Natural gas leases have been sold on much of the western tip of Pitkin County, southwest of Carbondale, from Coal Basin near Redstone, extending northward into Garfield County to Sunlight Mountain Resort. When those leases, covering six square miles or more, are drilled, that development can be expected to affect Carbondale’s air quality and traffic. Thompson Creek is an important source of water for area ranches, Shoemaker pointed out, and the North Thompson Cattlemen’s Association grazes cattle in these areas.

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