By Martha Ferguson Special to The Sopris Sun Editor’s note: Governor Jared Polis signed a proclamation establishing June 2023 as “Dark Sky Month” in Colorado in recognition of the growing problem of light pollution. Appropriately, the Snowmass Capitol Creek Caucus is pushing for darker skies and designation within the Roaring Fork Watershed. A little more […]
ecology
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Why prescribed fires in Avalanche Creek?
Memorial Day weekend, campers and hikers might have been surprised at the sight of 600-plus acres of newly burned, south-facing terrain above Avalanche Creek. As part of the Aspen-Sopris District wildlife habitat improvement project, the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management partnered with Pitkin County and Carbondale & Rural Fire Protection District on […]
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Crystal River community summit sees massive turnout
Lots of people made the haul over to Marble to attend the first in-person public input session of the most recent stakeholder process concerning the fate of the Crystal River. Cars were parked bumper to bumper along West Park Street leading to the fire station, where the community summit took place. The facilitators, Wendy Lowe […]
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Making peace with Turtle
Special to The Sopris Sun For years, people have gathered at the base of our mountain. Many thousands of years. Over centuries, a succession of aspen, juniper, pinyon, ponderosa, scrub oak and spruce exchanged places, descending into valleys filled with sage brush and, at the river’s edge, cottonwood thrived. There were trails but no fences, […]
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Aspen businesses patent biodegradable fire foam
Last month, Aspen-based business Multi-Inc., in partnership with development company AspenGlo, unveiled a new, federally patented biodegradable fire-resistant foam design to protect structures in the event of wildfire. The newly developed foam is not only unprecedented in its reduction of environmental harm, but its long-lasting protection against flames. After seven years in development, founder and […]
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Branching out: The key to life
Returning West as a young adult, two things blew me away: its screaming blue skies and the alkaline pungency of its landscape. My entire physical body recognized both as home; deserts and mountains were the playground of my earliest years. In the weeks before moving onto campus, I gathered armfuls of tall western sage, rabbitbrush […]
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mountainFLOW takes grant for eco-friendly wax
Carbondale-based outdoor company mountainFLOW, best known for its award-winning plant-based ski wax and bike lube and for appearing on ABC’s “Shark Tank” in 2021, recently received a $250,000 state grant to fund research and development for a new line of eco-friendly liquid glide wax. Founded in 2016 with the mission of providing plant-based outdoor maintenance […]
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WRNF explores aspen forest management
The White River National Forest (WRNF) is seeking public comment on a proposal to manage aspen forests. The project cites declining aspen forests due to drought, insects, disease, wildfire suppression, and browsing pressure. The WRNF’s motivations for preserving and expanding aspen forest-types include “their scenic value, the important wildlife habitat they provide, and their potential […]