Nearly 222,000 acres of National Forest and Bureau of Land Management property known as the Thompson Divide, south of Glenwood Springs and extending south beyond Crested Butte, was withdrawn from mining and oil and gas exploration by the Biden administration Wednesday.
Citing a “broad interest in retaining the Thompson Divide’s contiguous landscape and protecting the area from potential impacts of mineral development,” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland signed a public land order that prevents mining, mineral and geothermal leasing for 20 years, subject to existing mineral rights. Only Congress can authorize a permanent withdrawal.
The Federal Land Policy and Management Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to withdraw 5,000 or more acres for a maximum of 20 years, subject to renewal.
“The Thompson Divide is iconic to Colorado and with these protections, it will remain an area that will continue to support incredible levels of biodiversity and public enjoyment for generations to come,” …