Aspen Journalism

09/11/2025

Delta County ranchers are urging Colorado lawmakers to enable voluntary, paid water conservation programs that credit participants and allow conserved water to be shepherded into Lake Powell. Unlike the federal System Conservation Program, which pays for temporary reductions, the proposed bill would ensure conserved water is legally protected and recognized. Advocates argue such reforms are essential to bolster agricultural resilience and protect supplies, while critics worry it could encourage sales to downriver users instead of true conservation.

Allowing the state of Colorado to shepherd conserved water resurrects old concerns on the Western Slope.

09/04/2025

Traffic experts warn that incentives alone, like carpooling apps, buses or even a gondola, won’t solve Aspen’s congestion. A 2024 traffic-analysis memorandum by Jacobs Engineering estimates that by 2050 it will take nearly 67 minutes to drive the 5.5-mile corridor entering Aspen during rush hours – up from the existing 32 minutes of travel time. Real relief requires pairing these “carrots” with “sticks,” such as parking limits or congestion pricing. Otherwise, induced demand will keep traffic and emissions rising, despite alternative transportation efforts.

The preferred alternative is projected to have a negligible impact on congestion, and in some cases makes it worse. “If that’s all we do, we’re stuck with an hour and seven minutes from Brush Creek to the S-curve basically, and that is not a happy picture,” said John Bennett, a former Aspen ...

09/01/2025

A D4 "exceptional drought" is expected about once in 50 years, reserved for the most extreme drought conditions. But parts of Colorado have entered into exceptional drought at least five times since 2000. Colorado’s only current D4 drought area covers the footprints of the four major fires in that burned in August through northwest Colorado and much of Garfield, Rio Blanco, and portions of Moffat, Routt, Eagle, Pitkin, Gunnison, Delta, and Mesa counties. Firefighters described the fires as unprecedented, with one veteran noting that 100,000-acre fires were once unimaginable. Analysts warned that such extreme conditions could become more common, and while fire has always been a part of the western U.S. landscape, this size and intensity poses significant challenges for future wildfire management.

Firefighter helicopter Steve Cohen said that in his 25-year career, he has seen firsthand fires steadily increasing in size. It wasn’t that long ago, he said, that “we’d never heard of a 100,000-acre fire.”

09/01/2025

At Aspen Ideas: Health 2025, experts explored the promise and perils of artificial intelligence in medicine, highlighting its potential to transform diagnosis and treatment alongside its heavy electricity and water demands paired with minimal regulation. Discussions also celebrated breakthroughs in vaccine development, including rapid mRNA innovation during COVID-19, while acknowledging the fragile ecosystem of scientific research. The sessions underscored the tension between technological advancement, sustainability, and the need for robust oversight to guide future health innovations.

Ruth Katz outlined this year’s six underlying themes: “decoding the brain, audacious science, investing in health, food for thought, uncommon allies, and pop health,” adding that “good ideas involve much more than biomedical breakthroughs and possessing a good insurance card.”

09/01/2025

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08/30/2025

Aspen School District is exploring geothermal energy to cut emissions and lower costs, with students at the center of the initiative. Backed by state and local grants, the project could provide cleaner heating and cooling for classrooms. A test bore this fall may give students firsthand experience with sustainable technology.

Aspen school district gets two grants to explore a potential geothermal well field. Some hope for an even-deeper dive.

08/30/2025

Streamflows across Colorado’s Western Slope have plunged to well below average, triggering emergency measures to protect endangered fish. Voluntary fishing closures and minimum-flow calls were enacted on the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers. Reservoir releases continue to prop up the critically dry 15-mile reach, though supply is rapidly dwindling.

Streamflows on the Western Slope have plummeted over the last month, sending water managers scrambling to boost flows for endangered fish and ranking it among the driest years in recent history.

08/23/2025

Tasked with assisting the White River National Forest amid staffing cuts — Forest Conservancy volunteers have removed 35 illegal campfire rings by mid-August, nine of which had active embers when found.

Through Aug. 17, volunteers with Forest Conservancy have worked more than 8,800 service hours, which Johnson said represents an in-kind contribution value of more than $340,000, or the equivalent of 10 to 12 seasonal employees.

Given the moment's urgency, the Forest Conservancy is seeing record levels of staffing, recruitment, total hours and in-kind value. Through Aug. 17, volunteers with Forest Conservancy have worked more than 8,800 service hours, which Johnson said represents an in-kind contribution value of more than....

08/18/2025

High above Aspen at 11,400 feet, Lincoln Creek runs clean and clear, tut just a few hundred yards downstream, the creek begins to turn foul. Although it’s hard to pinpoint the exact source — the entire mountainside above Lincoln Creek on the east side is stained orange, suggesting the widespread presence of metals — a group of scientists, government officials and local nonprofits are ramping up efforts to better understand the workings of the Lincoln Creek watershed and what can be done to improve its water quality.

Officials expand water quality testing in search for answers on Lincoln Creek contamination

08/18/2025

As the region’s senior population grows along with rising housing costs, Glenwood Springs has added 34 affordable units at The Benedict Apartments. Developed by Catholic Charities and funded in part by a $2.1 million donation from Fritz and Fabi Benedict, the project serves residents 55+ with incomes between 30–80% of the area median. Read the latest from the Social Justice desk.

“Seniors are just such an important part of our community. Many of them are still working … and as we have costs rising so significantly, incomes don't always keep up and it's usually those on fixed incomes or limited income mobility that gets squeezed out first.”

08/15/2025

Once home to the Ute “People of the Shining Mountains,” the White River National Forest carries a layered history of Native dispossession and ongoing conservation. Efforts today aim to protect these public lands for future generations. This story is the third of a three-part series examining the notion of public lands, both in the United States and in our region.

Citizen involvement amplified the call to protect national assets and save something for the future. A campaign to win hearts and minds for preserving the inspiring vistas was beginning to sensitize America to the natural treasures of which it had taken possession.

08/12/2025

Today's White River National Forest originated over a century ago in 1891 as a result of the Forest Reserve Act which authorized the president to designate public lands in the West into what were then called “forest reserves.” What began as unchecked land grabs, untethered extraction and monetization gave way to a groundbreaking shift: thoughtful stewardship balancing grazing, timber, mining, skiing, and wilderness preservation. Today, the WRNF spreads across nearly 2.3 million acres, weaving together geological wonder, rich biodiversity, and human histories ranging from early Ute inhabitants to ambitious explorers. Read how this iconic landscape evolved, guided by a vision that transformed exploitation into public heritage.

The story of the WRNF is therefore a weave of time and place, and of a people for whom the forest is both an economic lifeblood and a battleground for conservation and preservation.