If you find yourself mucking around Filoha Meadows or up behind Sopris this spring, keep an eye peeled for bighorn sheep. If you’re lucky, you might catch yourself a glimpse of one of Colorado’s few indigenous herds. However, as sure-footed as the species is, Avalanche Creek’s herd stands on unsteady ground.Over the years, disease has […]
wildlife
Posted inOpinion
CVEPA Views: Winter of ‘83 stampede
The breaking of branches and the thunder of hooves struck trepidation in my heart. The fading light of December dusk made the scene even more surreal. My girlfriend and I were directly in the path of a stampede of about 50 elk! The snow was so deep and the autumn so cold that the elk […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inOpinion
Wildlife McCarthyism, impact credits and the humility necessary to share Earth’s beauty
Early in my career, I clerked at the Environmental Defense Fund trying to help negotiate changes in California’s massive irrigation system, trying to stave off the extinction of the Sacramento River winter run of Chinook salmon. The irrigation system, known as the Central Valley Project, irrigates a good share of the fruits and nuts produced […]
Posted inColumns, Opinion, Uncategorized
Branching Out: So much life, right here
Highway 133 rocks. Specifically, the bucolic stretch between the fish hatchery and the KOA. Thanks to ranching and open space, we have a “national park” right here. The diversity of wildlife in this four-mile stretch is more than I’ve seen anywhere else in the state — and that’s with half a lifetime in the backcountry. […]
Posted inColumns, Opinion, Uncategorized
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 […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
Critical habitat designation for lynx reconsidered in Colorado
On April 25, Wilderness Workshop (WW) and WildEarth Guardians, a national nonprofit, secured a legal agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that directed the agency to once again reevaluate critical habitat for the Canada lynx. The agreement was approved by the District Court of Montana, and the USFWS has until Nov. 21, […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
CRMS invites you to be an osprey host
If you’ve been along Highway 82 by El Jebel and Basalt, or driven 133 through Carbondale, you’ve probably seen these majestic beauty perched in massive nests atop a lamppost, power pole, bridge or other tall structures. Though not social with humans, ospreys certainly take advantage of our infrastructure. They have a striking white head and […]
Posted inNews, Uncategorized
How to obtain a hunting license
Applying for a hunting license can be confusing at first. Between Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) regulations and plain old hunter strategy, I’m still learning the ins and outs, 20 years in. If you’re even reading this, you’re most likely a new hunter, so we’ll stick to the basics together (and save mastery aspects, such […]