What's New - Page 2 of 3 - San Juan Citizens Alliance

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 31 2019

House Passes Chaco Protection Bill

By sjca Oil & Gas

Is it everything we hope for? No, but it is undoubtedly a significant step forward. We'll continue to use all the tools we have to fight for permanent protections in the region. Check out the full press release below with…

Oct 29 2019

Farmington Green Drinks – November

By sjca

November Green Drinks Thursday, November 7th Traegers Bar, 5170 College Blvd Farmington, NM 5-7 pm NOTE NEW LOCATION! Farmington Green Drinks is going strong! Mark your calendars for the first Thursdays of the month to come enjoy a beer and…

Oct 25 2019

Tri-State’s FERC Application Denied

By sjca Climate Change, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

This blog series covers the monthly La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) Board of Directors meetings. We’re tracking the board for transparency and accountability, as well as to stay current on their renewable energy initiatives. Find past and future spotlights here. Get…

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 21 2019

Four Corners Air Quality Group meeting

By sjca

Come join us for the annual Four Corners Air Quality Group meeting in Durango this Wednesday to hear about important factors in our regional air quality and some of the steps being taken to improve it. There will also be…

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 17 2019

Energy Transition Act (ETA) Committee Meeting

By sjca

We all know how important the Energy Transition Act (ETA) is for the Four Corners Region. It will provide much-needed funding to aid in the diversification of our economy and retrain and offer financial support to all of those employees…

Oct 15 2019

Fire & Forests Learning Series Part III: Resilience

By sjca

Photo: Michael Remke Fire & Forests Learning Series Part III: Resilience Post 416 Fire November 6th, 6-8 pm Powerhouse Science Center Durango, CO To close the series, we will direct the conversation to the lessons learned by our community…

Oct 15 2019

Fire & Forests Learning Series Part II: Post Fire Effects

By sjca

Photo: Michael Remke Fire & Forests Learning Series Part II: Post-Fire Effects October 30th, 6-8 pm Powerhouse Science Center Durango, CO This second night will focus on the current conditions of our forests and the effects of fire, both…

Oct 15 2019

Forest & Fire Learning Series Part I: Fire & Forests

By sjca

Photo: Michael Remke Fire & Forests Learning Series Part I: The History of Fire & Forest Ecology in the San Juan Mountains October 23rd, 6-8 pm Powerhouse Science Center The series will kick off with a presentation on the foundational…

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…

Oct 11 2019

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

By sjca 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…

Oct 08 2019

Durango Green Drinks – November

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday, November 21st Carver Brewing Company 5-6:45pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, a fun, informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the…

Oct 08 2019

Durango Green Drinks – October

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday, October 24th Carver Brewing Company 5-6:45pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, a fun, informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the…

Sep 26 2019

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour – Durango

By Rane Dickerson

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour September 16-17th, 2022 Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College 7 pm, Doors Open at 6 Banff Mountain Film Festival is back with two nights of unique film line-ups! Join us for one…

Sep 25 2019

Farmington Green Drinks – October

By sjca

October Green Drinks Thursday, October 3rd Three Rivers Brewery Taproom, 111 E Main St. Farmington, NM 5-7 pm Farmington Green Drinks is going strong! Mark your calendars for the first Thursdays of the month to come enjoy a beer and…

Sep 23 2019

Reinventing Power Film

By sjca

Reinventing Power Film Thursday, October 3rd from 6-8 pm Durango Public Library The 50-minute renewable energy documentary "Reinventing Power" is hitting the road. Durango is stop #3 of the Colorado Reinventing Power Roadshow! You have the opportunity to not…

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…

Sep 11 2019

Opportunities for Change

By sjca LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Sep 11 2019

Take Action: Stand Up For Clean Energy In Colorado

By sjca Coal, Energy Transition, Renewable Energy

A Rulemaking to Hold Tri-State Accountable The Colorado Public Utilities Commission is holding a rulemaking process through October 15th about Tri-State's Electric Resource Plan (ERP), which will fundamentally impact co-op customers for years to come. The ERP is a long-term…

Sep 10 2019

We’re Hosting Durango Green Drinks!

By sjca

We're Hosting! Durango Green Drinks Thursday, September 26th Carver Brewing Company 5-6:45pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, a fun, informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits…

Sep 03 2019

The Methane Hotspot Isn’t Just Going to Disappear

By sjca Climate Change, Oil & Gas

Photo: Carlan Tapp Why should we care about methane, exactly? Remember that methane hotspot floating over the Four Corners region? Explosive growth in the oil and gas industry have contributed to some of the highest levels of methane emissions…

Aug 30 2019

We’re Asking the Courts to Weigh in on Application of the Energy Transition Act

By Mike Eisenfeld Climate Change, Coal, Energy Transition, Renewable Energy

New Mexico recently passed a landmark energy transition bill known as the Energy Transition Act (ETA). The bill was groundbreaking not just for setting an aggressive renewable portfolio standard, but also for creating funding to ensure a just transition for…

Aug 29 2019

Ozone Outreach Farmington – NM Environment Department

By sjca

San Juan County is one of 7 counties in New Mexico with air quality approaching, in fact 95% of the way to, the 2015 ozone standard. This is unacceptable and an issue we should all be concerned about; it is…

Aug 29 2019

EPA To Rollback Critical Methane Regulations

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Aug 28 2019

Interventions and Rulemakings for Tri-State

By sjca LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Aug 23 2019

Why Restore Wolves to Colorado Part I: Ecology

By sjca 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 21 2019

Farmington Green Drinks – September

By sjca

September Green Drinks Thursday, September 5th Three Rivers Brewery Taproom, 111 E Main St. Farmington, NM 5-7 pm Farmington Green Drinks is now in its 5th month! Mark your calendars for the first Thursdays of the month to come enjoy…

Aug 20 2019

A New Era for Colorado Oil and Gas

By sjca Climate Change, Oil & Gas

This April, SB 19-181 passed through the Colorado Legislature and was signed into law, fundamentally altering the landscape of Colorado oil and gas operations. The bill reforms oil and gas law and charges the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission…

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…

Aug 15 2019

No Double-Density Drilling in the Greater Chaco Region

By sjca Climate Change, Oil & Gas

After almost a year fighting a proposal by Hilcorp Energy Company to double its gas wells, we are celebrating the New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission's (OCC) decision restrict new development in northwest New Mexico. Along with our partners, we opposed…

Aug 01 2019

Back to court: Trump admin still fracking Greater Chaco, forcing new lawsuit

By sjca Oil & Gas

We've been working to protect Greater Chaco from rampant and unchecked oil and gas development for over a decade. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has long failed to conduct any sort of meaningful tribal consultations or robust environmental or cultural resource…

Jul 29 2019

Durango Green Drinks

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday, August 29th Carver Brewing Company 5-6:45pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, a fun, informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the…

Jul 25 2019

August 6th City Council Meeting

By sjca

Durango City Council Meeting Tuesday, August 6th at 6:30 pm 949 E 2nd Avenue Durango, CO Come tell your Durango City Councilors that you want to see them pursue renewable energy projects, lower their carbon footprint, and increase energy…

Jul 25 2019

Tensions Rise with Big Shifts at Tri-State

By sjca LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Jul 24 2019

PNM Public Meeting on SJGS Abandonment

By sjca

PNM has filed for abandonment and is now navigating the process of closing San Juan Generating Station, adding more renewables to their generation portfolio and deciding which generation assets to place in San Juan County. Come join your voice to…

Jul 24 2019

Farmington Green Drinks

By sjca

August Green Drinks Thursday, August 8th Three Rivers Brewery Taproom Farmington, NM 5-7 pm Mike and Zach of our Farmington office have started a monthly Green Drinks in Farmington. Green Drinks is an informal gathering to connect with other…

Jul 23 2019

It’s time for robust methane regulations in New Mexico

By sjca Climate Change, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas

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…

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…

Jul 17 2019

The False Hope of Carbon Capture

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Energy Transition

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…

Jul 16 2019

Farmington Methane Regulation Public Meeting

By sjca

Public Meeting on NM Methane Regulations July 29th, 1-5 pm San Juan Community College, IT building -Room 7103 4601 College Blvd, Farmington, NM 87402 Make your voice heard to help enact much needed methane regulation in New Mexico! The…

Jul 11 2019

Groups Challenge BLM’s Response to Chaco Court Ruling

By sjca Oil & Gas

Photo: Wildearth Guardians Even a court ruling doesn't seem to deter the Bureau of Land Management in Farmington. They are determined to push through industry wish lists, undermining environmental review, public input, and even the courts. We'll continue calling them…

Jul 10 2019

Durango Green Drinks – July

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday, July 25th Carver Brewing Company 5-6:45pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, a fun, informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the…

Jun 28 2019

Our Future Power Supply – Ignacio

By sjca

LPEA's Future Power Supply Information Series July 11th at 6:30 pm Ignacio Community Library The Power Supply Committee has finished their work and LPEA is presenting their findings to the public during the month of July! Come ask questions and…

Jun 28 2019

Our Future Power Supply – Durango

By sjca

LPEA's Future Power Supply Information Series July 10th at 6:30 pm LPEA Board Room, Durango The Power Supply Committee has finished their work and LPEA is presenting their findings to the public during the month of July! Come ask questions…

Jun 27 2019

Our Future Power Supply – Bayfield

By sjca

LPEA's Future Power Supply Information Series July 2nd at 6:30 pm Forest Lakes Community Center, Pagosa Springs The Power Supply Committee has finished their work and LPEA is presenting their findings to the public during the month of July! Come…

Jun 27 2019

Tri-State Seeks FERC Regulation

By sjca Climate Change, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Jun 27 2019

Our Future Power Supply – Pagosa Springs

By sjca

LPEA's Future Power Supply Information Series July 1st at 6:30 pm Ross Aragon Center, Pagosa Springs The Power Supply Committee has finished their work and LPEA is presenting their findings to the public during the month of July! Come ask…

Jun 16 2019

Our energy supply system is transforming

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Coal, Durango Herald Column, Energy Transition, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy

In just a few weeks, Public Service Co. of New Mexico will initiate the process to officially retire the San Juan Generating Station, the 1,600-megawatt, coal-fired behemoth outside Farmington that once burned coal day and night to generate electricity. It’s…

Jun 13 2019

Farmington Green Drinks – July

By sjca

July Green Drinks Thursday, July 11th Three Rivers Brewery Taproom Farmington, NM 5-6:45pm Mark your calendars for the second Thursdays of the month. Mike and Zach of our Farmington have started a monthly Green Drinks in Farmington! Green Drinks is…

Jun 13 2019

Durango Green Drinks

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday, June 27th Carver Brewing Company 5-6:45pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, a fun, informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the…

Jun 13 2019

Video About Us!

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Energy Transition, Forest Health, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy, Rivers

We made a video about who we are and what we do! A big thanks to Sean Owen of No Special Abilities Productions for making this happen. Of course, it's impossible to get everything we do into a short...

Jun 12 2019

Crosscut Saw and Ax Training Class

By sjca

Crosscut Saw and Axe Training Class July 12, 5-7 pm July 13th, 8 am - 4pm We're excited to announce we're organizing this training for volunteers interested in learning to use and maintain crosscut saws safely and efficiently. All…

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 10 2019

Energy Transition Act Invests in Our Local Communities

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Energy Transition, Renewable Energy

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…

Jun 08 2019

Gold King Mine Update Teach-In

By sjca

Gold King Mine Update Teach-In Friday, June, 21st 9 am - 1 pm Shiprock Chapter House The 4th Annual Conference on Animas and San Juan Watershed Conference: Successes and Challenges from Headwaters to Lake Powell (June 19-20, 2019 San Juan College, Farmington) will…

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…

Jun 03 2019

Durango Green Drinks – June

By sjca

Jun 03 2019

Why Restore Wolves to Colorado?

By sjca 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 30 2019

Bernhardt’s Promise to Protect Chaco

By sjca Oil & Gas

Photo: Rob Zeigler It's certainly promising, if not surprising, that Department of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt is making promises to protect Greater Chaco. We're grateful to Senator Heinrich for playing a key role in orchestrating Bernhardt's visit to Chaco Cultural…

May 29 2019

New Beginnings at LPEA

By sjca LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

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…

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 21 2019

Farmington Green Drinks

By sjca

June Green Drinks Thursday, June 13th Three Rivers Brewery Taproom Farmington, NM 5-6:45pm Mark your calendars for the second Thursdays of the month. Mike and Zach of our Farmington office have started a monthly Green Drinks in Farmington! Green Drinks…

May 21 2019

Animas River Days

By sjca

Animas River Days Saturday, June 1st All Day Santa Rita Park, Durango, CO We were blessed with lots of water this year. Join us to celebrate and enjoy the Animas River! As usual there will be everything from kayaking…

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…

May 17 2019

In Wake of Court Ruling, Coalition Calls for Moratorium on Fracking in Greater Chaco Region

By Mike Eisenfeld Oil & Gas

Photo: Robert Zeigler Earlier this month a federal appeals court granted Greater Chaco a a long-overdue reprieve from unchecked fracking in response to a lawsuit we filed with our partners. The courts decision directly overturned a couple dozen permits, but we…

May 07 2019

Greater Chaco Region Wins Reprieve From Fracking

By sjca Oil & Gas

This is great news! Momentum in our decade-long effort to protect Greater Chaco from unbridled (and illegal) oil and gas development is finally resulting in real gains. Back in 2015, along with our partners, we filed a lawsuit against the…

May 07 2019

Farmington Green Drinks

By sjca

May Green Drinks Thursday, May 16th Three Rivers Brewery Taproom Farmington, NM 5-6:45pm Mike and Zach of our Farmington team are excited to invite you to the first monthly Green Drinks in Farmington! Green Drinks is a space to relax…

May 01 2019

Signing NM Land Office Chaco Executive Order

Greater Chaco: Applause for New State Land Office Planning Process

By sjca Oil & Gas

Real progress is being made toward protecting Greater Chaco! Last month a Congressional visit welcomed lawmakers to the region to learn about the impacts of oil and gas development and the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act was re-introduced. At the…

Apr 29 2019

Power Supply Committee Gives Recommendations

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Apr 26 2019

Farmington’s 33rd Annual Riverfest

By sjca

Join us in celebrating the Animas River with Farmington's River Reach Foundation! 33rd Annual Riverfest May 24th - May 26th, 2019 Berg & Animas Parks Farmington, NM The party begins with live music and a kick-off celebration on Friday night…

Apr 23 2019

Durango Green Drinks

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday, May 30th Carver Brewing Company 5-6:45pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, a fun, informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the event…

Apr 21 2019

New Mexico moves to protect Chaco Canyon from drilling

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Oil & Gas

Anyone who has traveled the U.S. Highway 550 corridor to Albuquerque recently knows for themselves the extent of greatly expanded drilling activity. Advances in fracking technology have unlocked access to oil deposits tightly trapped in the Mancos and Gallup shale…

Apr 18 2019

Greater Chaco Coalition responds to Congressional Visit on Oil and Gas Impacts

By Mike Eisenfeld Oil & Gas

We were thrilled to welcome members of Congress to Chaco to experience the incredible landscape, learn about the history, and hear from impacted community members firsthand. We are confident they now have a deeper understanding of the issues here and…

Apr 18 2019

Western Colorado Deserves Clean Air Too!

By Mark Pearson Oil & Gas

This month, the Colorado legislature passed landmark oil and gas reform legislation that directs the state to adopt next generation methane standards and expand air quality protections statewide. On Tuesday, the Air Quality Control Division will hold a public hearing…

Apr 18 2019

San Juan Citizens Alliance Open House – Mancos

By sjca

SJCA Open House Mancos Tuesday, May 7th 5-7 pm Outlier Cellars 141 S Main St, Mancos Appetizers provided Join us for some appetizers and cider in Mancos! We're hosting an Open House at Outlier Cellars to meet supporters and catch…

Apr 16 2019

Congress Investigates Tri-State for Role in Secretive Lobbying Group

By sjca Climate Change, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Apr 09 2019

Groups Applaud Strengthened Bill to Protect Greater Chaco Landscape

By Mike Eisenfeld Oil & Gas

More than 92% of Greater Chaco has already been leased. Over the last several years, this leasing has moved forward despite the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) not having a plan in place to protect modern native communities, their history,…

Apr 01 2019

Are we really Better Together?

By sjca LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Mar 28 2019

New Mexicans Protest New Fracking in Greater Chaco and Greater Carlsbad

By sjca Climate Change, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas

“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…

Mar 20 2019

What Now? Next Steps for San Juan County

By sjca

What Now? Next Steps for San Juan County Thursday, April 11th 5:30 – 6:30 pm SJCA Farmington Office What is the Energy Transition Act? How does it affect San Juan County? What is happening with San Juan Generating Station? What…

Mar 20 2019

Open House at Farmington Office!

By sjca

Farmington Office Open House Tuesday, April 2nd 4:30 – 6:00 pm SJCA Farmington Office San Juan Citizens Alliance now has 2 full-tim employees in northwest New Mexico and a Farmington office! Join us (drop-in at any point!) for snacks, a…

Mar 20 2019

April Green Drinks

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday, April 25th Carver Brewing Company 5-6:pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, a fun, informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the…

Mar 19 2019

Power UP the LPEA Election

By sjca

Power UP the LPEA Election Friday, April 5th 5-8 pm Durango Arts Center The LPEA Board of Directors election is critical to the future of our power and it's just around the corner. Come learn what's been happening at LPEA…

Mar 19 2019

Colorado Bill Aims to Modernize Regulation of Oil and Gas

By Mark Pearson Oil & Gas

Colorado is finally trying to revamp the regulation of oil and gas development for the 21st century. And it's long overdue. For decades, Colorado's official charge to the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission was to "foster" oil and…

Mar 18 2019

Colorado Passes Landmark Mining Reform Bill!

By sjca Gold King Mine, Of Interest, Rivers

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…

Mar 18 2019

Decisions loom about local electric supply

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Coal, Renewable Energy

Spring is in the air, and with it comes potentially big changes for our electric power supply. Leadership changes abound at both our local rural electric cooperative, La Plata Electric Association, and its wholesale electric supplier, Tri-State Generating and Transmission.…

Mar 13 2019

New Mexico Passes Historic Clean Energy Bill!

By Mike Eisenfeld Climate Change, Coal, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy

New Mexico just passed one of the most progressive energy transition bills in the country! The Energy Transition Act (ETA), which just passed the house and now heads to the Governor's desk, paves the way for a just transition to…

Mar 12 2019

Senator’s filibuster over Energy Transition Act a stunt

By Mike Eisenfeld Climate Change, Renewable Energy

I watched the nearly four-hour filibuster from Senator Bill Sharer on the Energy Transition Act from my home in Farmington on Wednesday. The bill passed overwhelmingly, 32-9, with strong bipartisan support. This stunt by Senator Sharer actually provides a window…

Mar 04 2019

Opinion: Back the Energy Transition Act

By Mike Eisenfeld Climate Change, Coal, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy

San Juan Citizens Alliance is actively working to move New Mexico forward to a sustainable energy economy. We believe an important step towards this desired future, especially for us in Northwestern New Mexico, is the passage of Senate Bill 489,…

Feb 28 2019

LPEA is listening to you

By sjca Climate Change, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Feb 28 2019

Energy 101: Navigating the New Energy Market

By sjca

Energy 101: Navigating the New Energy Market Saturday, March 23rd 3:15 - 5:45 pm Durango Public Library Renewable energy is now less expensive than coal. This will be a community discussion about how to take advantage of these new…

Feb 28 2019

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

By sjca 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 26 2019

New Mexico Organizations Laud Senate Conservation Committee’s Approval of Landmark Clean Energy Legislation

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Renewable Energy

The Energy Transition Act will reduce electricity costs for New Mexicans, leverage affordable clean energy, and provide economic relief to the Four Corners. Today, a coalition of New Mexico labor, community, and environmental organizations celebrated the passage by the…

Feb 20 2019

Stephanie Richards Garcia speaking at NM Public Lands Rally

Federal, State, Tribal Leaders and Allies Call for Protection From Fracking

By Mike Eisenfeld Climate Change, Lands Protection, Oil & Gas

It is completely indefensible to continue to lease parcels in Greater Chaco to oil and gas without having a plan in place to ensure protections for air, water, public health, and the rich history embedded in the landscape. TheBureau of…

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…

Feb 12 2019

Take Action: Speak Out Against Lease Sale in Greater Chaco

By sjca Oil & Gas

It's time to speak out in defense of Greater Chaco again. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Farmington and Rio Puerco field offices in northwestern New Mexico continue to allow oil and gas companies to frack without a plan in…

Feb 11 2019

San Juan Citizens Alliance Open House – Pagosa Springs

By sjca

SJCA Open House Pagosa Springs NEW DATE: Wednesday, March 13th 5-7 pm Pagosa Brewing Company 118 N. Pagosa Blvd Light appetizers provided Please join us at Pagosa Springs Brewing Company! Meet staff, learn about the work we're doing in…

Feb 07 2019

Clean Energy Bill Introduced to Reduce Electricity Costs, and Provide Economic Relief to San Juan County Workers

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Renewable Energy

Woot woot! A new Governor in New Mexico along with a host of bold, progressive, new State House representatives, looking to the future and creating opportunities. We're hopeful we can make big strides in clean energy, a just transition for…

Feb 05 2019

Wild & Scenic Film Festival – Durango

By sjca

Wild & Scenic Film Festival February 17th, 2019 Durango Arts Center 4 pm, Doors Open at 3:30 Looking for some inspiration? Look no further! The Durango Chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby is hosting a Wild & Scenic Film Festival on…

Feb 01 2019

Keep moving Four Corners forward with renewable energy

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Renewable Energy

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…

Jan 30 2019

February Green Drinks

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday, February 28th Back room at Carver Brewing 5:00-6:45 pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, a fun, informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local…

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 &…

Jan 22 2019

LPEA Sets Carbon Reduction Goal

By sjca Climate Change, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Jan 19 2019

New Mexico grapples with air pollutants

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Coal, Durango Herald Column, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy

We who live in these parts sometimes call it the Four Corners, other times the San Juan Basin or even the Colorado Plateau. It’s reflective of the geographic flexibility of our home region, one that water and air easily transcends.…

Jan 17 2019

Call for Stronger Air Quality Rules for Oil and Gas Development in Colorado

By sjca Climate Change, Oil & Gas

While Colorado has been a national leader in establishing state-wide methane rules to limit waste, a task force is calling for more to be done to curb ozone pollution stemming from the oil and gas industry. With many counties, particularly…

Jan 15 2019

Women Outside Adventure Forum: US Mexico Thruhikers

By sjca

US/Mexico Border Thru Hikers Tenny Ostrem & Claire Wernstedt-Lynch Thursday, March 21st, 6-8:30 pm Doors Open at 5:30 Henry Strater Theater The final night of Women Outside Adventure Forum is Hike the Line, a film about Tenny and Claire’s historic…

Jan 15 2019

Women Outside Adventure Forum

By sjca

Adventurer & Climber National Geographic Adventurer Hilaree Nelson REEL ROCK 13 Climber and Outdoor Research athlete Madaleine Sorkin Wednesday, March 20th, 6-8:30 pm Doors Open at 5:30 Powerhouse Science Center The fourth annual Women Outside Adventure Forum by Backcountry Experience…

Jan 15 2019

Women Outside Adventure Forum

By sjca

Adventure Running & Writing Adventure Runner Kelly Halpin & Adventure Writer Morgan Angela Tilton Tuesday, March 19th, 6-8:30 pm Powerhouse Science Center The fourth annual Women Outside Adventure Forum by Backcountry Experience is coming to Durango again this March! Backcountry Experience…

Jan 15 2019

January Durango Green Drinks

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday, January 24th Carver Brewing, 5-6:45 pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, a fun, informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the event…

Jan 08 2019

NM Oil Conservation Commission to Rehear Double Drilling Rule Change

By sjca Oil & Gas

Victory! Excellent decision today putting the public back into decisions about our public lands! The New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission took all of 5 minutes to grant a re-hearing on the rule allowing for double drilling in Rio Arriba and…

Jan 08 2019

Public Deserves Input on Double Drilling Under Methane Hot Spot, Near Chaco

By sjca Oil & Gas

Elections matter. That fact is being clearly made in New Mexico, where the public voted in a new administration with vastly different values when it comes to our public lands, among other things. We are thrilled that the new administration…

Dec 20 2018

Tri-State in Trouble

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

This blog series covers the monthly La Plata Electric Association (LPEA)* Board of Directors meetings. We’re tracking the board for transparency and accountability, as well as to stay current on their renewable energy initiatives. Find past and future spotlights here. Get…

Dec 15 2018

Change Confronts Rural Electric Co-ops

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Coal, Durango Herald Column, Green Business, Renewable Energy

Photo: Wildearth Guardians, Flickr The comedian Lily Tomlin used to have a favorite shtick where she played Ernestine, the snorting, smirking phone operator. She would end her bit with the line, “We don’t care, we don’t have to, we’re the…

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 sjca 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…

Dec 05 2018

Greater Chaco Advocates Rally at BLM to Protest Lease Sale

By sjca Climate Change, Oil & Gas

Photo: WildEarth Guardians We've been working to protect the Greater Chaco region from rampant and largely uncontrolled drilling for over ten years. Sadly, the need for protections is only increasing. Our partners organized a rally of over 200 people to…

Dec 04 2018

Climate Action Happy Hour

By sjca

Climate Action Happy Hour Monday, December 10th 5-6:30 pm Carver Brewing, Durango You're invited to join us and our friends at Conservation Colorado to discuss the future of renewable energy for our region and actions we can take to encourage…

Nov 30 2018

LPEA hires consultants to research energy supply options

By sjca Climate Change, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Nov 28 2018

SJCA Holiday Open House

By sjca

SJCA Holiday Open House Thursday, December 6th, 4 - 6pm San Juan Citizens Alliance Office Smiley Building, Room #5, 1309 East Third Avenue, Durango, Colorado Come see where all the magic happens, get updates on the campaigns you care about…

Nov 28 2018

Join the discussion – Bonita Peak Community Advisory Group

By sjca Of Interest, Rivers

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…

Nov 18 2018

Election moves energy policy to the forefront

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Durango Herald Column, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy

Photo: US Department of Energy, Flickr With the midterm elections behind us, it’s worth pondering what the outcome means for the environment next year. One can expect significant action in Colorado and New Mexico in two areas where states have…

Nov 15 2018

Protecting Wildlife and Quiet Use on San Juan National Forest

By sjca 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…

Nov 08 2018

Wolf Symposium

By sjca

Durango Wolf Symposium Thursday, November 29th Fort Lewis College Student Life Center Gymnasium 8:30 am-12:00 pm (4 speakers) 1:00-4:30 pm (5 speakers) 7:00-9:00 pm Public Discussion The Ft. Lewis College Department of Biology is hosting a free, open-to-the-public symposium, at the…

Nov 07 2018

Public Hearing on Double Drilling

By sjca

Special Hearing: Hilcorp's Double Drilling Request Monday, November 19th, 9 am New Mexico Oil Conservation Commission Porter Hall, 1st floor, Wendell Chino Building, 1220 South St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe, New Mexico As you may have heard, Hilcorp is…

Oct 30 2018

November Green Drinks

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday, November 29th Carver Brewing, 5-6:45 pm SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, an informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the event and…

Oct 29 2018

aerial view of oil and gas in New Mexico

The truth about double drilling

By Mike Eisenfeld Oil & Gas

Photo: Ecoflight As a longtime resident of Farmington, where the impacts of oil and gas are felt daily, I am writing to set the record straight concerning a double drilling rule change that Houston-based Hilcorp Energy is proposing before the…

Oct 21 2018

Energy dominance comes to national forests

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

The Trump administration unabashedly promotes energy dominance above all else on America’s public lands. But even knowing that, it’s hard not to be astonished by the latest onslaught to prioritize oil and gas development on our national forests. We are…

Oct 18 2018

Recreation and Resilience After the 416 Fire

By sjca

Join us for an evening dedicated to forest, watershed, and community resilience! Who: YOU! If you run, hike, bike, ride, hunt or wander through local forests or fish and boat local rivers and streams, this event is for you. What: Beer…

Oct 15 2018

SJCA Shines Light on Proposal to Double Drilling Density

By sjca Oil & Gas

Hilcorp tried to sneak through a rule change that would double the drilling density in San Juan and Rio Arriba Counties in New Mexico - without public input or analysis of impacts. You may have heard we've been making a…

Oct 11 2018

Oktober Forest

By sjca

OKTOBER F(or)EST Watershed, Brewshed, Fireshed, & Foodshed October 20th Dolores, Colorado Events all day! See the poster below Community Potluck: 11:30-1:30 We are proud to be a part of this great forest collaborative. Join us for the Community Potluck or…

Oct 01 2018

SJCA & Broad Coalition Challenges BLM Gutting the Methane Rule

By sjca Oil & Gas

Again? Yes, again. It's hard to keep track how many times and in how many different ways this administration has attempted to gut the two common-sense methane rules established under the Obama Administration. Secretary Zinke has tried, and failed, twice…

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…

Sep 26 2018

We’re Co-Hosting October Green Drinks!

By sjca

We're teaming up with the Fort Lewis College Environmental Center in October to co-host one of our favorite local gatherings! Come on out for great company, a cold beer (or root beer!), and some inspiration about what our two impressive…

Sep 26 2018

September Green Drinks

By sjca

SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, an informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the event and rotate responsibilities hosting it. It is a fun and relaxed opportunity…

Sep 23 2018

Will APS Work With NM Stakeholders?

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Renewable Energy

The era of coal is over. We must demand a just transition for impacted families and communities now. APS, having profited billions from the hardworking families and communities of northwestern New Mexico, has a responsibility to help fund that transition.…

Sep 19 2018

Token Tuesday for SJCA!

By sjca

Token Tuesday! September 25th All Day! Happy Hour with SJCA Staff, 5-6:30 pm Join SJCA staff for a beer on Token Tuesday! We'll be shutting down our computers and heading over to one of our favorite breweries for happy…

Sep 17 2018

You did it! LPEA board launches investigation of energy supply options

By sjca LPEA Spotlight

Sep 15 2018

Fires and droughts should set off alarm bells

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Coal, Durango Herald Column, Forest Health, Lands Protection, Renewable Energy, Rivers

Our beloved Animas River has taken a shellacking the past few years, the most recent insults a combination of record low flows and wildfire induced mudslides. The Animas might be the blaring alarm bell for our society’s failure to act…

Sep 11 2018

EPA: Oil and Gas Wells Can Keep on Polluting and Wasting Methane

By sjca Climate Change, Oil & Gas

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…

Sep 11 2018

WHAT’S NEXT: 416 Fire Open House

By sjca

The 416 Fire is contained, and while it may smolder till snowfall, it’s time for our community to ask, “what’s next?” Join the open conversation with experts from across disciplines, agencies, and organizations. Whether you’re interested in water quality and…

Aug 23 2018

Governments, Groups Demand Public Hearings on New Mexico Oil and Gas Sale Call on BLM for Greater Transparency and Accountability for Fracking Greater Chaco

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

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…

Aug 01 2018

August Green Drinks

By sjca

Jul 30 2018

Ice Lakes Day Hike

By sjca

Photo: Shannon Dizmang Join us and Backcountry Experience for a free day hike to Ice Lake Basin to learn about the history and topography of the region as well as why it's been included in the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act.…

Jul 25 2018

Zinke Proposes More Fracking in Greater Chaco, Despite Need for More Analysis

By sjca Oil & Gas

Zinke's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a lease sale in Greater Chaco this December, despite failing to conduct tribal consultations they deemed necessary when cancelling the much smaller March 2018 lease in the region. Along with our partners,…

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,…

Jul 21 2018

Economic Future of Four Corners is in Our Hands

By sjca Climate Change, Coal

Photo: Ecoflight Northwestern New Mexico is at a crossroads. Like many communities throughout history, the foundation of our economy is based on a soon-to-be outdated industry. We can choose to become victims of change and progress or we can choose…

Jul 20 2018

Forest Service Tries to Circumvent Court Ruling to Green Light Controversial Village at Wolf Creek

By sjca Lands Protection, Wolf Creek

This. Is. Crazy. The developers of the would-be Village at Wolf Creek will stop at nothing. We know that. But we really do expect the Forest Service to manage public lands in the public interest and not cave to the…

Jul 20 2018

Tears and Transition: We’re Hiring!

By sjca Careers, Climate Change, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy

Photo: Rob Zeigler There have been a lot of tears in the office lately. And it’s not because the Animas is running the color of charcoal, massacring our already vulnerable native fish populations. And it’s not because a billionaire developer…

Jul 17 2018

July Green Drinks

By sjca

Jul 03 2018

Colorado County and Conservation Groups Sue Trump Administration Again Over Southwest Colorado Oil and Gas Leases

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Jun 22 2018

Banner image for the National Parks of the USA book

Explore the Hidden Wonders of the National Parks: An Interactive Storytime for Kids

By sjca

Explore the Hidden Wonders of the National Parks: An Interactive Storytime for Kids Tuesday, July 10th from 10 am - noon Maria's Bookshop 960 Main Avenue, Durango, CO Join us Maria's Bookshop for an exciting interactive adventure through the…

Jun 22 2018

Explore the Hidden Wonders of the National Parks: An Interactive Storytime for Kids

By sjca

Explore the Hidden Wonders of the National Parks: An Interactive Storytime for Kids Tuesday, July 10th 10 am - noon Maria's Bookshop Join Maria's Bookshop for an exciting interactive adventure through the national parks with local author Kate Siber! You’ll…

Jun 21 2018

Photo of post 416 fire burn area near Hermosa

416 Fire Blog: What We Know

By sjca Climate Change, Forest Health, Lands Protection

Big Picture As we breathe a collective sigh of relief after the prolonged and mostly gentle rains that calmed the fire and cleansed the air over June 16-17, we can begin to assess the 416 wildfire from a couple steps…

Jun 16 2018

For 50 years, Wild and Scenic Rivers Act preserves waterways

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Rivers

Fifty years ago, Congress passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. It was a counterpoint to the West’s flurry of dam-building in the 1950s and 1960s that saw dams erected across many of the region’s rivers. The mighty rivers of…

Jun 16 2018

Court decision prevents unstudied fracking in Santa Fe National Forest

By sjca Climate Change, Oil & Gas

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)…

Jun 11 2018

After pressure, New Mexico oil and gas company withdraws attempt to avoid regulations, public input

By sjca Oil & Gas

In mid-May, we were approached by long time rancher, environmental advocate, and San Juan Citizens Alliance member, Don Schreiber, who discovered that Hilcorp Energy Company was trying to get exemptions from laws that restrict the number of wells they can…

Jun 07 2018

Developers attempt another end run around public on Village at Wolf Creek

By sjca Lands Protection, Wolf Creek

Their tactics no longer surprise us, but they do still get us fired up! We recently discovered that the would-be developers of the Village at Wolf Creek, despite losing a sweeping court case on the issue last spring, sent a…

Jun 05 2018

June Durango Green Drinks

By sjca

Durango Green Drinks Thursday June, 28th 5-6:45 pm Carver Brewing SJCA is proud to sponsor Durango Green Drinks, an informal monthly gathering organized by the Sustainability Alliance of SW Colorado. A fantastic group of sustainability-minded local non-profits sponsor the event and…

May 29 2018

Bridging the Divide: Growing from the Ashes

By sjca

Bridging the Divide: Growing from the Ashes September 7th, 5-8 pm September 8th, 9 am - 3 pm Wolf Creek Ski Area & South Fork Visitors Center Note: This event was originally scheduled for June 22-23rd, but due to…

May 24 2018

Banner from cover of National parks book

Meet the Author: Kids Explore the Hidden Wonders of National Parks!

By sjca

Explore the Hidden Wonders of the National Parks! An interactive storytime for kids Maria’s Bookshop Tuesday, July 10 at 10 am Join Maria’s Bookshop for an exciting interactive adventure through the national parks with local author Kate Siber! You’ll…

May 23 2018

A new year at LPEA

By sjca Coal, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

May 23 2018

Image of ruins at Chaco Culture National Historic Park

Udall, Heinrich introduce legislation to codify no-drilling buffer zone around Chaco

By sjca Lands Protection, Oil & Gas

As most of you know, the Alliance has been working for over a decade to secure greater protections for Greater Chaco - it's water, air, cultural resources and the health and safety of native communities living there today. We have…

May 21 2018

Wild and Scenic Film Festival

By sjca

Wild and Scenic Film Festival Thursday, May 31st at 6 pm Animas City Theater Tickets $15 San Juan Citizens Alliance and Animas River Days are bringing the 16th Annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival to Durango on May 31st to kick off Animas…

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…

May 16 2018

SJCA & Smiley Building Open House!

By sjca

Smiley Building Open House 20th Anniversary Celebration! It's the Smiley Building's 20th Anniversary! Come celebrate this unique and vibrant part of the Durango community with us. Along with the dozens of other tenants, we'll be hosting an open house. Swing…

May 15 2018

Riverfest – Farmington, NM

By sjca

Join us in celebrating the Animas River with Farmington's River Reach Foundation! 32nd Annual Riverfest May 25th - May 27th, 2018 Berg & Animas Parks Farmington, NM The party begins with live music and a kick-off celebration on Friday night…

May 11 2018

Forest Service Fails to Appeal Wolf Creek Decision

By sjca 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…

May 09 2018

Animas River Days

By sjca

35th Annual Animas River Days! June 2nd, 2018 Santa Rita Park The day begins with kayak slalom and continues with boater-cross, freestyle kayaking, raft slalom, surf competitions and more. The river parade viewing party at Santa Rita Park begins at…

May 01 2018

May Durango Green Drinks

By sjca

Apr 30 2018

Public Defends BLM Methane Rule, Again

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Apr 27 2018

Did you get your LPEA ballot?

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, LPEA Spotlight, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy

Around 800 ballots were not delivered on time. If you didn't receive yours (or if you threw it away), call LPEA immediately. LPEA: (970) 247-5786 Did you vote yet?! If you buy electricity from LPEA, your ballot should have arrived in…

Apr 24 2018

Celebrate Colorado Public Lands

By sjca

FREE EVENT! Live Music, Food, Beer This will be biggest party celebrating Public Lands in southwest Colorado. Come enjoy live music, dancing, food, local brews, and participate in the public lands photo contest! Live Music StillHouse Junkies (6-7:15pm) La La…

Apr 21 2018

LPEA board vote hinges on vision for power supply

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Coal, Durango Herald Column

This year’s La Plata Electric Association board election is a pivotal referendum on the future of our electric supply. Are co-op members happy with the status quo, being joined at the hip for the next 32 years to Tri-State Generation…

Apr 20 2018

Photo of folks camping at Ice Lakes by Jason Hatfield

Senator Bennet Introduces San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act

By sjca Lands Protection

Photo: Jason Hatfield We're thrilled to announce that Senator Bennet has introduced the San Juan Mountains Wilderness Act, a bill born from years of diverse stakeholder engagement to protect vulnerable high country regions of the San Juan Mountains. The bill,…

Apr 17 2018

April Durango Green Drinks

By sjca

Apr 16 2018

San Juan Mining and Reclamation Conference

By sjca

8TH ANNUAL SAN JUAN MINING & RECLAMATION CONFERENCE THEME: "Planning for Resiliency" Ruth Humphrey's Brown Theater CREEDE, COLORADO: MAY 2-4, 2018 Full conference Registration: $55 Wednesday Evening reception (free); Thursday Presentations and happy hour exhibit session (lunch not included); Friday Scenario Planninge Exercise…

Apr 12 2018

Renewable Randy and the Tri-State Façade

By sjca LPEA Spotlight

Apr 09 2018

Sharing Stories Across the Watershed – Shiprock

By sjca

Resource extraction has impacted the environments and communities of the San Juan Basin for more than 150 years. Last fall, at the Animas Valley Grange Hall in Durango, CO, we heard from Navajo researchers and community leaders that were impacted…

Apr 09 2018

BIG WIN: State Water Court Upholds Instream Flow for the Dolores

By sjca Rivers

We're celebrating! The Colorado state water court has upheld the instream water right instituted by the Colorado Water Conservation Board for the Dolores River in 2015. The standard was primarily intended to protect three struggling native fish populations, but will…

Apr 05 2018

Social Responsibility ’SR Salon’ with Bill Ingram

By sjca

Apr 04 2018

Picture of sign to Counselor Chapter House

Court Finds Fracking Approvals in Greater Chaco Violate Cultural Protections

By sjca Oil & Gas

Over the past weekend, we had a partial win in our long fight to protect Chaco from unfettered oil and gas development. While the judge rejected our claim that the Bureau of Land Management violated the National Environmental Protection Act…

Mar 26 2018

Climate March & Kid’s Earth Day Parade

By sjca

It will start at the train Station downtown and end at Rotary Park. The theme is "Every Animal Deserves a Habitat". Join us to march with your poster, animal, or earth art and camera. Hosted by Citizens Climate Lobby. More…

Mar 21 2018

Photo of River of Lost Souls book cover and Jonathan Thompson

Meet the Author Jonathan Thompson

By sjca

In his newest book River of Lost Souls, Thompson, an award-winning investigative environmental journalist, digs into the science, politics, and greed behind the 2015 Gold King Mine disaster, and unearths a litany of impacts wrought by a century and a…

Mar 21 2018

Banner about Forest and Fire Learning Series

Forest and Fire Learning Series: Future Forest Changes and Challenges

By sjca

Forest and Fire Learning Series Future Forest Changes and Challenges This is the third in the collaborative Forest and Fire Learning Series. As we begin the year with below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures, community concerns around forest health are growing,…

Mar 20 2018

Picture of Outdoor Research's Tiny Houses

Coffee and Conversation

By sjca

Are you interested in conservation and clean energy? Join us for Coffee + Conversation in the Outdoor Research Tiny Home during the Women Outside Adventure Forum, March 28 8-10am. Our very own, Emily Bowie and Susan Etter, will lead a…

Mar 20 2018

Support HB 18-1301: Safeguarding Water Quality During Hardrock Mining Reclamation

By sjca Gold King Mine, Of Interest, Rivers

Animas River after the Gold King Mine Spill, August 2015. Photo by Kathy Myrick. "The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land." - Luna Leopold More than two years after…

Mar 17 2018

Interior Department hears resistance to energy leases

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Oil & Gas

Five years versus five days. That succinctly describes the different weights accorded to constituents raising objections to expanded oil and gas leasing in landscapes with special circumstances. As the Trump administration attempts to accelerate energy development through its self-described energy…

Mar 11 2018

Photo of San Juan Generating Station with gas pump

Progress is being made on the Four Corners area

By Mike Eisenfeld Climate Change, Coal, Oil & Gas, Renewable Energy

Photo: Ted Wood Storey Group In December and January, intense negotiations were ongoing over a Public Service Company of New Mexico-backed bill relating to the closure of the San Juan Generating Station, the coal-fired power plant near Farmington. This piece…

Mar 10 2018

Forest and Fire Learning Series: The Who’s Who of Forests and Fire

By sjca

Forest and Fire Learning Series The Who's Who of Forests and Fire This is the second in the collaborative Forest and Fire Learning Series. As we begin the year with below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures, community concerns around forest health…

Mar 09 2018

Green Business Roundtable: River of Lost Souls

By sjca

Green Business Roundtable: River of Lost Souls The Science, Politics, and Greed Behind the Gold King Mine Disaster Jonathan Thompson, Author, Journalist and Editor Topic: In Southwest Colorado innovation and genius was almost always employed to get more wealth out of…

Mar 02 2018

BREAKING: Zinke cancels Chaco lease sale!

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Feb 28 2018

The questions between the statements

By sjca LPEA Spotlight

Feb 27 2018

SJCA Community Meeting: Farmington’s Future

By sjca

We'll meet at one of our gracious member's homes in Farmington, NM. RSVP For location to mike@sanjuancitizens.org, (505) 360.8994 --------- In addition to pursuing our work on natural resources, recreation and health, we've launched a campaign on energy transition in…

Feb 21 2018

LPEA approves energy supply review subcommittee

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Feb 21 2018

2018 Forest Health Learning Series: Forest Health 101

By sjca

Forest Health 101 March 21st, 6-8 pm Powerhouse Science Center Dr. Julie Korb, Biology Professor, Fort Lewis College Dr. Kelley Barsanti, Chemical and Environmental Engineering Professor, UC Riverside Forest Health 101 will kick off the 2018 Forest Health Learning…

Feb 18 2018

La Plata Electric Association grapples with era of change

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Coal, Durango Herald Column, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

It’s a challenging time for La Plata Electric Association. The electric utility world is undergoing a classic technology disruption, where rapid advances threaten to upend decades-old business models. LPEA is locked into a contract for the next 30 years with…

Feb 15 2018

LPEA to vote on future of long-term energy supply review

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, LPEA Spotlight

Feb 15 2018

La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) Board Meeting

By sjca

Public comment is first thing at 9am. This month they're voting on the future of a subcommittee to study LPEA's long-term power supply options in a rapidly changing energy economy. Learn more. Tell LPEA that studying the future is critical:…

Feb 13 2018

Picture of Bryan Hannegan speaking at an event

Green Business Roundtable: Envisioning a Clean Energy Future

By sjca

Green Business Roundtable: Envisioning a Clean Energy Future Bryan Hannegan, Holy Cross Energy Speaker: Bryan Hannegan is President and CEO of Holy Cross Energy, a not-for-profit, member-owned electric cooperative utility providing electricity and energy products and services to more than…

Feb 13 2018

Secretary Zinke Proposes to Gut the BLM Methane Rule

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Feb 12 2018

February Durango Green Drinks

By sjca

Feb 01 2018

Local Non-Profits Ask FERC to Deny Tri-State Petition

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Renewable Energy

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…

Feb 01 2018

Green Business Roundtable: Using Business as a Force for Good

By sjca

Green Business Roundtable: Using Business as a Force for Good: The Best for Colorado Challenge Kiki Hooton, Local First Topic: Best for Colorado is a free program that teaches all Colorado businesses how to create higher-quality jobs, build stronger communities, and…

Jan 31 2018

oil and gas development in Greater Chaco

BLM Failed to Count 74% of Protests to Greater Chaco Oil and Gas Lease Sale

By sjca Oil & Gas

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,…

Jan 29 2018

PNM must do right by Four Corner communities, citizens and workers

By Mike Eisenfeld Climate Change, Coal, Renewable Energy

A major tenet of our work over the past decade has been that coal-fired power plants in the Four Corners region have exerted an enormous toll on human public health and natural systems (air, water, land). It is now apparent…

Jan 29 2018

LPEA Long-Term Strategy Subcommittee

By sjca

The La Plata Electric Association (LPEA) long-term strategy subcommittee is meeting for the first time to discuss a possible mission and strategy. The whole LPEA Board will later vote on the review's continuation. The meeting is open to the public.

Jan 26 2018

Why does LPEA need a long-term strategy review?

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Jan 25 2018

LPEA Election Open House

By sjca

Come, eat, drink, and learn why we need to elect an active, forward thinking LPEA Board of Directors. Let’s band together to lower rates for everyone with local, renewable energy! DID YOU KNOW? Renewable energy costs in Colorado are now…

Jan 24 2018

Chaco Public Meeting and Rally!

By sjca

Give public comment for community protections 3-3:30 PM Rally outside (to make sure the public is heard): 4PM The Farmington District Resource Advisory Council (RAC) is holding a *public* meeting on January 30 from 8AM-4PM at the BLM Farmington District…

Jan 21 2018

View of Animas Valley from Animas Mountain

To plan, or not to plan – land use in La Plata County

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection

It might be easy to chuckle at the silliness of the conspiracy theorists convinced the United Nations is scheming with La Plata County to forcibly relocate rural folks into urban housing centers. Easy, unless you’re the county commissioners bearing the…

Jan 17 2018

Durango Green Drinks – 2018 Kickoff!

By sjca

Jan 04 2018

We’ve lost democratic control of our power supply

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Dec 19 2017

Groups challenge new rule nullifying compliance obligations under BLM methane rule

By sjca Oil & Gas

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,…

Dec 18 2017

Wins of 2017!

By sjca 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 16 2017

Now’s the time to voice your views about our public lands’ future

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

Last week’s events punctuated by the Trump administration’s cavalier abandonment of a century’s worth of American conservation practice is greatly discouraging. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wiped out more than 1 million acres of protected landscapes in two national monuments in…

Dec 15 2017

If (how) LPEA can measure the health impacts of coal

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, LPEA Spotlight

Dec 11 2017

BLM, can you hear us?

By sjca Oil & Gas

Last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proved their determination to elevate the interests of the oil and gas industry above those of the people they’re charged to protect – twice. But we can’t give up now. GREATER CHACO…

Dec 08 2017

BLM Delaying Methane Rule 1-Year

By sjca Climate Change, Oil & Gas

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…

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…

Nov 21 2017

What do renewable energy advocates actually want?

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, LPEA Spotlight

Nov 18 2017

hiker in arctic national wildlife refuge

Sen. Gardner’s vote can determine fate of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

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

With the onset of winter, it’s never too early to daydream of next year’s adventures. Nowhere compares with the raw, spontaneous wildness of Alaska’s primeval landscapes teeming with abundant caribou and grizzly bears. In particular, the aptly named Arctic National…

Nov 09 2017

Groups Appeal District Court’s Dismissal of Case on Four Corners Power Plant and Navajo Mine

By sjca Climate Change, Coal

Photo: EcoFlight While other coal plants in the region are announcing early closures, due in large part to the low cost of renewables, the 55-year-old Four Corners Power Plant was issued a whopping 25-year permit extension in 2015. As you may remember,…

Oct 26 2017

Three Steps Forward – LPEA Spotlight: Oct ‘17

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, LPEA Spotlight, Renewable Energy

Photo: Anna Peterson This blog series covers the monthly La Plata Electric Association (LPEA)* Board of Directors meetings. We’re tracking the board for transparency and accountability, as well as to stay current on their renewable energy initiatives. Find past and future…

Oct 20 2017

Trump signing executive order to review national mnuments

New bill puts nation’s public lands in jeopardy

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection

Last week, the House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee passed a bill to prevent presidents from creating national monuments. It would severely limit the future preservation of many remarkable places similar to those we now take for granted – such…

Oct 16 2017

Groups Sue Trump Administration Over Southwest Colorado Oil and Gas Leases

By sjca 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…

Oct 13 2017

How to Exorcise the Bogeyman: Mulling Over the Clean Power Plan

By sjca Climate Change, Coal

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…

Oct 05 2017

BLM Methane Rule is Under Attack

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Sep 15 2017

Flooding and rescue after Hurricane Harvey

Hurricanes are a stark reminder of the costs of climate change

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Coal, Durango Herald Column, Renewable Energy

Photo By: Lt. Zachary West As we stand transfixed by the enormously powerful hurricanes churning across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, one can’t help but think about our place in the climate-change continuum. Here in the San Juan Basin,…

Sep 15 2017

Court Again Denies Red McCombs’ Plea to Approve Village at Wolf Creek

By sjca Lands Protection, Wolf Creek

You may have heard that back in May a federal judge ruled in our favor in our court case against the land exchange that would have allowed the Pillage at Wolf Creek to be finally built. Judge Matsch agreed with us…

Sep 05 2017

Checkin’ New Solar System(s)

By sjca Climate Change, Renewable Energy

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,…

Aug 29 2017

San Juan Citizens Alliance Launches Animas Riverkeeper

By sjca Rivers

It's official! Marcel Gaztambide is your Animas Riverkeeper! We're thrilled to have him on as a full time advocate for the Animas Riverkeeper. He'll be harnessing the expertise of over 300 other waterkeepers around the globe through the Waterkeeper Alliance to…

Aug 28 2017

Commons photo of Indian Creek in Bears Ears National Monument

Trump’s Sham Review Undermines Fundamental Integrity of Public Lands Protection

By sjca Lands Protection

Last week, along with millions of other Americans, we anxiously awaited Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke's recommendation on the fate of over 2 dozen National Monuments. Although his recommendation reportedly made it to President Trump's desk, the proposed future for some…

Aug 21 2017

Power struggle with Tri-State won’t end soon

By Mark Pearson Coal

A few weeks ago, we sent forth our champion with bated breath and hopeful expectations to plead our case before Tri-State, to please allow us to generate more electricity locally here at home in La Plata Electric Association’s service area.…

Aug 07 2017

Demanding Quiet-Use Trails for Rico/West Dolores

By sjca Lands Protection

Last opportunity to speak out for quiet-use trails in Rico/West Dolores! Striving for strong protections for the Rico/West Dolores area has been a priority of San Juan Citizens Alliance for nearly 10 years and we will continue our persistence. However,…

Aug 03 2017

TAKE ACTION: EPA / Superfund Funding Threatened

By sjca Gold King Mine, Lands Protection, Of Interest, Rivers

“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…

Jul 28 2017

Superfund Update: July 2017

By sjca Gold King Mine, Rivers

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…

Jul 24 2017

What happens if San Juan Generating Station Closes?

By sjca Coal

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…

Jul 14 2017

EPA Cuts Corners to Ignore the Law

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

Waiving rules to prevent methane pollution. Stripping wetlands of protection under the Clean Water Act. Throwing out restrictions against strip-mining mountaintops and dumping the spoils into streams. The Trump administration has an ambitious agenda to eliminate protections for air, water…

Jul 13 2017

SJCA Appeals Over Deeply Flawed Approval of Silverton Heli Ski Expansion

By sjca Lands Protection

We just couldn't let it slide. There were too many egregious, and frankly illegal, errors in the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) process that resulted in approval of Siverton Guide's proposed heli-ski permit expansion. Despite hundreds of public comments against the…

Jul 11 2017

EPA Methane Rule is Under Attack

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Jul 10 2017

SJCA Part of Large Coalition Joining Lawsuit Against Illegal Postponement of Methane Waste Rule

By sjca Oil & Gas

Photo: Carlan Tapp Cue the third branch of government. When you have an administration willing to defy law in order to pursue industry's agenda, checks and balances become increasingly important. That's why when the BLM announced an illegal indefinite postponement of their…

Jun 28 2017

Superfund Update: June 2017

By sjca Gold King Mine, Rivers

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…

Jun 16 2017

West’s utilities abandon coal because it costs too much

By Mark Pearson Climate Change, Coal, Durango Herald Column

“It’s all about the economics,” the expert said. “Technologies have improved to make other forms of energy less expensive than coal.” One might figure sure, that’s some tree-hugging environmentalist arguing for solar and wind energy. But in fact, that’s the…

Jun 15 2017

BLM, EPA Put Industry Interests Above Four Corners’ Residents

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Jun 07 2017

Aerial view of Montezuma County from Ecoflight flyover for MLP

What’s Happening with the Master Leasing Plan?

By sjca Lands Protection, Oil & Gas

What's Happening with the Master Leasing Plan? You may remember that last December it was announced the Bureau of Land Management Will Pursue a Master Leasing Plan! San Juan Citizens Alliance staff and members worked hard last year to ensure that such…

Jun 01 2017

Solar Power: Who Came Up With That??

By sjca Climate Change, Of Interest, Renewable Energy

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…

May 19 2017

Banner of Wolf Creek Ski Area with #NOPillage

BIG WIN: Judge Nullifies Land Exchange Critical to Village at Wolf Creek

By sjca Lands Protection, Wolf Creek

WE WON! Judge Matsch's decision validates nearly every complaint we had regarding the Forest Service's botched attempt at an Environmental Impact Statement. They shirked their responsibility to assess the impacts of development and disregarded significant public input. Your input. In a…

May 19 2017

A Challenge to our National Monuments: Will the Lords of Yesterday Prevail?

By Mark Pearson Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection

We’re in uncharted waters. A presidential administration just launched an overarching attack on more than 11 million acres of previously protected landscapes. The Trump administration’s new initiative to overturn national monuments designated over the past 20 years is unlike anything…

May 10 2017

Senator Gardner Fails Colorado on Methane Rule

By sjca Climate Change, Oil & Gas

Call Senator Gardner and tell him you want him to put his constituents above special interests. CALL: (202) 224-5941 Senator Cory Gardner's vote this morning to roll back the BLM Methane Rule tells us a lot about his alliances. Unfortunately, Coloradans…

May 03 2017

Bonita Peak Superfund Update: April 2017

By sjca Gold King Mine, Rivers

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…

May 02 2017

The Rising Tide of Renewable Energy

By sjca Climate Change, Coal

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…

May 01 2017

Canyons of the Ancients Threatened by Trump’s Executive Order

By sjca Lands Protection

This is unprecedented. Here at the Alliance, we are not unused to setbacks. It’s part of the work we do. But right now the scale of setbacks is jarring. The President has initiated a process that could strip million of…

Apr 28 2017

Meet our new Executive Director, Mark Pearson!

By Mark Pearson Lands Protection, Of Interest

Just in time for my first week on the job, returning to the role of Executive Director at SJCA, I was greeted by a new presidential administration’s assault on Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (CANM). Déjà vu all over…

Apr 14 2017

Showing up is what gets the work done

By sjca Durango Herald Column

This being the last column I have the privilege to write for The Durango Herald, there’s a certain pressure I feel to pen a magnum opus of sorts. Let me pour some cold water on that thought. No brilliant summation…

Apr 04 2017

Public Comments on Proposed Silverton Heli-Ski Expansion Made Available for Public Review

By sjca Lands Protection

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…

Mar 17 2017

Pollution Knows No Borders: Keep the BLM Methane Rule

By sjca Oil & Gas

Tell Senator Gardner to Support the BLM Methane Rule! CALL NOW: (202) 224-5941 Guest Blogger: Lauri Costello, MD Earlier this year, the House of Representatives voted to roll back the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) methane rule, which was finalized…

Mar 16 2017

BLM office refuses to share public comments about heli-skiing in Silverton

By sjca Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection

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…

Mar 14 2017

BLM Shields Public Comments on Silverton Heli-ski Expansion from the Public

By sjca Lands Protection

We were forced to file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) last week. Why? Because the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Gunnison Field Office refused to provide access to the public comments we requested. This is not normal by the way. We…

Mar 01 2017

Navajo President with All Pueblo Council of Govenors

Navajo Nation, Pueblo Council Join Forces to Protect Greater Chaco

By sjca Oil & Gas

PHOTO: President Russell Begaye stands with Governors from the All Pueblo Council of Governors. Photo from Navajo Nation Press Release. Last Thursday, Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez met with the All Pueblo Council of Governors. The…

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 sjca 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…

Feb 22 2017

BIG WIN for San Juan National Forest!

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Feb 16 2017

Photo of Methane rally outside Gardner's office

Regulation or protection? Framing of methane rule counts

By sjca Durango Herald Column, Oil & Gas

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…

Feb 10 2017

BLM is lying to us. #DontFrackChaco

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Feb 09 2017

Picture of development location at Wolf Creek

Final Arguments, Filings Against Massive Wolf Creek Development in Judge’s Hands

By sjca Lands Protection, Wolf Creek

We submitted final arguments in our latest battle to protect Wolf Creek Pass last Friday. The lawsuit, filed together with Rocky Mountain Wild and San Luis Valley Ecosystem Council, seeks to reverse the Forest Service's 2015 decision to approve a land exchange, providing…

Feb 03 2017

The Plight of Solar in Farmington

By Mike Eisenfeld Climate Change

By Mike Eisenfeld, Energy & Climate Programs Director Last week, I attended the full, four-hour Farmington, NM City Council meeting. The Farmington Electric Utility System (FEUS) and their consultant, NewGen, presented to the Council. The City hired NewGen for 200,000…

Feb 03 2017

Rollback of Methane Rule Puts Industry Interests Above Climate, Public Health, Taxpayers

By sjca Oil & Gas

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.…

Feb 02 2017

Prehistoric granary in Bears Ears National Monument

The Antiquities Act: Preserving our National Heritage

By sjca Lands Protection

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…

Jan 26 2017

BLM ignored us. What now? #ProtectChaco

By sjca Oil & Gas

Last Tuesday, indigenous leaders, affected residents, and State Representative Derrik Lente met with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) State Director Amy Lueders to request she cancel the January 2017 Chaco oil and gas lease sale. Over 150 people rallied…

Jan 19 2017

#DontFrackChaco Rally on 1/17!

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Jan 19 2017

Hope doesn’t create change, action does

By sjca Durango Herald Column

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…

Jan 18 2017

Top of Alberta lift at Wolf Creek Ski Area

Glitz and Glamour at Wolf Creek?

By sjca Lands Protection, Wolf Creek

Photo Attribution: Jeremiah LaRocco via Flickr (License) “It is, Pitch is most proud to say, the antithesis of the glitz and glamor he sees across Colorado's ski country.” Seth Boster1 If you rely on sipping on a pumpkin latte…

Jan 18 2017

Health, Environmental, and Tribal Groups Applaud Order Denying Industry Efforts to Halt BLM Methane Waste Rule Implementation

By sjca Oil & Gas

The greatest concentration of methane in the country floats above us here in the Four Corners. Although we can't see it, it's not harmless. In addition to being a powerful greenhouse gas, over 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide, it's released…

Jan 09 2017

EPA Releases Proposed Rule Requiring Natural Gas Processing Plants To Start Reporting Toxic Pollution

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Jan 04 2017

EPA to update oil and gas waste regulations

Victory! EPA Must Review Oil and Gas Waste Rules

By sjca Oil & Gas

Oil and gas wastes are exempt from hazardous waste regulations. What? They shouldn't be. Fracking and oil waste contain dangerous chemicals that are injected back into the grounds, stored in pits and even sprayed on roads. There are 13,379 oil and gas waste…

Dec 22 2016

SJCA Board President Looks Toward 2017

By sjca Climate Change, Lands Protection, Of Interest, Oil & Gas

Photo: Alex Pullen By Chris Wilkins I’ve learned a lot of things serving on the SJCA board – how a non-profit budget works, how many acronyms there are in the government, how LONG everything takes in the environmental world. It…

Dec 21 2016

Veteran board member bids farewell, reflects on SJCA’s 30th

By sjca Of Interest

By Chuck McAfee Thirty years for San Juan Citizens Alliance—this year we’re 30 years old and more effective than ever. That’s what comes to mind when I think about the Alliance. The reasons that we are here are so fundamental—air,…

Dec 21 2016

Image for Cookies for Calls: No Pruitt for EPA

Call your Senators: No Pruitt for EPA!

By sjca Climate Change, Coal, Of Interest, Oil & Gas, Rivers

Last night we hosted an event called Cookies for Calls: No Pruitt for EPA. We handed out homemade cookies to those of you who stopped by and made a call to your Senators. Many of you had never called an…

Dec 20 2016

The Piñon Pipeline is dead! How did it happen?

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Dec 19 2016

Bureau of Land Management Will Pursue a Master Leasing Plan

By sjca Lands Protection, Oil & Gas

Although the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is tasked with managing our public lands for multiple use, fossil fuel extraction has long dominated public land use policy. Over the last couple of years we've worked hard to encourage the Tres Rios…

Dec 15 2016

Picture of Protest against coal in New Mexico

As political winds shift, goals of San Juan Citizens Alliance remain same

By sjca Climate Change, Durango Herald Column

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…

Dec 13 2016

Reminisces of East Fork

By sjca Lands Protection, Of Interest

By Mark Pearson, Former SJCA Executive Director and Current Board Member Like you, I’ve been captivated by the wild landscapes of the San Juans and southwest Colorado for many years. That’s why I quickly gravitated to San Juan Citizens Alliance…

Dec 08 2016

We filed a protest against the leasing of 1,000 acres near Chaco

By sjca Oil & Gas

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.…

Dec 07 2016

SJCA Wins: Reflecting on 2016

By sjca Of Interest

Photo: Alex Pullen If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Frederick Douglass There is no lack of struggle in our work. We constantly grapple to prioritize campaigns against myriad threats to our community, find creative solutions to roadblocks and are challenged…

Dec 05 2016

Submit Comments: Silverton Guide’s Heli-Skiing Expansion is a Bad Deal for the Public

By sjca Lands Protection

Photo Credit: Amy Grogan The stewardship of our commonly owned lands is a balancing act tightly linked to the missions of the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) as they allow and encourage multiple uses of our…

Dec 05 2016

UPDATE: BLM Methane Rule Challenged

By sjca Climate Change, Oil & Gas

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…

Dec 02 2016

Public Health and Environmental Groups Move to Defend Standards to Reduce Waste of Natural Gas on Public Lands

By sjca Oil & Gas

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.…

Nov 18 2016

Indigenous Voices on Protecting Greater Chaco

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Nov 17 2016

Protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline in Durango

An antidote to the Trump movement: Greater security for all

By sjca Durango Herald Column, Of Interest

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…

Nov 15 2016

Obama Administration finalizes rule to protect public health, taxpayers, environment from methane waste on public lands

By sjca Oil & Gas

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,…

Nov 15 2016

Obama Administration finalizes rule that will protect public health in the Four Corners

By sjca Oil & Gas

Nov 10 2016

Canyon of the Ancients National Monument waste pit protest

Let them come.

By sjca Of Interest

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…

Nov 09 2016

We need your voice to protect Greater Chaco.

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Oct 27 2016

Court allows continued intensive, unstudied fracking in Greater Chaco Northwest New Mexico oil drilling will continue despite risks to communities, cultural resources and environment

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Oct 27 2016

An SJCA Field Tour: Seeing Oil and Gas Up Close

By sjca Oil & Gas

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…

Oct 25 2016

Oil and gas is devastating our health and public lands.

By sjca Lands Protection, Oil & Gas

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…

Oct 20 2016

Ecoflight aerial photo over Mesa Verde and Montezuma County

In this dark political season, reasons for hope

By sjca Durango Herald Column, Lands Protection

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…

Sep 30 2016

Pillage at Wolf Creek – Fall 2016 Update

By sjca Lands Protection, Wolf Creek

Are they still trying to build that Village at Wolf Creek? Yes. And we’re still fighting it. In fact, we just filed an opening brief in the U.S District Court of Colorado as a part of our most recent lawsuit to…