“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…
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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,…
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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…
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It’s 3 weeks into January and here at the Alliance we're finally taking a moment to clear the papers off our desks, breathe, and reflect on the past year. We started 2015 knowing there were thousands of people in the region…
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Dan Olson, Executive Director of San Juan Citizens Alliance, was interviewed this morning on KDUR’s Off the Rim about the evidence of collusion and efforts to destroy and hide documents pertaining to the Wolf Creek development. Check it out. Read the…
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…
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This is a great short video by our friends at Backcountry Hunters and Anglers on the standoff at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. It’s an important sanctuary, particularly for birds, and belongs to each of us.
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…
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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…
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Video debut! We're proud to reveal our new 3 minute video on our 30-year fight to protect Wolf Creek Pass from a massive development! The fight isn't over, but we need your help. Watch, act, share. Learn More and Take Action...
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We just finished our latest newsletter and it's heading to your mailbox this week! It covers our work on regional ozone, protecting Chaco from rampant oil and gas development and our commitment to ensuring permanent clean up of the Animas…
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Responsible management of energy and water may be two of the biggest challenges we face this century, particularly in light of climate change. Colorado's first-ever state water plan was a difficult but important step toward successfully meeting those challenges. The Alliance joins other…
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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…
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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…
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“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…
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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…
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A big win for public health and communities' right-to-know! Astonishingly, the oil and gas extraction industry has never been required to report emissions to the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), a federally-managed public database detailing how, what and where toxic chemicals are…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The EPA just updated Bush-era ozone levels. While we commend strengthening of the standard, it is disappointing to see the agency apparently cave to industry lobbying efforts by establishing the weakest limit recommended by their scientific advisory panel. In the Four Corners,…
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The Green Business Roundtable is one of the most innovative and successful lunchtime networking events in Durango and our 14th season is off to another great start. We've heard from world-renowned conservation biologist, Michael Soule, and Joe Minicozzi, a city planner hailing from…
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For immediate release: Sept. 17, 2015 Media Contacts: Allyson Siwik, Gila Resources Information Project, 575-590-7619, allysonsiwik@gmail.com Mike Eisenfeld, San Juan Citizens Alliance, 505-360-8994, mike@sanjuancitizens.org Rachel Conn, Amigos Bravos, 575.770.8327, rconn@amigosbravos.org Eleanor Bravo, Food and Water Watch, 505-633-7366, ebravo@fwwatch.org Liliana Castillo,…
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The toxic plume from the Gold King Mine release has passed. Our river is no longer orange. Where do we go from here? It is possible that this disaster, like so many horrors we hear about daily, will pass us…
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The Alliance and our partners have been working for years to secure these instream protections for the Dolores vital to the native fish and overall health of the river. This is a big win! We were disappointed that our local Southwest…
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The Alliance has been working to protect the Greater Chaco region from unchecked and unplanned oil and gas development for years. Our request to halt all drilling in the Greater Chaco region while our lawsuit makes its way through the courts was…
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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…
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For Immediate Release: September 22, 2015 Media Contacts: Erik Schlenker-Goodrich, Western Environmental Law Center, 575-613-4197, eriksg@westernlaw.org Tom Singer, Western Environmental Law Center, 505-231-1070, singer@westernlaw.org Mike Eisenfeld, San Juan Citizens Alliance, 505-360-8994, mike@sanjuancitizens.org Carol Davis, Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment, 928-221-7859, caroljdavis.2004@gmail.com EPA Methane…
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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…
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Photo Credit: Kathy Myrick The recent disaster on the Animas has earned national media attention. If you are following this or interested in the various perspectives or evolution the coverage has taken, below is a listing of the coverage we have tracked…
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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…
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Sediment deposition visible along banks of Animas north of Durango. Sediment deposition visible along banks of Animas north of Durango. Sediment deposition visible along banks of Animas north of Durango. Sediment deposition visible along banks of Animas north of Durango....
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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…
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We've been getting a lot of compliments on our new and improved newsletter. The format is a little (OK, a lot) different than the last time we put one together (some two years ago...) and you'll be proud to leave it on…
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The problem with free market solutions to environmental problems is really quite simple: The free market does not exist. Let’s take a peek at the energy sector to see just how non-existent this free market is. In May, the International…
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As many of you know, last month we filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the Forest Service's decision to approve a land swap that facilitates the long-threatened Pillage at Wolf Creek. Although the land will likely be exchanged later this week, we've signed…
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Renewable Energy? Yay! Clean Air? Of course! Resilient landscapes? Bring it on. Master Leasing Plans? Huh? The work we do isn’t often glamorous: it’s complex and technical, but really important. Master Leasing Plans (MLPs) fall squarely into that category.…
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Last Friday night I camped on our national forest lands to the east and just below Wolf Creek Pass. Before snuggling into my sleeping bag, I bid a goodnight to the couple dozen elk grazing amongst the ponds and wetland…
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We've been telling you that the process the Forest Service used to approve the land exchange, which paves the way for the Pillage at Wolf Creek, was highly flawed and illegal. After sifting through tens of thousands of documents released through…
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Thank you to Danny Ledonne at Emberwilde Productions for this great video!
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…
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Feds to focus on oil, gas concerns, Durango Herald, June 17, 2015
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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.,…
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Our very own Jimbo explains how the Forest Service limited it’s scope and violated policies in approving the land exchange. Dan Dallas tries to defend the process and his decision to approve the land exchange allowing for a 10,000-person city…
Is the fight for the future of Wolf Creek over? Has the community effort to protect this wild, unique and beloved landscape been in vain? After all, the U.S. Forest Service did just sign a Record of Decision (bureaucracy-speak for…
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By law Environmental Impact Statements are intended to be robust and transparent. Very little in the nearly 30-year saga of the proposed Village at Wolf Creek Pass has met those expectations. Sadly, 2015 has been no different. Today the Forest Service amended and…
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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…
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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…
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You may remember that back in March we filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect the Greater Chaco Region from illegal and rampant oil and gas development. As that works its way through the courts,…
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A do-over. That’s what we and our partners asked the Department of Interior (DOI) for when they released their Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Four Corners Power Plant and Navajo Mine Energy Project last year. Did we get…
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This post is the third in a four-part series on the King Coal Mine in Hesperus written by guest contributor Lauren Pope. Read Part I, and Part 2: The Impacts. Ridiculous Revival At a time when world changing technological advances - hybrid cars,…
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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…
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Where would the outdoor industry be without the public lands on which we explore, dream and play? The Conservation Alliance, comprised of such iconic companies as Patagonia, Osprey Packs and REI, actively protect the wild and protected landscapes on which…
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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…
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The threat to Pillage Wolf Creek Pass with a jumbo development that simply doesn't belong in a stunning, remote, high altitude environment has been relentless over the last couple decades. Unfortunately, the most recent decision to approve the land swap with billionaire…
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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…
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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…
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This post is the second in a four-part series on the King Coal Mine in Hesperus written by guest contributor Lauren Pope. For Part I, click here. Disruption Grupo Cemento de Chihahua’s (GCC) proposed expansion of the King Coal…
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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…
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Ever heard that little ditty: Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. Turns out to be a complete and utter lie. Heck, you don’t even need full names – acronyms will do – and…
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Photo Credit: EcoFlight Busted. Again. A federal judge just denied a plan by the Office of Surface and Mining (OSM) to expand the Navajo Mine, which feeds the Four Corners Power Plant, based on the fact that the environmental analysis…
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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…
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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…
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO) manages over 503,000 acres of public lands in southwest Colorado. Their management includes oversight of federal minerals exploration and development on more than 804,000 acres of private, state, and…
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By Mike Eisenfeld, New Mexico Energy Coordinator If you’ve driven to Chaco Culture National Historical Park (Chaco) or Albuquerque recently, you’ve undoubtedly noticed a whole lot of oil and gas development along the way. What you may not know is…
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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…
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This is the first in a series of 4 blogs on the King Coal II Mine by guest contributor, Lauren Pope. A New Era for King Coal About three hundred feet underneath the piñon-topped mesa west of Durango in the Hay…
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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…
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Durango Natural Foods Co-op was presented with the 13th annual Green Business Leadership Award for their 40 years of pioneering leadership as a member-owned cooperative committed to providing quality organic and local products and educating the community on the value…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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Hallelujah! A true radical is born. If there is one thing I’ve learned in my 30-odd years on Earth, it is this: Do not disparage tradition lightly – no matter how incommensurable with evolving mores. We could, quite easily, lambaste…
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Ever wonder what the Alliance has been up to? Or how we put your donations to work? If so, this blog is for you. As we head into 2015, we thought we’d take a moment to recap some of our…
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Today the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act leaped across the proverbial last stream crossing on the journey to President Obama’s desk for his signature as the Senate passed the Defense Authorization Act, to which the Hermosa bill was attached, by…
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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…
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Today’s decision by Rio Grande National Forest Supervisor Dan Dallas to approve a land exchange on top of Wolf Creek Pass requested by billionaire Red McCombs is both a disappointing and absurd decision to “green light” a development that would…
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Welcome to the Alliance’s new website, our completely overhauled home on the web designed to help folks stay abreast of Alliance campaigns and take action when public participation is needed. With all the bells and whistles of a 21st century…
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Yes!!! A long step was made today down the trail towards enhanced protections for the Hermosa Creek watershed with the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources unanimously voting to move forward the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act. The…
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Am I a hypocrite? Of all the responses I get to this column, by far the most common attack pertains to my supposed hypocrisy. They usually go a lot like this: “Well hello to all you liberal brain dead fools!!!!…
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Time to break out the condolence cards – BP had a bad quarter. Earnings are down 18 percent, leaving this global behemoth with a paltry $3 billion in profits for the third quarter. Poor guys. Analysts say it has something…
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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…
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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: https://youtu.be/WmVLcj-XKnM?list=PL5WqtuU6JrnXjsGO4WUpJuSVmlDcEgEYb
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Here’s a pic from our archive of the type of beetle kill that is advancing throughout the region.
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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? https://youtu.be/V74AxCqOTvg?list=LLlTTFRO9bPoJJ1WIEcFlDGg
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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.”…
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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…
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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…
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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”…
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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…
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We couldn’t help it.... here’s another video from This is Reality ripping on “ clean coal. " Too funny....! https://youtu.be/uFJVbdiMgfM
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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…
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This hilarious 30 second video clip nails the false claims of clean coal. Right on. https://youtu.be/PdHuB7Ovl2o
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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.…
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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…
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