Photo: Alex Pullen
If there is no struggle, there is no progress.
Frederick Douglass
There is no lack of struggle in our work. We constantly grapple to prioritize campaigns against myriad threats to our community, find creative solutions to roadblocks and are challenged to persevere on seemingly interminable, but critical initiatives. And we don’t always win. We don’t always get the outcome for which we have struggled.
Yet we win enough to make an enormous difference to the communities we serve. We achieve results that outsize our small organization. It keeps us going and we find celebration essential to feed us through the struggle, through loss.
One of the blessings of being an organization with deep 30-year roots is that we can engage on important long-term issues for our community, ones that are not won or lost in a season, but that when achieved can be transformative. We have the relationships and perseverance to stay at the table when we know success is possible. In addition to all the great wins you see below, there are many more we continue to push along their marathon route.
2016 was by any account a successful year for the Alliance. We secured national and local protections for key resources, made tangible progress on some of our longest campaigns, and continued to grow, educate and engage our membership. We are poised to push forward in 2017. We are ready for struggle.
As we brace for an incoming administration openly hostile to environmental regulation and action on climate change, we are more prepared and ready than ever. We have the tools, the staff and all of you supporting us.
For now, let’s reflect on 2016 and all the great work we have achieved as a community.
Top 5 Campaign Wins of 2016
1. BLM Methane Rule Finalized: Advocated and organized to secure strong national regulations to reduce methane waste, benefitting the environment, economy and public health.
2. Four Corners Power Plant: Sued the Obama Administration over permitting the coal-fired Four Corners Power Plant for an additional 25 years.
3. Protecting Greater Chaco: Pressured the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to postpone leases and re-open the scoping process for the Resource Management Plan Amendment (RMP-A) process regarding oil and gas development around Chaco.
4. Wolf Creek: Filed the opening brief in our lawsuit challenging the land exchange that would pave the way for the massive and long-sought development on Wolf Creek Pass, Village at Wolf Creek.
5. Tres Rios Field Office Master Leasing Plan (MLP): Secured an MLP to guide development of oil and gas with respect to other resources (agriculture, wildlife, water, recreation, etc.) in Montezuma and La Plata Counties.
Growth in 2016
- Membership: Increased membership 65% from this time last year.
- Supporters: Increased our network of email supporters 70% since this time last year.
- Events: Engaged over 1600 of you on environmental issues in the region through the Green Business Roundtable, Quarterly Meetings, the Banff Mountain Film Festival (mark your calendars for March 11, 2017!) and other events we hosted this year.
- Advocacy: Facilitated 3400 actions by you, our supporters, to influence policies impacting air, water and land in the region. This included everything from asking the administration to reconsider its permit extending operations at the Four Corners Power Plant for an additional 25 years to advocating for quiet use trails in the Rico West Dolores area. Take Action.
- Social Media: Increased social media followers by 45% since this time last year.
