High Country Citizens' Alliance was formed by concerned Crested Butte citizens in 1977 in response to a proposed molybdenum mine on Red Lady. Community opposition and a drop in the price of 'moly' led to the departure of Amax, the mining company in those days. There is still a large molybdenum deposit within Red Lady Bowl on Mt. Emmons, and threats to Crested Butte's awe-inspiring Red Lady/Mt. Emmons have recently resurfaced, this time under the ownership of US Energy Corp and its partner Thompson Creek Metals Company.

High Country Citizens’ Alliance is opposed to any mining operation on Mt. Emmons. We continue to base this position on our understanding of the local area and its citizens, our knowledge of the impacts of past mining activities in our area, and our research into the likely impacts of mining in the modern era. A new mining operation on Mt. Emmons would negatively affect the vibrant economic and social fabric of the entire Gunnison Valley and would have detrimental impacts to the air, water, agricultural, recreational, aesthetic and many other important aspects of our valley.