Press Releases

Community Celebrates 20 Years of Protections for the Thompson Divide April 3, 2024 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Francis Sanzaro, Communications Director, Wilderness Workshop, francis@wildernessworkshop.org. CARBONDALE, CO – Earlier today, the Department of the Interior announced the finalization of the Thompson Divide Administrative Mineral Withdrawal, which will protect 225,000 acres of public lands in western Colorado from future oil and gas leasing and mining for the next 20 years. The withdrawal is the result of a decade and a half of strong community collaboration — local ranchers, mountain bikers, conservationists and businesses are celebrating this historic win for local public [...]

Colorado Groups Submit Letter Opposing Representative Boebert’s Legislation to Prevent the BLM from Finalizing Management Plans for Western Colorado March 20, 2024- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Contact: Francis Sanzaro, Communications Director, Wilderness Workshop, francis@wildernessworkshop.org. Jim Ramey, Colorado State Director, The Wilderness Society, jim_ramey@tws.org GRAND JUNCTION, CO – Twenty organizations across Colorado have signed a letter in opposition to Rep. Boebert’s H.R. 6547, a bill that seeks to circumvent a court-ordered public process for management of roughly two-million acres of public land in western Colorado. The Bill received a hearing in a subcommittee of the US House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee. The [...]

Settlement parties urge the BLM to protect climate, wildlife with amendment of Trump-era oil, gas plan for SW Colorado January 8, 2023 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Natasha Léger, Citizens for a Healthy Community, 970-399-9700, natasha@chc4you.org Melissa Hornbein, Western Environmental Law Center, 406-708-3058, hornbein@westernlaw.org Peter Hart, Wilderness Workshop, 303-475-4915, peter@wildernessworkshop.org Alli Henderson, Center for Biological Diversity, 970-309-2008, ahenderson@biologicaldiversity.org Delaney Rudy, Western Watersheds Project, 970-648-4241, delaney@westernwatersheds.org Samantha Ruscavage-Barz, WildEarth Guardians, 505-401-4180, sruscavagebarz@wildearthguardians.org Sue Navy, High Country Conservation Advocates, 970-349-5886, suenavy@gmail.org Noah Rott, Sierra Club, 406-214-1990, noah.rott@sierraclub.org January 8, 2024 - Two years in the making, the Bureau of Land Management (the [...]

Forest Service Releases Plan for Withdrawal of the Thompson Divide from Future Oil and Gas Leasing: Community Shows Strong Support For more information contact: Francis Sanzaro, Communications Director at Wilderness Workshop, francis@wildernessworkshop.org, 315.415.7861; Michael Gorman, Campaign Manager at Wilderness Workshop, michael@wildernessworkshop.org, 970-274-4719; Lauren Suhrbier, Thompson Divide Coalition laurenmartindale@gmail.com December 8, 2023 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CARBONDALE, CO – Today, the Forest Service released a draft environmental assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Thompson Divide Administrative Withdrawal that could protect a 225,000-acre stretch of public lands. The Thompson Divide stretches south from Glenwood Springs through the [...]

Wilderness Workshop and ACES Host Annual ‘Naturalist Nights’ Speaker Series December 6, 2023 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Greta Brown, ACES Marketing Manager, 970.925.5756 | gbrown@aspennature.org or Francis Sanzaro, Wilderness Workshop Communications Director, 315.415.7861 | francis@wildernessworkshop.org Once again, the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) joins forces with Wilderness Workshop and Roaring Fork Audubon to jointly present the well-received annual winter speaker series, Naturalist Nights, commencing on January 10, 2024. This collaboration among the three organizations promises an impressive array of experts delving into subjects concerning wildlife, public lands, rivers and technology, all which hold significance for our community. “We’ve [...]

Defiende Nuestra Tierra to Celebrate Annual Posada and Christmas Tree Cutting in the Thompson Divide November 16, 2022 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Francis Sanzaro, Communications Director, francis@wildernessworkshop.org; 315-415-7861; Omar Sarabia, Defiende Nuestra Tierra Director; omar@wildernessworkshop.org >>> In Spanish below GLENWOOD SPRINGS, CO–Come cut a Christmas tree in the Thompson Divide! Join Defiende Nuestra Tierra, Wilderness Workshop and the US Forest Service to begin or build on a family tradition of finding and cutting your own Christmas tree. Don’t miss making new memories and getting in the Christmas spirit with the Posada celebration. We will have FREE Christmas tree permits, [...]

Western Slope Communities Support Conservation Management on 2 Million Acres of BLM Land November 10, 2023 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact: Francis Sanzaro, Communications Director at Wilderness Workshop, francis@wildernessworkshop.org, Erin Riccio, Wilderness Workshop Advocacy Director, erin@wildernessworkshop.org; 720-470-7580 (Cell); Scott Braden, Colorado Wildlands Project Director, scott@cowildlands.org; 720-530-7473 (Cell). CARBONDALE, CO – Coloradans, business leaders and counties on the Western Slope have recently shown overwhelming support for management of nearly 2 million acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land that scales up conservation while scaling down climate pollution. The support came in the form of a preference for [...]

Draft BLM plan provides an opportunity to protect public lands from oil and gas leasing, reduce climate pollution, and scale up wildlands conservation August 3, 2023 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Erin Riccio, Wilderness Workshop Advocacy Director, erin@wildernessworkshop.org; 720-470-7580 (Cell) Scott Braden, Colorado Wildlands Project Director, scott@cowildlands.org; 720-530-7473 (Cell) Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to the Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction Resource Management Plans (RMPs) for a 90-day public comment period.  In response to two lawsuits filed by Wilderness Workshop and partners, the SEIS will determine how 2 million [...]