Aspen activist wants ‘rights of nature’ for the Roaring Fork River
Movement reimagines humans’ relationship to local waterways
A handful of Colorado communities have passed resolutions that give rights to local waterways: Grand Lake to its namesake body of water, Ridgway to the Uncompahgre River and most recently, Durango to the Animas River.
French book highlights Aspen’s efforts to elevate Albert Schweitzer legacy
Journalist, former mayor interviewed for publication as plans progress for second Albert Schweitzer Day
Local efforts to recenter the philosophies of French-German humanist Albert Schweitzer as morally and culturally imperative in modern Aspen have been recognized in a French book written by authors from his home region.
RECENT WATER DESK NEWS
Colorado River crisis fails to force deal from states
Dry conditions and federal deadlines not working like in the past
West Divide proposes backup water plan for Crystal River
Two new reservoirs listed among water sources
RECENT SOCIAL JUSTICE DESK NEWS
Law firm sends cease-and-desist letter to Garfield County sheriff over alleged unlawful immigration enforcement
Claims agency is collaborating with federal authorities in violation of state law
Garfield County Libraries has resisted censoring books, but leadership changes could turn the tide
New trustees settling into roles confront the legal landscape and conflicting viewpoints
RECENT ENVIRONMENT DESK NEWS
As e-bike use grows, so do accidents
PitCo Open Space, which manages Rio Grande Trail, reports record e-bike crashes in 2025.
Transportation coalition seeks consensus on high-occupancy toll, congestion-pricing recommendations
Would you pay $17 to drive in what’s now the bus-only lane at the entrance to Aspen?
RECENT ENVIRONMENT DESK STORIES
GarCo staff memo gives Harvest proposal a thumbs down
Applicant feels ‘pretty good’ about Wednesday discussion; alternatives to denial include continuing meeting, addressing list of nine points
Developers are selling the Harvest project as a boon for workforce housing. Others see a burden.
Debate intensifies in advance of Feb. 25 hearing before GarCo Planning Commission
FEATURED SERIES:
St. Benedict’s Monastery
‘Bless this house’: Community at St. Benedict’s Monastery bids farewell
With closure and final Mass on Jan. 11, a message of acceptance
St. Benedict’s Monastery sells for $120 million
Wall Street Journal reports buyer is Palantir CEO Alex Karp
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Real time snowpack in the Roaring Fork basin
SNOTEL sites in the Roaring Fork basin show that snowpack has never been this low at this point in the season, breaking the previous record low of 6.1 inches measured on Jan. 29, 1990.
Real-time local streamflow
Stream-gauge readings from the Roaring Fork and Colorado River basins updated in real time with an interactive mapping feature
THE BILLIONAIRES OF ASPEN
The Aspen 80
Property records analysis shows where the Forbes billionaires list and local owners overlap
There have never been more billionaires in the world—3,028, by Forbes’ count, crossing the 3,000 threshold for the first time in 2025. It stands to reason that there also have never been more billionaires in Aspen, their collective influence shaping the community’s social fabric.
Keep reading
ASPEN & HIGHWAY 82 TRAFFIC | RECENT DATA desk STORIES >>
RFTA to study how Rio Grande Trail’s railroad corridor can be used for mass transit
Scheduled for 2028, the plan will explore how the historic alignment can accommodate bikes, pedestrians and mass transit, including rail.
Carrots won’t cut upper-valley congestion without sticks
Traffic experts call for disincentives, such as congestion pricing and restricting parking, to get cars off the road.
AI vehicle counters to provide better input on upper valley traffic flows
30-40% of traffic consists of construction-related vehicles, initial findings show
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Public Lands series by Paul ANdersen >>
Common ground: Protecting our public lands
A legacy of native expulsion gives way to a project to assert federal protections and adapt to changing values
Becoming the White River National Forest
Cherished public lands forged in a progression of exploration, exploitation and preservation
A crisis of the commons
The fraught legacy and magnetic promise underpinning public lands in the United States
NOTICIAS EN ESPAÑOL
Nuevos datos confirman el aumento de las detenciones de inmigrantes y un cambio en el perfil de las personas detenidas
Las leyes más estrictas hacen que permanecer en el país sea una “batalla cuesta arriba”
La comunidad se moviliza para la “Semana de la Conservación Latina” a pesar de las preocupaciones por las medidas contra la inmigració
El Bosque Nacional White River no participará en el evento de este mes
Se inaugura una nueva residencia asequible para personas mayores en una región que se enfrenta al envejecimiento de la población y al aumento de los costes
El proyecto de Catholic Charities en Glenwood Springs, valorado en $23 millones, rinde homenaje a la donación realizada por los Benedict en la década de 1990
Parques de casas móviles bajo contrato para propiedad de residentes
El acuerdo propuesto entra en el periodo de diligencia debida para las inspecciones
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