The Founding of the Thompson Divide Coalition
By Judy Fox-Perry
Judy Fox-Perry and her husband Will Perry own a ranch inside the Thompson Divide. She has served as president and secretary of the Thompson Divide Coalition.
In 2008, the presence of heavy, unrestricted gas development near Rifle and down the Colorado River valley became a reality. Seeing the extensive oil and gas drilling from I-70 in the Rifle to Parachute area was a shock and a motivator to those of us in the local ranching community. We saw the town of Parachute suddenly empty during a drilling bust cycle. People could see the hills and ridge tops on the east side of the Thompson Divide area from the town of Carbondale. No one wanted to see gas wells flaring and lit up at night from their porches.
A small group of concerned locals met at Carbondale Town Hall in late summer of 2008 to learn about the potential gas development and brainstorm ways to protect the yet unnamed public lands west of Carbondale. With the help of Wilderness Workshop and a few ranchers and community activists, the Thompson Divide Coalition (TDC) was formed.
The mission of the Thompson Divide Coalition was, and is, to seek permanent protection from oil and gas drilling on the federal lands of the Thompson Divide. TDC has never contested the rights of valid existing leaseholders in the area.
Right from the beginning, we started out gathering signatures on a petition of our mission statement at events like Potato Days, Dandelion Day, and other local gatherings. The first community event hosted by TDC was at the Carbondale Fire Station with slides, maps, and a presentation on how drilling would affect the local and larger regional area. We began hosting panel discussions with politicians, county commissioners, at schools, rotary clubs and community events. We wrote letters and gathered petitions. Board and community members traveled to county and state seats of government, as well as made multiple trips to D.C. to lobby for the Thompson Divide. By 2010, we had garnered letters of support from Garfield, Pitkin, and Gunnison counties, along with the towns of Carbondale, Glenwood Springs, Basalt, Redstone, Crested Butte, Gunnison and Aspen. Fundraising became an important effort–small and large donations came from members, businesses, towns, individuals and organizations.
As I reflect back on all that we have accomplished, it’s clearer than ever this has been a community effort since day one. It has been a case study in coalition building. Now, at least for the next 20 years, the community doesn’t have to worry about all those oil and gas wells flaring in our backyard.
