In response to President Biden’s proposed action to protect the Thompson Divide, Evergreen Action Chief of Staff Lena Moffitt released the following statement: 

“The Biden administration’s proposed mineral withdrawal for the Thompson Divide is an important signal that the administration will use a wide range of authorities to drive towards its climate and environmental justice commitments. This action would protect approximately 225,000 acres of public land from future oil and gas extraction for 20 years. Earlier this year, we called on the Biden administration to exercise its authority to withdraw significant public lands from fossil fuel production. This is an issue that’s critical to the climate crisis, as well as frontline communities hit first and worst by toxic pollution. And we hope that today’s proposal for Colorado is a sign of a more extensive effort to use this key tool to protect our climate and our communities. We thank the Coloradan communities that have long worked to protect these landscapes, and commend the Biden administration’s move to exercise this important authority to preserve America’s public lands.” 

Earlier this year, Evergreen Action and Earthjustice called for withdrawals in our report, Meeting the Moment: How President Biden Can Align the Federal Fossil Fuel Program to Deliver on Climate and Put People Over Profits. You can read our full suite of recommendations for overhauling the federal fossil fuel program here.

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