"The members of a self-described ragtag group had little in common, but their campaign could serve as model for future environmental efforts."

"The drilling leases in a pristine corner of Colorado seemed like a done deal. But then an unlikely alliance of cowboys and environmentalists emerged. And things changed.

The members of the group — a self-described ragtag organization that included ranchers, cyclists and snowmobilers — had little in common aside from a desire to protect the expanse, almost a quarter-million acres of public land known as the Thompson Divide. But they ultimately developed a novel legal strategy that helped win a 20-year pause on new oil and gas development across the area.

That strategy could serve as a model for future conservation efforts."

Zoë Rom reports for the New York Times with photographs by Eli Imadali September 18, 2024. [2]