The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) earlier this month dealt another blow to the beleaguered Uinta Basin Railway (UBR), an 88-mile line proposed to connect oil fields in the Uinta Basin to the national rail network near Price, Utah, in order to access Gulf Coast refineries. The trains coming out of Price would have increased the […]
Environment
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Crystal River Caucus weighs in on Redstone Castle
The evening of Jan. 11, the Crystal River Caucus convened for a lengthy discussion concerning the Redstone Castle, Filoha Meadows and the Crystal River’s potential Wild and Scenic designation.The meeting opened with a presentation concerning the latest developments with the Redstone Castle, led by private Land Use Planner Glenn Horn. The Redstone Castle, included in […]
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Vigil sets somber scene at USFS office in Carbondale
A vigil for the trees in front of the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District office in Carbondale on First Friday set a somber tone. Close to 20 people formed a circle in the front yard to honor the iconic evergreen trees that may be lost when the 1930s-era buildings are demolished.Carbondale resident Richard Vottero, a vigil organizer, […]
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Elusive mountain lion(s) is the talk of Hendrick Drive
Editor’s note: The Sopris Sun listed an item in Scuttlebutt two weeks ago soliciting information about mountain lion sightings in Carbondale, but did not receive any additional tips. Feel free to email james@soprissun.com if you have first-hand information. There have been some confirmed sightings, along with several rumors floating around, of at least one mountain […]
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Naturalist Nights lecture series launches for the New Year
On Jan. 10, Wilderness Workshop, the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) and Roaring Fork Audubon will be kicking off this year’s Naturalist Nights, a free presentation series designed to bring experts and their research to the Valley community. This winter, the collaboration of organizations will bring speakers in from across the state and further […]
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Five wolves successfully released in CO
On Monday, Dec. 18, Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) released five gray wolves from Oregon onto public land in Grand County. It was a historic moment, putting into motion a ballot measure that voters in the Centennial State decided on back in 2020, with a narrow margin. Much support came from voters on the Front […]
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Spring Gulch aglow with new Nordic trail amenities; capital campaign continues
Carbondale’s shiniest wintertime gem, the Spring Gulch Nordic Ski Trail System, has been busy polishing its bright shine for the past couple of years.The new cross country season officially began with the cutting of a ribbon at the new Marion Gulch parking lot and trailhead on Dec. 5.The event was followed by the Mount Sopris […]
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USFS seeks input for Thompson Divide withdrawal proposal
On Dec. 8, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in coordination with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a draft environmental assessment for the Thompson Divide Withdrawal. If approved, this would withdraw nearly 225,000 acres of public land from future mining and oil and gas development for a period of 20 years.The draft assessment is […]
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Wild Rose hosts a polar visitor for Antarctica Day
On Wednesday, Nov. 29, Wild Rose Education, a Carbondale-based nonprofit, virtually hosted engineer Sarah Wilson live from the South Pole to share her experiences with educators in the Roaring Fork Valley, just two days in advance of Antarctica Day, celebrated annually on Dec. 1. The discussion was oriented towards educators and mentors in order to […]
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Western Slope shows support for conservation in BLM plan
In August of this year, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released a draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) to be appended to both the Colorado River Valley and Grand Junction resource management plans, affecting usage policy for approximately 2 million acres of land for the next two decades. After a two-month period of public […]