The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Decision expected in March
By Katherine Nettles
Two key Gunnison Valley governing bodies involved in a major effort to protect, among other things, Mt. Emmons, have formally weighed in regarding a U.S. Forest Service proposal and impact assessment to withdrawal mineral extraction rights to the Thompson Divide for the next two decades. On January 2, Gunnison County commissioners approved a comment letter to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) supporting the draft environmental assessment (EA) finding of “no significant impact” for the Thompson Divide Withdrawal Project, with one minor recommendation asking for more extensive socioeconomic analysis. That same evening the Crested Butte town council also approved a comment letter in support of the proposal and EA.
The USFS and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have worked with the U.S. Department of the Interior to propose administratively withdrawing 224,713 acres of federal lands within the Thompson Divide from new mining or extraction leases or from sale or exchange for a period of up to 20 years. The idea is to preserve cultural, agricultural, ranching, wildlife, recreation, air quality, ecological and scenic values within the area which includes Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forest, White River National Forest and BLM field offices in Gunnison, Pitkin and Garfield Counties.
The National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) requires federal agencies to determine if their proposed actions will have significant environmental effects, and the USFS released its draft assessment finding of “no significant impact” on December 8 which allows a more streamlined process. The 30-day public comment period ends January 8.
County commissioner chair Jonathan Houck worked with county attorney Matthew Hoyt to review the large EA document and prepared a comment letter for the county.
“This is our opportunity to again weigh back in. It’s worth noting that this county has long been committed to some of the outcomes that are looking like real, strong possibilities with the Thompson Divide Withdrawal,” said Houck.
Hoyt added that this is an opportunity to comment both as members of the public and as a designated cooperating agency.
“As you can tell from the draft, we are generally supportive of the alternative selected. Our only comment that I’m proposing to the board is with regard to the economic analysis contained in the EA.” Hoyt said economic analyses are critical to mineral withdrawals because they must assess what would be the socioeconomic impacts of this withdrawal on a range of potential development in the forest, and this could be more robust.
“We made that comment here, but of course we think they generally are on the right track,” continued Hoyt. “We are otherwise friendly to the decision proposed by the Forest Service and supportive of it.”
Commissioners Laura Puckett Daniels and Liz Smith had no changes to the draft, although Puckett Daniels commented that she felt the significance of Mt. Emmons’s inclusion in the protections could be highlighted more.
“I was struck by how small the potential for oil and gas development is in the entire Thompson Divide area,” she added. Commissioners unanimously approved the comment letter for submission to the USFS.
The Crested Butte town council has also been a cooperating agency and partner to the process and approved a comment letter on Tuesday. The letter was drafted by mayor Ian Billick, who wrote, “Throughout the EA, it is repeatedly shown that the benefits of implementing the Thompson Divide Withdrawal far outweigh the economic gain that could potentially be realized by issuing new oil and gas leases in the area. With the West Elk Mine significantly contributing to economic diversity in Gunnison County, the Thompson Divide proposal continues to work toward a balanced economy that drives so many to live and recreate here.”
Billick also noted that 72% of the withdrawal area lands proposed were found to show low or no potential for oil and gas development.
The town council unanimously approved the draft as part of the consent agenda.
The next step is for the federal agencies involved to consider comments and then release a NEPA or Forest Plan Amendment decision, which the USFS has said it expects to have in March 2024. More information about the proposal and process, as well as comments can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=63679.
