On Dec. 8, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a draft environmental assessment for the Thompson Divide Withdrawal. If approved, this would withdraw nearly 225,000 acres of public land from future mining and oil and gas development for a period of 20 years.
The draft assessment is now open for a 30-day public comment period.
The Thompson Divide area spans three counties, from Glenwood Springs all the way south to Crested Butte. The Divide is prized by hunters, ranchers and conservation groups for its spectacular mid-elevation habitat.
At the same time, the area is also valuable for mining and oil development. Currently, 22 active oil and gas leases operate within the Divide, primarily due west of Redstone in Gunnison County. Additionally, a Reasonably Foreseeable Development Report stated that eight wells could potentially be developed, while 63,500 acres (28%) of the area have been identified as having high potential for oil and gas.
The draft environmental assessment contains two alternatives for the public to consider. Alternative A withdraws the entire 224,713 acres from future development for the next 20 years. Alternative B takes no action and leaves the Thompson Divide area eligible for settlement, sale and leasing by the USFS and BLM.
Notably, Alternative A would not end currently active leases. However, the primary term of an oil and gas lease is 10 years, therefore extraction operations would shut down before the end of the 20-year period.
In January of this year, the BLM held a 90-day comment period regarding a proposal by the Biden-Harris administration to withdraw the Divide from oil and gas leasing. Over 73,500 comments were submitted in support of the proposal. Although many of those comments urged for permanent protection of the Divide, the Secretary of the Interior can only establish withdrawals for a maximum of 20 years.
A permanent withdrawal would require an act of Congress, and the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act is exactly that. Colorado Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper’s proposed act would permanently protect 252,000 acres of the Thompson Divide.
The CORE act has passed the House of Representatives five times with bipartisan support but has not passed the Senate, though it received a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing and mark-up in 2022 and was reintroduced this spring.
Protecting the Thompson Divide, whether temporarily or permanently, would secure world-class hunting and recreation, grazing land and essential habitat for species such as the endangered Canada lynx and Colorado black bear. The neck of the Divide just west of Crested Butte splits the Raggeds and West Elk wildernesses, and securing its protection would prevent potential habitat fragmentation between these two areas.
Currently, mining accounts for 2.7% of employment across Delta, Gunnison and Garfield counties. Over 20 years, 38 jobs could be generated by developing eight potential wells on the Divide — two jobs per year. The Environmental Assessment stated that these potential jobs could generate about $93,000 in direct labor income annually.
Conversely, tourism accounts for 28.6% of employment in Gunnison County, and roughly 17% in Garfield County. According to a 2013 study by BBC Research and Consulting, recreation in the Thompson Divide supported 138 jobs and generated $12.6 million in annual economic output — $17.2 million with 2023’s inflation. Conservation groups are excited by the chance to protect this valuable landscape.
“The Thompson Divide is a special place for people and communities not just on the Western Slope, but across Colorado,” said Will Roush, executive director of Wilderness Workshop. “The breadth and depth of support for long-term protection of the Divide is incredibly inspiring and the draft [environmental assessment] directly reflects that.”
Those wishing to voice their opinions on the draft, and thus play a part in determining the fate of 225,000 acres of local forest, can do so online at www.bit.ly/TDcomment until Jan. 8. The USFS and BLM will also host an informational virtual meeting on Monday, Dec. 18 from 6pm to 7pm; register at www.bit.ly/4878ZFV
