ASPEN – In response to news that SG Interests is surveying for possible gas-drilling sites in the Thompson Divide area, the Thompson Divide Coalition announced a series of community town hall meetings this week.

The meetings are aimed at organizing residents and developing a community-based strategy to protect the area from drilling.

The meetings are set for:

• 6:30 p.m. Monday, Third Street Center, Carbondale

• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Church at Redstone

• 6 p.m. Wednesday, Glenwood Springs Community Center

• 6 p.m. Thursday, Aspen High School, seminar room

Thompson Divide is an area of 221,500 acres that lies west of the Crystal River, north of McClure Pass and south of Sunlight Mountain Resort. About 82 percent of the area is public land. Gas companies hold 81 leases on 105,000 acres of public lands there.