Carbondale Public Works held a meeting on March 26 with Crystal River water managers (ranchers and farmers) to begin discussions on the Crystal’s water usage this coming summer. The initiative comes in the wake of record-low snowpack this past winter and anticipated very low flows in the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers. The gathering, organized […]
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
Carbondale Tree Board brings the blooms on Town’s Arbor Day
Each spring, communities around the world celebrate a variety of holidays around growth and living things. In the U.S., a new tradition started in 1872, when Nebraskan journalist and politician J. Sterling Morton prompted the secular observation of Arbor Day. Morton coordinated with communities across the state to plant one million trees on April 10 […]
Posted inLocal Government
Marble Report: Wildfire concerns laid bare, mixed-use zoning debate continues
Residents of the Roaring Fork and Crystal River valleys seeking solace from wildfire-related jitters would have come away disappointed from April’s meeting of the Town of Marble’s Board of Trustees. The key invitee was Rob Goodwin, chief of the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD), without doubt one of the busiest people in the […]
Posted inEnvironment
An escaped agricultural burn and a fire potential ahead
The 8-10 acre fire that spread from a Carbondale agricultural burn in late March is not common. But it’s also not uncommon. That’s according to Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District Fire Chief Rob Goodwin, who said agricultural burns often begin in March and April, and can escape their set margins under windy conditions — […]
Posted inEnvironment
Local beaver advocates discuss dead-in-the-water legislation
In March, the Colorado legislature considered House Bill 26-1323, “Wildfire Resiliency Prohibiting Taking of Beavers,” sponsored by HD57 Rep Elizabeth Velasco. The proposed legislation would limit hunting or killing of beavers on public lands to protect the animals and stabilize their role in ecosystems, which also serves as a mode of wildfire management. The Colorado […]
Posted inEnvironment
Continued drought and high temperatures set regional records, prompting early ski closures and water restrictions
Colorado and Roaring Fork Valley snowpack plummeted in March, due to a combination of above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation. Early in the month, watershed nonprofit Roaring Fork Conservancy (RFC) raised alarms in a community newsletter, highlighting that snowpack in the Valley was at 65% of normal on March 4, with average site depths of 8.7 […]
Posted inEnvironment
‘Beyond the ice and trout’
What began as a new experience for many became a day filled with learning, connection and shared discovery. On March 7, Wilderness Workshop joined 62 community members at Sylvan Lake State Park for the first-ever Defiende Nuestra Tierra ice fishing event. Among those who attended, 25 participants received sponsored day fishing licenses and many learned […]
Posted inEnvironment
Fire & Water takes cinematic journey along Colorado River and through wildfire
The Middle Colorado Watershed Council (MCWC) will host the second event of its 2026 Fire & Water Speaker Series next week. The Rifle-based nonprofit organizes events each spring to engage community on topics around water, wildlife and humans within the Colorado River Basin. The first event, hosted last month, introduced hydrologist and writer Robert R. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Public has until March 25 to comment on BLM proposal permitting e-bikes on local trails
A proposal from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) could significantly expand where electric mountain bikes are allowed on public trails across the central Colorado River Valley — and the idea is drawing strong reactions from local trail users. At a public meeting in Eagle on March 11, staff from the BLM’s Colorado River Valley […]
Posted inEnvironment
Public lands and greenhouse gas regulations threatened by D.C.
Only three months into 2026, the nomination of a new Bureau of Land Management (BLM) director and the repeal of the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 Endangerment Finding, which regulates greenhouse gas emissions, pose new threats to Western Slope public lands, as well as public health. On Wednesday, March 4, former New Mexico Congressman Steve Pearce […]