Monday’s Garfield County Commissioner (BOCC) meeting lasted less than an hour. Former commission chair John Martin made a surprise cameo appearance during the morning public comment period, urging the BOCC to seal the Shoshone water right deal. “Today I’m going to let you know that you’re on the threshold of greatness — all three of […]
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
The state of renewables, Part One
It has been five years since Garfield Clean Energy (GCE) launched its successful Solarize Garfield campaign in the county that netted more than 100 new rooftop photovoltaic (solar-power) installations on homes and businesses; roughly one-fourth of them also included battery storage. Since then, the push toward cleaner energy generation in our region (mainly solar) has […]
Posted inEnvironment
Saving soil with AVLT
Founded in 1967, Aspen Valley Land Trust (AVLT) is a local, nonprofit land trust dedicated to protecting special places and open spaces. It serves a region stretching from the Roaring Fork and Middle Colorado River valleys from the top of Independence Pass and out west to De Beque. Through conservation easements on private land, the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Crystal River wins support through regional intergovernmental agreement
Over two years ago, a group of stakeholders announced the recommendation to seek federal Wild and Scenic classification for the Crystal River, one of three potential preservation measures identified through a scoping process that began in 2022. Last week, after ongoing conversation, five area governments and water districts signed an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) pledging to […]
Posted inEnvironment
Marble meeting focuses on wildfire mitigation, evacuation planning
A crowd of some 60 people gathered on May 16 at the Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD) firehouse in Marble to hear a presentation on wildfire behavior, mitigation and preparedness and evacuation strategies in the event of a wildfire. The Saturday-morning gathering was a follow-up to a planning meeting on March 31 at […]
Posted inBusiness
Sowing good roots: Roaring Fork Mill wins awards for local ag work
When Roaring Fork Mill sprouted in 2022, it was a small passion project. Founder Jacob Trumbull comes from a background in conservation and sustainable agriculture. He and his wife, Nicole, started stone-milling grains a few years after they settled into the Roaring Fork Valley. The business started as mill-to-order batches, but has since taken off. […]
Posted inEnvironment
Wolf reintroduction at pivotal moment, says Colorado Parks and Wildlife
If gray wolf recovery in Colorado is to succeed this year, the wolves already in the state are on their own. Meaning that Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) will not be bringing new wolves from outside the state. The reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado started with voter approval of Proposition 114 in 2020, and, […]
Posted inEnvironment
Dandelion Day lays art and music as paths to ‘Common Ground’
Dandelion Day is nearly upon us, and will be taking over Main Street and Sopris Park this Saturday, May 9. For its 28th year, the Carbondale celebration, held in partnership with the Aspen Indigenous Foundation (AIF), will be centered on the theme “Common Ground.” The 2026 festival also has a new fiscal sponsor: The Western […]
Posted inEnvironment
Low streamflow and invasive species present threats to watershed
On Thursday, April 23, some 150 community members gathered at the Pitkin County Library for the Colorado River District (CRD)’s State of the Roaring Fork River. The event is one in a series that the Glenwood Springs-based water agency has been presenting around the state. CRD chief of strategy Amy Moyer and communications director Matt […]
Posted inEnvironment
Duty patrol: Local running store steps up to handle dog poo disposal along popular Red Hill trails
A rather angry social media exchange between Red Hill Recreation Area users a couple of years ago about dog poop, of all things, prompted a call to action by a local business owner that has calmed the angst. “People were just going back and forth about all the bags of dog poop strewn along the […]