Drought and heatwaves affect more than just humans, which is the case this summer as the Roaring Fork Watershed continues to experience “exceptional” drought — the most severe rating per the United States Drought Monitor. Human residents can see visible stress in local plant life as well as animals. To learn more about drought stress […]
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
Division 5 water users weather the Cameo call
Water rights are about as nuanced as the glistening streams that shimmer through the rocks. This year, unsurprisingly, has tested the limits of water’s reach within the Colorado River Basin. Two calls generally affect Colorado Division of Water Resources (DWR) Division 5, which includes all of the tributaries from Grand Lake to Grand Junction, […]
Posted inEnvironment
New gray wolf pups make a new pack in Colorado; wolf deaths continue
A gray wolf pack has settled in Eagle County, according to Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), but five wolf deaths have also occurred since January. CPW announced on July 22 that pups born this spring in Eagle County are part of the Piney Ridge Pack — the fifth pack to form since wolf reintroduction began […]
Posted inEnvironment
Pitkin, Eagle counties, local municipalities awarded energy funding
This summer, 10 Roaring Fork Valley and Colorado River corridor jurisdictions were awarded over $4 million in climate and energy funding from the Colorado Energy Office’s Local IMPACT Accelerator program. The IMPACT Accelerator awarded $30.1 million statewide during this allocation round, meaning the local cohort landed over 13% of funding. The $4 million award will […]
Posted inColumns
Living ground: The biocrust of Red Hill
Red Hill CouncilPublic Service Announcement Before you take your next step on Red Hill, look down. That bumpy, dark crust beneath your feet might be thousands of years old. It’s called biological soil crust, or “biocrust” for short, and it’s a living skin over the soil made of cyanobacteria, lichen, moss and fungi working together. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Bear necessities
It’s no secret, this summer the bears are extra active in towns throughout the state. So far, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) have received over three-thousand reports of bear activity across Colorado. Conflicts between humans and bears have risen due to drought conditions, causing the bears to source water and food closer to residential and […]
Posted inNonprofits
Renowned Nepali mountaineer to speak in Aspen
On Thursday evening, Aug. 13, Paepcke Auditorium in Aspen will host an extraordinary event: “Summit of Hope: An Evening with Lhakpa Sherpa,” featuring the world-renowned mountaineer. In 2000, Lhakpa was the first Nepali woman to successfully summit and return from Mount Everest. She has subsequently climbed the mountain numerous times, completing her 11th ascent — […]
Posted inEnvironment
Western Slope growers had varying luck with crops after April’s late freeze
Back in April, a cold spell hit Western Colorado, with temperatures dropping below 28 degrees in the North Fork and Grand Valleys west of the Roaring Fork region. After above-average temperatures in February and March, including multiple warm spells, crops in the area were ahead of growing schedule. Farmers sprang into action; some fared well, […]
Posted inLocal Government
Checking out the Bells
Picture the scene: Friends from out of town are visiting the Roaring Fork Valley for the first time and you’ve offered to show them around. The first place that comes to mind is Maroon Bells. It’s an obvious choice. They are, after all, among the most beautiful and most photographed landscapes in the Rocky Mountains. […]
Posted inLocal Government
Glenwood Springs Mayor Pro-Tem calls for action to stop limestone quarry
Rocky Mountain Industrials (RMI) is one step closer to a new mining plan for the beleaguered limestone quarry just northwest of Glenwood Springs. The quarry sits on a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) parcel in full view of the Glenwood Caverns Adventure Park. The proposed plan is the third iteration of an application that was […]