Year of Award
2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Type
Master of Science (MS)
Degree Name
Resource Conservation
Department or School/College
W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation
Committee Chair
Dr. Brian C. Chaffin
Commitee Members
Dr. Sarah J. Halvorson, Michelle Bryan, J.D.
Subject Categories
Environmental Studies | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
The Rocky Mountain West represents a distinct social-ecological region in a time of transition. As a subregion of the American West, it is defined by aridity, topography, and the physical, cultural, and economic impacts of mining across the landscape. Contemporarily, the region is increasingly shaped by an influx of tourism as well as seasonal and permanent residents who value the landscape for its recreational opportunities and aesthetic values. Most of the communities in the region owe their start to the mining booms of the 19th century, and many are still grappling with contamination left behind by mining. The transition between a culture and economy dominated by mining, to one dominated by amenity-based recreation and tourism, has resulted in changing perceptions and dynamics around both mineral extraction and environmental protection at a time of renewed federal interest in critical mineral development. Prior research at the intersection of society and mining in the region focuses on legacy impacts of mining post-closure, and thus little is known about how changing dynamics impact perceptions of renewed mineral extraction. In this thesis, I conducted qualitative social science fieldwork in the Upper Arkansas River Valley of Colorado. I applied a case study approach supported by semi-structured interviews of key informants to explore the impacts of legacy mining in a system transitioning from economic dependence on extractive industries to an economy based in recreation, tourism, and amenity migration. I conducted interviews with individuals holding specialized knowledge about environmental protection and advocacy, the mining industry, mining history in the region, and local governance, to illuminate four narratives that capture dominant local dialogues on the influence of legacy mining on renewed mining proposals. These narratives defined how key informants of the Upper Arkansas River Valley collectively perceived mining and how these perceptions specifically influenced their reactions to a recently proposed mine in the region. This research can be further leveraged to understand how similar legacy mining communities across the Rocky Mountain West may respond to renewed mineral extraction pressures while continuing a transition towards an economy and culture dominated by recreation, tourism, public land access, and aesthetic values.
Recommended Citation
Nelson, Lauren E. and Chaffin, Brian C., "UNTANGLING MINING, PAST AND PRESENT: AN ANALYSIS OF KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEWS ON THE PROSPECTS OF RENEWED MINING ACTIVITY NEAR CAÑON CITY, COLORADO" (2025). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 12569.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/12569
© Copyright 2025 Lauren E. Nelson and Brian C. Chaffin