Wilderness Archives - San Juan Citizens Alliance

Jun 30 2021

Take Action: Protect Wild Places in the San Juan Mountains

By Rane Dickerson Lands Protection, Take Action

Yet another Texas billionaire has set his sights on acquiring roadless national forest lands and wild river corridors. The Proposed Valle Seco Land Exchange would hand 175 acres of wilderness-caliber roadless lands adjacent to the South San Juan Wilderness to…

Feb 16 2021

Take Action: Support the Colorado Wilderness Act & BLM Wildlands

By sjca Lands Protection, Take Action

The Colorado Wilderness Act has been reintroduced, but in order to pass it needs the support of Colorado's Senators. Take action today and ask Colorado Senators Michael Bennet & John Hickenlooper to support the Colorado Wilderness Act!JTNDZGl2JTIwaWQlM0QlMjJhQW90ZGRTcnVuJTIyJTNFJTBBJTIwJTIwJTIwJTIwJTNDc2NyaXB0JTIwdHlwZSUzRCUyMnRleHQlMkZqYXZhc2NyaXB0JTIyJTIwc3JjJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZkZWZhdWx0LnNhbHNhbGFicy5vcmclMkZhcGklMkZ3aWRnZXQlMkZ0ZW1wbGF0ZSUyRjMyZmRjZmU0LTNjM2QtNGQ4My05ZTUxLThiNDlmZWNiNWM0NiUyRiUzRnRJZCUzRGFBb3RkZFNydW4lMjIlMjAlM0UlM0MlMkZzY3JpcHQlM0UlMEElM0MlMkZkaXYlM0U=

Feb 04 2021

Coloradans Applaud Re-Introduction of Colorado Wilderness Act

By sjca In the News, Lands Protection

The Colorado Wilderness Act was reintroduced in Congress today! First introduced in 1999, the wilderness bill proposes protections for 660,000 acres of Colorado's most spectacular canyon and desert wildlands, like the Dolores River Canyon. New wilderness protections are strongly supported…

Jan 22 2021

Land Protection on Deck for New Congress

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection

Congress reconvenes this month with major unfinished business around land conservation legislation of great significance to Southwest Colorado. After decades of analysis and consideration, last year bills advanced through the U.S. House of Representatives to enact wilderness and other protective…

Nov 11 2020

Take Action: Help Pass the CORE Act & the Colorado Wilderness Act!

By sjca Lands Protection, Take Action

Photo: John Fielder Help Secure New Wilderness in Colorado Contact Colorado’s elected representatives to thank them for their strong support of public lands and ask that they do everything in their power to pass the CORE Act and the Colorado…

Aug 21 2020

Defense Spending Bill May Provide Path to Land Conservation

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection

As Congress nears the finish line this year, the fate of conservation legislation dealing with a million acres in Colorado is left hanging. The House of Representatives has now twice passed both the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy Act and…

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 08 2019

Bighorn Sheep: An Introduction

By sjca 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 sjca 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 25 2019

Western Slope Voters Support CORE Act

By sjca Lands Protection

Photo: Jack Brauer Really, it isn't a surprise to most of us that the majority of Western Slope voters support our public lands and want them protected. For those who are skeptical, this recent poll clearly shows widespread support for…

Oct 20 2019

San Juan Mountains legislation faces vote in U.S. House

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection

This week marks the 10th anniversary of long-simmering efforts to obtain added wilderness protections for the high ranges of the San Juan Mountains. Back in 2009, then Rep. John Salazar first introduced the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act, legislation aimed…

Oct 15 2019

Wolf Creek Update – Pagosa Springs

By sjca

Photo: Alex Pullen SJCA Open House & Wolf Creek Campaign Update Tuesday, October 29th 5-7 pm Pagosa Brewing & Grill 118 N. Pagosa Blvd., Pagosa Springs Wondering what the latest is with our decade-long campaign to protect Wolf Creek…

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 11 2019

Forest Service Rescinds Approval of Chainsaws in Wilderness!

By sjca Lands Protection

Photo: Tom Sykes The Forest Service has rescinded its approval to use chainsaws in Weminuche and South San Juan Wildernesses! We were surprised last month to hear about Regional Forester's illegal approval to use motorized equipment in the form of…

Jun 04 2019

Chain Saws in Wilderness Update

By sjca Lands Protection

Photo: National Park Service Chain Saws in Wilderness Update June 4th, 2019 Background On May 7th the Forest Service unexpectedly, and without any public notice or input, announced it would allow chain saws in the Weminuche and South San Juan…

May 22 2019

We’re Challenging the Forest Service on Secretive Approval of Chainsaws in Wilderness

By sjca Lands Protection

Below is our press release detailing our arguments against the Forest Service's recent secretive approval allowing for chainsaws to be used in the Weminuche and South San Juan Wildernesses starting June 1. We're asking the court to reverse the decision.…

May 19 2019

Wilderness deserves restraint, humility

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Forest Health, Lands Protection

The Forest Service’s recent decision to approve using chain saws to cut out downed trees in wilderness areas might strike some as no big deal. But for longtime advocates for the wilderness concept generally, and supporters of the Weminuche 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…

Jan 25 2019

CORE Act Gives San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act Another Chance!

By sjca Lands Protection

Photo: Jack Brauer Senator Bennet and Representative Neguse are breathiing new life into the decade-long campaign to permanently protect iconic, yet vulnerable, alpine landscapes in the San Juan Mountains. Next week, they're introducing a new bill, the Colorado Outdoor Recreation &…

Sep 27 2018

TAKE ACTION: Call Senator Gardner!

By sjca 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…

May 19 2018

Photo of wildflowers in Ice Lake Basin by Jason Hatfield

San Juan Wilderness Act strategically protects mountains’ beauty

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection

Photo: Jason Hatfield With spring full bore upon us, it’s hard not to cast an envious eye toward the high country and start daydreaming about alpine wildflower hikes. One favorite destination for many is Ice Lake Basin outside Silverton, one…

Dec 06 2017

Picture high in the Weminuche Wilderness

133 Conservation Groups Tell Congress: Keep Bikes Out of Wilderness

By sjca 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…

Wilderness

Take Action: Protect Wild Places in the San Juan Mountains

Take Action: Support the Colorado Wilderness Act & BLM Wildlands

Coloradans Applaud Re-Introduction of Colorado Wilderness Act

Land Protection on Deck for New Congress

Take Action: Help Pass the CORE Act & the Colorado Wilderness Act!

Defense Spending Bill May Provide Path to Land Conservation

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

Bighorn Sheep: An Introduction

CORE Act Passes the House!

Western Slope Voters Support CORE Act

San Juan Mountains legislation faces vote in U.S. House

Wolf Creek Update – Pagosa Springs

Energy dominance comes to Colorado

Forest Service Rescinds Approval of Chainsaws in Wilderness!

Chain Saws in Wilderness Update

We’re Challenging the Forest Service on Secretive Approval of Chainsaws in Wilderness

Wilderness deserves restraint, humility

Land conservation overcomes congressional gridlock

CORE Act Gives San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act Another Chance!

TAKE ACTION: Call Senator Gardner!

San Juan Wilderness Act strategically protects mountains’ beauty

133 Conservation Groups Tell Congress: Keep Bikes Out of Wilderness

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