Last month, the Crystal River Wild and Scenic subcommittee released a report after spending years evaluating how a congressional Wild and Scenic River designation could protect the Crystal River as one of Colorado’s last remaining free-flowing rivers. While the Crystal’s waters help support many local agricultural endeavors, the river has never been dammed or otherwise […]
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
CPW weighs in on the GAME Act
A Sept. 3, 2026 letter to Representative Jeff Hurd from Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) Director Laura Clellan provides agency comments on the draft Greater Access for Multiple-use Experiences (GAME) Act. The Act, which Hurd has yet to introduce in Congress, would create a land exchange, swapping close to 2,103 private acres on the Roan […]
Posted inEnvironment
Community activists help restore riparian landscapes
Joy and grit were in abundance during a recent Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers (RFOV) field day, as nearly 50 volunteers navigated mud, rain and a bit of hail to help restore and support the Roaring Fork Watershed’s best engineers: the beavers. With generous funding from the Roaring Fork Outdoor Coalition, RFOV partnered with Wilderness Workshop, […]
Posted inEnvironment
Rain helps, but doesn’t alleviate regional drought status
Despite recent rain, much of the Roaring Fork Watershed remains in “exceptional” drought as of the autumn equinox. Pitkin and Eagle counties are among the 15.2% in the state categorized in the highest ranking for drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor, alongside Lake and Alamosa counties. The majority of Garfield County is in […]
Posted inEnvironment
Local land swap update and a bit of history
A land swap in the Roaring Fork and Colorado River valleys is attracting attention across the state. The legislative exchange, known as the Greater Access for Multiple-Use Experiences (GAME) Act, proposed by Congressman Jeff Hurd (R-CD3), must be approved by Congress before any land changes hands. There are a lot of questions swirling about the […]
Posted inEnvironment
State of the Crystal: Historic rock glaciers may be drying up
The plane wings vibrated with each acceleration. The small craft picked up speed as it headed north, with the 9,223-foot Triangle Peak as the clear aviation waypoint some miles down the valley. It was the second of three EcoFlight excursions the morning of Tuesday, Aug. 25, coordinated in partnership with the Town of Carbondale to […]
Posted inNews
Roan Plateau public comment ends Sept. 11
The public lands on Garfield County’s Roan Plateau remain in limbo. Multiple advocacy campaigns by coalitions of area sportsmen, conservationists and nonprofits have worked to conserve the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) acreage on the plateau from oil and gas development. The most recent victory, in the mid 2010s, has held for over a decade. […]
Posted inLocal Government
Debate heats up around Amendment 84 (83)
Editor’s note: Since this article was written, Colorado Amendment 84 was relabeled as Amendment 83. The Right to Hunt measure will appear as Amendment 83 on the November ballot. Coloradans will vote on an amendment this fall that would enshrine the right to hunt and fish in the Colorado Constitution. Proponents of Amendment 84 say […]
Posted inEnvironment
CORE invites community to climate action expo
For the second year in a row, the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE) is hosting its highly anticipated Green Expo on Sept. 11 at Aspen Meadows. Free and open to the public, community members will explore practical solutions to reduce carbon emissions. “The Green Expo really gives the community an opportunity to, in-person, meet […]
Posted inEnvironment
Balancing thirsty trees in town with riparian health
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 […]