Council votes to urge Forest Service not to expand coal mine into roadless area

Walking the talk down the road

by Mark Reaman

The Crested Butte Town Council agreed to sign a letter to the U.S. Forest Service written by the High Country Conservation Advocates as part of a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The letter contains comments that will address the proposal to reinstate the North Fork Coal Mining Area Exception to the Colorado Roadless Rule. The deadline for comments is January 15.

After a lengthy discussion at the December 21 meeting, the council basically agreed to HCCA’s request to advocate for the “No Action” alternative presented by the USFS that would prohibit any expansion of industrial coal mining into the roadless area over by Somerset. Citing the need to keep coal and methane in the ground to protect snowpack, the letter encourages a move toward more sustainable energy sources.

HCCA board of directors president Sandy Shea gave a PowerPoint presentation on the specifics of the proposal. “You might hear from the county this is an economic issue but I ask you to take the lead and support the no action alternative. We know coal is on the way out as an energy source,” he said.

“People have to think how to live more sustainably. Let’s do something different and keep roadless areas roadless,” Shea continued.

HCCA executive director Michele Simpson said while the coal in the North Fork is considered “clean coal,” that is based on there being less sulphur in the coal. “It still releases tons of methane into the atmosphere that is heating the planet. Arch Coal still has 10 years’ worth of coal they can mine over there without any expansion into the roadless area,” Simpson told the council. “Moving our community to protect the climate and protect our snowpack is our responsibility.”

Mayor Glenn Michel made it clear the council had no jurisdiction over the proposal and was just deciding whether to send a letter to the Forest Service commenting on the proposal. “But at some point we will have to walk the talk as a community as we go forward with this issue,” he said.

Pending a review of the HCCA letter by town attorney John Belkin, the council voted 7-0 to send the letter, to be signed by Michel, to the Forest Service.

Ali Melton, HCCA’s Public Lands Director, told the council at the January 4 meeting their stance on the comments to the feds put them as a leader among municipal governments. “Thanks for taking such bold action toward climate resiliency and keeping 150 million tons of coal in the ground,” she said. “It is really impressive and noteworthy to have a council take action on climate change. You are role models for other communities.”