The Thompson Divide stands – as its name suggests – atop a drainage divide, with streams flowing toward the North Fork Gunnison, Crystal, Roaring Fork, and Colorado Rivers depending on which portion of the Divide you are standing. The area supports some of Colorado’s most pristine trout waters and critical habitat for big game. In his travels in western Colorado, President Theodore Roosevelt described the Thompson Divide as “great, wild country” and today it remains one of the largest expanses of roadless forest in Colorado. Trout Unlimited has been working for years to secure long-term protections for the Thompson Divide.
Today, you can help protect this valuable landscape from the impacts of oil and gas development. The US Forest Service is currently taking public comment through January 8 on its proposal to withdraw the Thompson Divide from mineral extraction for the next twenty years. Please visit the Forest Service’s online public comment page and voice your support for protecting the Thompson Divide.
The Forest Service issued a draft environmental assessment evaluating the proposal and with two identified alternatives: Alternative A, which would keep existing leases in place but withdraw the area from new mineral entry for the next twenty years, and Alternative B, which would keep the area open to new oil and gas leasing. The proposed withdrawal (Alternative A) would protect nearly 225,000 acres in the Thompson Divide, encompassing a total of 1,550 stream miles including 83 miles of native cutthroat trout streams, 12 acres of cutthroat lake habitat, and nearly four and a half miles of Gold Medal trout fishing waters along the Roaring Fork. TU supports Alternative A to protect these outstanding fishery resources and their watersheds.
The Forest Service comment page includes a basic form where you can provide your contact information and then enter your comments online. Some points to consider sharing in your comments include:
· Urge the Forest Service to adopt Alternative A to ensure protection of the outstanding habitats within the Thompson Divide.
· Watersheds in the Thompson Divide support vital native trout habitat and feed some of Colorado’s most famed trout rivers including the Crystal, Roaring Fork and Colorado. These areas not only support important fish habitats but also are a key driver of local economies.
· The proposed withdrawal strikes an appropriate balance, respecting existing leases while ensuring that new leasing does not occur for the next 20 years and jeopardize the area’s critical habitat values.
· Consider sharing any personal experiences you have with the Thompson Divide, or with the downstream waters that rely on it as a source of high-quality water.
While permanent protection of this area can only be achieved by an act of Congress, and TU continues to support passage of the CORE Act from Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper and Congressman Neguse, this withdrawal is a vital step in the right direction and will conserve the Thompson Divide for the next 20 years while we continue to work toward permanent protection.
Click below to visit the Forest Service public comment form and add your voice in support of protecting the Thompson Divide.
