Crested Butte reinvented itself from a mining town to a tourism mecca. Courtesy photo.
A very special film is on the marquee for the Salida SteamPlant this week — the film known as “High Country” covers the evolution of the major national conservation issues of mining and oil and gas lease withdrawals critical to all Colorado public lands. It focuses on the impacts of growth on a typical small, mountain town — the town of Crested Butte — from the 1970’s to the present day.
Two screenings are scheduled: the first on Wednesday, April 17, and the second on Wednesday, April 24. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 at the door, or online at SteamPlant.
“The film shows how if you don’t take care of a place, you lose it forever,” said Colorado Headwaters leader Jerry Mallett.
The film High Country will feature Jon Hare with the High Country Conservation Advocates providing an overview of the impacts of mining and oil and gas withdrawals and how Crested Butte reinvented itself. Mallet notes that the U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland has approved the Mt. Emmons and Thompson Divide Mineral Withdrawal Protection Order. This protects more than 221,000 acres from hardrock mining and oil and gas leasing.
Leadville mining slag. Photo courtesy of Live It, Learn It
The West may have been opened by the mining of our natural resources, and the westward land rush, but the management of our public lands so that future generations can enjoy them has increasingly become an open question.
We face environmental impacts from early mining techniques, continuing demand for those energy resources, and increased pressure on both public and private land from growth and development. While there is always a segment of the population that pushes back on anything that represents change; the fact is that some change is inevitable. As hard as humans may try, we can’t stop it, but we can surely participate in what we want the future to look like.
“We have a tremendous community, great citizens, and an outstanding natural environment with our public lands,” said Mallett. “As we continue to grow, the question is will it be sustainable in five, 10, and 20 years? That’s the big question; what will we be in 20 years?”
To reserve your seat online, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/film-high-country-tickets-868383527507?aff=ebdssbdestsearch
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