have. A few weeks ago. He was an odd monster. He didn’t hide in the dark spots fancied by most monster-types. No, this monster stood out in the open under the glaring mid-day…
This hilarious 30 second video clip nails the false claims of clean coal. Right on.
What do you get when you put an industry insider, public-relations consultant and lobbyist in an office suite with a bag of money? The start of a government regulatory office. An industry trade association. One heck of a holiday party….
As a person who pursued sustainable business strategies at the country’s largest organizations for close to 14 years, this statement is as painful as it is honest. Green business is not just a marketing ploy. For many it was, and…
