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 […]
Environment
Posted inEnvironment
One year after founder’s tragic death, Seed Peace and Wild Mountain Seeds continue strong
Casey Piscura took his life on Feb. 2, 2025 — a Sunday. That week the news broke slowly, then quickly rippled through the community, opening a chasm of grief shared among the people who knew and admired this seemingly unstoppable farmer. Several memorials were held in the weeks that followed, including a gathering of hundreds […]
Posted inLocal Government
GarCo Planning recommends denial of Harvest Village
On Wednesday, March 11, the Garfield County Planning Commission voted 6-1 to recommend denying the application for a proposed 1,500-unit development in unincorporated Garfield County, between Carbondale and Glenwood Springs. The commission denied the application at nearly 11:30pm, after hundreds of citizens came to the meeting in opposition to the project. Much of the time […]
Posted inEnvironment
Carbondale developing advanced wildfire mitigation modeling
The Town of Carbondale and the Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District (CRFPD) have joined forces with the Wildfire Collaborative Roaring Fork Valley (WCRFV) aiming to develop what will be the most detailed and accurate prediction of how a wildfire could affect our community. To implement this, they have teamed up with Dr. Hussam Mahmoud […]
Posted inEnvironment
Douglas fir beetle management addressed at Naturalist Nights
The wood-accented room was full. Adults of all ages sat in rows from wall to wall, filling the space from the lit projector screen in front to the conference table in the back at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies’ Hallam Lake location. Dr. Dan West of Colorado State University (CSU) and the Colorado State […]
Posted inEnvironment
Seasonal closure remains in place at Riverfront Park
Del Craig has lived at Thompson Corner in River Valley Ranch for over 20 years. His back patio faces the Crystal River. Across the river, he sees activity at Riverfront Park. Until recently, Riverfront Park was somewhat secret. One of several park spaces acquired by the Town of Carbondale when River Valley Ranch was approved […]
Posted inEducation
Defying limits: Austria’s Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner to speak about climbing the world’s tallest mountains
On Feb. 24, Aspen’s Wheeler Opera House hosts a speaker who will turn the audience’s attention to the heights. Not just any heights: specifically, 8,000 meters, the 14 tallest mountains in the world. She is Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, one of the only women to have climbed the planet’s tallest mountains, and the first woman to have […]
Posted inEnvironment
New round of decisions on track for proposed Uinta Basin Railway
Late last year, Uinta Basin Railway (UBR) backers, Utah’s Seven County Infrastructure Coalition, filed a 35-page motion with the Federal Surface Transportation Board (STB), asking the Board to reaffirm its original decision to approve the railway without further environmental review. But the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) is not on board with the idea. The […]
Posted inEnvironment
Glenwood group working to preserve historic greenhouse, establish botanical gardens
A Glenwood Springs citizen group is in the process of trying to rescue, relocate and repurpose a unique piece of the region’s history — the ornate early 20th century greenhouse that once adorned the front lawn at the Redstone Castle. The nearly 122-year-old greenhouse for the past eight decades has resided in West Glenwood where […]
Posted inEnvironment
Winter nighttime temps surge above historical average
As Roaring Fork Valley residents navigate this winter’s low precipitation, leaders at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) are warning that shifting average temperatures are also a significant concern. At the beginning of the month, Forest and Climate Director Adam McCurdy noted the asymmetric warming trend in ACES’ monthly “Wild Tracks” newsletter. Asymmetric warming […]