SkiCo officials have taken the position that broader character and use concerns on the backside should not hinder the review of their ski area proposal. County planning staffers disagree.
Author Archives: Curtis Wackerle
Curtis Wackerle is the editor and executive director of Aspen Journalism and the editor and reporter on the Connie Harvey Environment Desk. Curtis has also served as editor, managing editor, and reporter at the Aspen Daily News, where he covered Aspen’s city hall. He has a journalism degree from the University of Montana.
Posted inEnvironment
Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness overnight overuse continues to increase
Total overnight visitors accessing the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness via the 10 most popular trailheads reached a new record in 2020, with 18,324 entering the backcountry to camp, according to data collected by the Forest Service.
Posted inEnvironment
Parking is a choke point in Marble’s motorized-use conundrum
There is no designated parking near the Lead King Loop trailhead for the trucks and trailers needed to haul the machines. Many in Marble feel this has put the squeeze on their town, population 140, which has limited resources and infrastructure to handle the influx.
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental analysis puts Marble wetlands donation within reach
This spring, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) completed its analysis of the site and determined that contaminant levels in the material are within the range considered to be non-threatening to human health for a day-use recreation site.
Posted inEnvironment
OHV authorization will continue near Marble, but clock is ticking
While the commissioners did not enact a de facto moratorium on OHV, ATV and UTV traffic on the county road leading to the Lead King Loop, the discovery of a language error in a county resolution served to elevate the issue.
Posted inEnvironment
Gunnison County appears unlikely to ban off-highway vehicles on road to Lead King Loop this summer
Gunnison County commissioners expressed concern that an immediate, partial ban would be counterproductive but called for partner agencies to ‘lean in’ to long-term solutions.
Posted inEnvironment
Enforcement, education campaign to debut on Lead King Loop this summer near Marble
An academic study found broad-based concern among residents about “degraded quality of life” related to the increasing number of visitors.
Posted inEnvironment
Cellphone towers in Glenwood Canyon a tall task
“Overburdening the canyon with unsightly towers and related wireless network infrastructure is in conflict with the environmental ideals that underpin the overall management and stewardship of the corridor,” says an FCC complaint letter.
Posted inWater
Work underway to smooth out big drop in river near Basalt
A nearly $1 million project is “trying to make a natural riffle” where in the past boaters had to navigate over falls created by a weir channeling water to a midvalley diversion ditch. Heavy equipment in and around the river near Willits Lane will see “grade control structures” and other enhancements create a safer passage that could open up that section of water to more recreational use.
Posted inEnvironment
Air quality study near Aspen airport finds no adverse effects
More monitoring may be recommended; “We definitely need to dig deeper,” said one Pitkin County official