Species Archives - San Juan Citizens Alliance

May 28 2021

Protecting Wolves with the Endangered Species Act

By Gary Skiba Species

The Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States, the Humane Society Legislative Fund, and the Sierra Club have petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), requesting the restoration of federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray…

Apr 23 2021

Domestic Sheep Grazing Halted at Coller State Wildlife Area

By Gary Skiba Species

Last winter SJCA, (along with our partners at Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the Rocky Mountain Bighorn Society) scored a victory to keep bighorn sheep safe and improve the management of Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) State Wildlife Areas (SWAs).…

Apr 12 2021

Preparing for the HD Mountain BioBlitz

By sjca Lands Protection, Species

The territory bordering the Piedra River as it leaves the San Juan Mountains and emerges into lower elevation lands has long been of interest to peoples who lived in and travelled through these lands. The endemic forests, grasslands and streamside…

Nov 06 2020

Breaking: Colorado Votes to Restore Wolves

By sjca In the News, Species

Colorado voters approved a measure to reintroduce wolves to our state's western wildlands! State wildlife managers will develop and implement a plan for wolf reintroduction, with "paws on the ground," beginning no later than the end of 2023. As SJCA…

Sep 25 2020

Will wolves join lynx as recovered species in Colorado?

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Species

Twenty years ago, Colorado wildlife officials restored long-missing lynx to the state’s forests and mountains. It was a joy to watch lynx bound away from their release point at Rio Grande Reservoir and take to their native habitat. Changing societal…

Jun 12 2020

Key Findings on Gray Wolves Released

By Gary Skiba Of Interest, Species

This November, Colorado residents will vote on Proposition 107. If passed, it will require the Colorado Division of Parks and Wildlife to reintroduce wolves to the state by the end of 2023. Colorado State University’s Center for Carnivore-Human Coexistence, in…

Jun 11 2020

The Myth of the “Canadian Wolf”

By Gary Skiba Species

Opponents to wolf restoration, whether here in Colorado or Yellowstone, claim that the wolves that would be released are a different species than the wolves that were originally there. Colorado wolf opponents claim that reintroduced wolves would wreak havoc because…

Apr 10 2020

Why Restore Wolves to Colorado Part V: The Right Thing to Do

By sjca Lands Protection, Species

Photo: National Park Service In our original blog, ‘Why Restore Wolves to Colorado, we briefly discussed the top five reasons wolves should be reintroduced to the state. Now, we’re digging deeper into each of those arguments. You can also check…

Jan 08 2020

Why Restore Wolves to Colorado Part IV: Intentional Reintroduction Allows Flexibility

By sjca Lands Protection, Species

Photo: National Park Service In our original blog, ‘Why Restore Wolves to Colorado,’ we briefly discussed the top five reasons wolves should be reintroduced to the state. Now, we’re digging deeper into each of those arguments. You can also check…

Nov 12 2019

Why Restore Wolves to Colorado Part III: The Public Wants It

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

Nov 08 2019

Bighorn Sheep: An Introduction

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

Background Bighorn sheep are an iconic species of the American West. They call some of our country’s most rugged and remote landscapes home. Their cultural, ecological, aesthetic and economic value has made bighorn sheep a vital part of North American…

Oct 31 2019

CORE Act Passes the House!

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Rivers, Species

We know that meaningful and permanent public lands protections take time. Lots of time. Lots of stakeholders are at the table and compromises are hashed out over years, not weeks. Often times such efforts are framed by politicians as being…

Oct 11 2019

Why Restore Wolves to Colorado Part II: Colorado is the Missing Link

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

Photo: Wikimedia Commons In our original blog, ‘Why Restore Wolves to Colorado,’ we briefly discussed the top five reasons wolves should be reintroduced to the state. Now, we’re digging deeper into each of those arguments. You can also check out Part…

Sep 20 2019

America’s environmental safety net unravels

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection, Species

The summer brought a whirlwind of change to America’s bedrock environmental laws, or at least the rules that implement those laws. The Trump administration has made no secret of its disdain for environmental rules that might impede the interests of…

Aug 23 2019

Why Restore Wolves to Colorado Part I: Ecology

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

In our previous blog, ‘Why Restore Wolves to Colorado,’ we briefly discussed the top five reasons wolves should be reintroduced to the state. In this and future blogs, we’re digging deeper into each of those arguments. Blogs by Gary Skiba,…

Aug 17 2019

Wildlife corridors need protection

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection, Species

As Colorado fills up with people and our forests evolve in response to a changing climate, what happens to our renowned wildlife? Can we make space for migrating game herds and dispersing species? With more traffic, U.S. Highway 160 and…

Jul 20 2019

Energy dominance comes to Colorado

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas, Species

Conservation advocates routinely harp on the single-minded focus of the Trump administration exhorting resource exploitation on our public lands. In case that just sounds like hyperbole, recent real-life examples help illustrate the reality of the Department of Interior’s energy dominance…

Jun 03 2019

Why Restore Wolves to Colorado?

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

Photo: Fish and Wildlife Service Wolves have long stirred strong emotions in this country and still do. The idea of bringing wolves back to Colorado generates passionate support as well as die-hard opposition. Yet from an ecological standpoint, wolves belong…

May 28 2019

Challenging the Forest Service (again) over Village at Wolf Creek

By sjca Lands Protection, Species, Wolf Creek

Clean off those 'No Pillage' bumperstickers*, because here we go again. If you've lived in the area for long, you know the Village has a decades-long history. The short story is that a billionaire from Texas has long wanted to…

Feb 28 2019

Rio Grande National Forest Again Sides with Developer in Wolf Creek Access Issue

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species, Wolf Creek

Photo: Alex Pullen OK, here we go again. Many of you joined us in submitting protests this last fall on the draft decision to provide road access to the Village. And for good reason. It's not surprising they went ahead and…

Feb 17 2019

Land conservation overcomes congressional gridlock

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection, Rivers, Species

Photo: Jason Hatfield Fans of Utah’s spectacular redrock country can savor congressional action this week that advanced protections for a million acres of the incomparable San Rafael Swell, and one of the Colorado Plateau’s longest wild river segments through Desolation…

Dec 12 2018

Future home of would-be Village at Wolf Creek

Conservation Groups Cheer Latest Court Decision Rejecting Village at Wolf Creek Land Exchange

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species, Wolf Creek

Photo: Alex Pullen, Future home of would-be Village at Wolf Creek Good News! You probably aren't new to this decades-long controversy over the proposed Village at Wolf Creek development. And even so, it can be hard to follow all the…

Nov 15 2018

Protecting Wildlife and Quiet Use on San Juan National Forest

By Erika Brown Forest Health, Lands Protection, Species

Photo: Wikipedia Commons We've been advocating for wildlife, quiet use and watershed protections within the Rico West Dolores Travel Management Plan for a decade. Many of you have joined us in demanding that the region be managed for the those…

Sep 27 2018

TAKE ACTION: Call Senator Gardner!

By Erika Brown Forest Health, Lands Protection, Rivers, Species

Recently, Senator Gardner told a group gathering in Norwood, Colorado that he wouldn't stand in the way of the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act moving forward. We're looking to him now to make to good on his commitment to move…

Aug 18 2018

Max density rendering of Village at Wolf Creek

The Village at Wolf Creek staggers onward

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection, Species, Wolf Creek

Are we doomed to the zombie Village at Wolf Creek endlessly stalking the San Juan Mountains? No matter how many times apparently dead, it seemingly staggers back to life, lurching with a blank gaze and lifeless arms in its 30-year-long…

Jul 21 2018

New leadership at EPA, same rollbacks

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Coal, Durango Herald Column, Forest Health, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Rivers, Species

Photo: Wikipedia Commons By the time Scott Pruitt resigned as the Environmental Protection Agency’s administrator, he was the poster child for bungling personal entitlement. As Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa put it, Pruitt was the swampiest of the Washington,…

May 11 2018

Forest Service Fails to Appeal Wolf Creek Decision

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species, Wolf Creek

Photo: Alex Pullen Wow, we weren't really expecting this. We've been fighting the proposed Village at Wolf Creek for well over a decade now. As you likely know, in order to develop the 8,000-person city atop Wolf Creek Pass, the developers…

Dec 18 2017

Wins of 2017!

By Erika Brown Climate Change, Coal, Gold King Mine, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Rivers, Species, Wolf Creek

Was 2017 a challenging year? Hell yes. And that's why our work is so critical. We’re here because public and environmental health doesn’t always get prioritized over corporate interests. We’re here because wildlife, water and a stable climate don’t have…

Dec 06 2017

Picture high in the Weminuche Wilderness

133 Conservation Groups Tell Congress: Keep Bikes Out of Wilderness

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

"Wilderness is not a luxury, but a necessity of the human spirit." Edward Abbey It seems so obvious that we should preserve at least some small part of this planet to remain relatively untouched by humans and our destructive…

Oct 16 2017

Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Southwest Colorado Oil and Gas Leases

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Oil & Gas, Species

We're taking the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to court over their March 2017 lease sale. In order to explain why the Tres Rios Field Office (TRFO) March 2017 lease sale is worthy of a lawsuit, we need to take a step…

Feb 28 2017

Photo of a Canada Lynx walking in the snow

“Village” at Wolf Creek a disaster for the Endangered Species Act listed Canada lynx

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species, Wolf Creek

By: Chris Talbot-Heindl, Communications & Membership Manager, Rocky Mountain Wild Canada Lynx and Ski Resorts In late December, we all watched in awe as a Canada lynx lumbered across Purgatory Resort amid astonished skiers in broad daylight. For some, it was…

Jan 19 2016

Highlights of 2015

By Erika Brown Climate Change, Coal, Forest Health, Gold King Mine, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas, Rivers, Species

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…

Jan 14 2016

BHA responds to anti-public lands Malheur extremists

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Of Interest, Species

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.

Dec 22 2015

Lawsuit to Challenge Feds’ Approval of Decades More Coal Pollution at Four Corners

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Species

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…

Dec 17 2015

Keep your holiday giving close to home

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Durango Herald Column, Forest Health, Gold King Mine, Green Business, Lands Protection, Of Interest, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Rivers, Species

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…

Oct 05 2015

Court Orders Forest Service to Disclose Documents on Wolf Creek Pass Decision

By sjca Lands Protection, Species, Wolf Creek

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…

Sep 16 2015

Water Board Decision Protects Dolores River and Instream Flows

By Erika Brown Rivers, Species

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…

Aug 11 2015

Settling In For The Long Haul

By sjca Gold King Mine, Rivers, Species

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…

Aug 11 2015

Media Roundup – August 10th

By Erika Brown Gold King Mine, Rivers, Species

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…

Aug 10 2015

Gold King Update: EPA’s 2nd Community Meeting

By sjca Gold King Mine, Rivers, Species

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…

Aug 09 2015

Photo Gallery: Flight Over Gold King Mine Blowout 8/9/2015

By sjca Gold King Mine, Rivers, Species

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....

Aug 07 2015

The Gold King Disaster: What Can We Do NOW?

By sjca Gold King Mine, Rivers, Species

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…

Aug 05 2015

Nice Newsletter!

By Erika Brown Climate Change, Coal, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas, Rivers, Species

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…

Jul 15 2015

No Construction on Wolf Creek Pass until Lawsuit is Decided

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

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…

Jun 26 2015

Report From Our Wolf Creek Trip To DC

By sjca Lands Protection, Species

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…

Jun 24 2015

Lawsuit Filed to Stop Wolf Creek Land Swap

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

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…

Jun 22 2015

Art for the Endangered Landscape: Honoring Wolf Creek

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

Thank you to Danny Ledonne at Emberwilde Productions for this great video!

Jun 18 2015

Regional Delegation Travels To D.C. To Protect Wolf Creek Pass

By sjca Lands Protection, Species

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…

Jun 17 2015

Dear Chief Tidwell, it’s time to right your agency’s wrong

By sjca Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection, Species

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.,…

May 28 2015

Map of proposed land exchange for Village at Wolf Creek

Wolf Creek fight demands we see documents

By Erika Brown Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection, Species

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…

May 21 2015

Wolf Creek Land Transfer Finalized: Process Concealed

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

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…

Apr 02 2015

To preserve Wolf Creek, speak up now

By sjca Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection, Species

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…

Mar 31 2015

Forest Service ignores objections to land exchange at Wolf Creek Pass

By Erika Brown Lands Protection, Species

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…

Mar 12 2015

Resource plan is a betrayal of our values

By Erika Brown Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas, Species

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…

Mar 03 2015

BLM Tres Rios Field Office: Failed

By sjca Forest Health, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas, Rivers, Species

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…

Feb 27 2015

BLM Tres Rios Field Office Fails Our Community… Again.

By sjca Forest Health, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas, Rivers, Species

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…

Feb 27 2015

What To Look For In Friday’s BLM Tres Rios Field Office Announcement

By sjca Lands Protection, Oil & Gas, Rivers, Species

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…

Dec 16 2014

Highlights of 2014

By Erika Brown Climate Change, Coal, Forest Health, Lands Protection, Of Interest, Oil & Gas, Rivers, Species

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…

Nov 20 2014

Forest Service paves the way for Pillage at Wolf Creek

By sjca Lands Protection, Species

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…

Jun 25 2014

Fish and Wildlife Is Utterly Failing To Protect Lynx

By sjca Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection, Species

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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