This newsroom often publishes stories that reflect crossroads — not only for our communities, but for the future of the Western Slope, our mountains, rivers and towns.
Paul Andersen’s reporting on public‑land transfers in “Cutting up the Commons” reminds us that history continues to shape the future. By uncovering decades of land giveaways and mining claims, Paul underscores a deeper question: who gets to decide the fate of these lands, and how will our choices today resonate for generations? As federal policy and private interests swirl, the consequences of today’s decisions may echo for generations.
Laurine Lassalle continues following a coalition of local leaders wrestling with how to manage increasing traffic into Aspen and throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. The most recent scenarios include the potential for congestion pricing to enter Aspen, or a hybrid plan that would start with a high-occupancy toll (HOT) lane and work toward congestion pricing. While reduced congestion, efficient use of current infrastructure, flexibility and choice (pay with dollars or time) and the tolls collected being used to expand public transportation services are the proposed perks, critics decry the “Lexus lane,” imposition for downvalley communities and equity concerns to the commuting working class.
Meanwhile, in northwest Colorado, a private ski area proposal near Steamboat reveals how development can stir both hopes and deep concerns. For some, a luxury resort promises economic opportunity and new amenities. For others, like local residents, longtime workers and people rooted in the land, it raises fears about water, housing, community character and the very soul of the place. With more projects promising large-scale, high-end development around the region, we must ask what kind of future are we building for mountain‑town Colorado?
And finally, there are the good news stories, with the state water board voting yes – that the Shoshone water rights, which are some of the oldest and most powerful on the mainstem of the Colorado River, can be used to benefit the environment. Importantly, the instream-flow agreement approved by the board says that the Western Slope, along with the CWCB, will retain some control over exercising the rights. The decision could safeguard not only ecosystems but farms, livelihoods and communities far into the future.
Together, these stories reflect more than the events of 2025. They map out the choices we’re making — about land, water, transportation, development and community. And they remind us how fragile, precious, and interconnected our mountain environment truly is.
That’s why your support matters more than ever. Independent, local journalism has the power to inform—and to influence. To shine light on complex issues, highlight different perspectives, and hold decision‑makers accountable. As we head into 2026, we hope to continue telling the stories that matter, challenging assumptions and helping our communities forge a thoughtful, sustainable path forward.
Thank you for standing with us and supporting independent, local journalism. Every gift strengthens our newsroom and the community we serve.
– Curtis Wackerle
Editor and executive director
Aspen Journalism
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?
By Laurine Lassalle | December 1, 2025
The Transportation Coalition for the 21st Century is weighing two options to relieve traffic in the Roaring Fork Valley: converting the existing HOV/bus lane into a pay-to-use High-Occupancy Toll lane (HOT) or implementing a broader congestion pricing plan. The HOT plan would allow cars with three or more occupants to use the lane free, while others pay — with dynamic tolls potentially reaching ≈ $17 during peak hours. Alternatively, congestion pricing would charge single-occupancy vehicles a peak-hour fee (≈ $12–$14), raising funds for expanded public transit, ride-sharing incentives, and road improvements. Coalition members hope to finalize nonbinding recommendations in early December — leaving final decisions to local elected officials.
Private ski area proposal near Steamboat divides community
Luxury resort plan by Yellowstone Club operator seen by some as an economic boon; others fear an environmental and socioeconomic disaster
By Kari Dequine | November 29, 2025
A proposal by Discovery Land Co. to build an exclusive, members-only ski community — Stagecoach Mountain Ranch — 20 miles south of Steamboat Springs has sparked a sharp divide among local residents. Supporters tout jobs, infrastructure improvements and public-benefit housing; opponents warn of water-use stress, environmental harm, skyrocketing housing costs and loss of community character.
State water board votes yes on Shoshone
River District will retain some control over management of powerful water rights
By Heather Sackett | November 20, 2025
The Colorado Water Conservation Board unanimously approved instream-flow protections for the water rights tied to the Shoshone hydropower plant, securing some of the oldest and most powerful water rights on the mainstem of the Colorado River in perpetuity for the Western Slope. The decision allows the Colorado River Water Conservation District to co-manage the rights — a historic departure — promising benefits to downstream communities, the environment and river recreation.
Cutting up the commons
Parceling off the American landscape is a long-held function of our politics
By Paul Andersen | November 15, 2025
Part five of Paul Andersen’s dive into the history of public lands reveals that between 1880 and 1900 more than 1,100 public-land patents were granted in the Roaring Fork Valley — many for as little as $1.25 or $5 per acre — lands now valued at tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars per acre. Historic homesteads and mining claims once granted under federal laws such as the Mining Law of 1872 and the 1820 Sale Act have transformed into high-end real-estate in resort-era Aspen. The story warns that past practices of “privatizing the commons” through generous land giveaways foreshadow renewed pressure on public lands — via sales, trades or transfers — threatening conservation, public access and environmental values across the American West.
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