Mission

We flew with documentary filmmakers over the newly protected Thompson Divide, roughly 250,000 acres of pristine public lands that are protected from new oil and gas and mining leasing for the next twenty years! The overflights and aerial media collected will aid in the creation of a documentary showcasing the need to preserve the Divide, in perpetuity and against heightened threats as a new Administration comes into power.

This protection has been a long time coming and has taken decades of advocacy from local communities, businesses, students, government leaders, and conservation groups. EcoFlight has been flying stakeholders over the Thompson Divide since the early 2000s and helped a coalition come together to fight for the preservation of the Thompson Divide. It has been a joy to showcase the Divide’s beauty and diverse values to Colorado’s congresspeople, governors, county commissioners, and city council members, and to finally celebrate the mineral withdrawal for this beloved place.

Just past the undeveloped Divide, oil and gas scars checker the ground. The scale of these impacts can be difficult to conceptualize from ground level, but from the air, the expansive network of well pads becomes clear. See photos - Piceance Basin.

EcoFlight is pleased to provide you with these photos from the flight and this collection of Thompson Divide photos.