Author Archives: Curtis Wackerle

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 […]

Plus, breaking down the issues and donors in a contested board race for Roaring Fork Schools.

Wilderness watersheds and wildfire risk. Murky legal territory around river access. Increasing immigration enforcement netting more people without criminal records. In this edition of The Roundup, we bring you a trio of in-depth features all unique in the topics they cover, but united in their fidelity to analyzing complex issues of deep cultural, economic and […]

Across the Roaring Fork Valley, change is testing the systems and values that define our communities. Recent reporting from Aspen Journalism featured in this edition of The Roundup touches on themes ranging from insurance-company-hired fire crews protecting homes in the face of wildfire to the loss of another high-level leader at the White River National […]

A canceled party didn’t stop local community from planting roots “Latino Conservation Week” saw families planting trees and rafting, though this year’s event was scaled back and did not include the White River National Forest’s official participation amid federal DEI rollbacks. In addition, safety concerns over increasing immigration enforcement led organizers to hold smaller gatherings […]

As summer turns to fall, Aspen Journalism remains focused on reporting the most urgent challenges and opportunities shaping Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley. Seven recent stories trace a common thread: the effects of climate change are intensifying, our institutional capacity is stretched, and yet our community continues to search for innovative, collaborative solutions. Drought, […]

You can’t make sense of where you’re going without an understanding of where you’ve been. That’s the idea behind the three-part series recently published by Aspen Journalism from Paul Andersen, examining the “crisis of the commons” on the American continent and in our backyard, across the arc of history.

Thank you, as always, for reading and supporting the valley’s only nonprofit, investigative news origination, as we share the latest of our summer reporting below. And please check our website or pick up the Aspen Daily News Saturday through Monday for a new three-part series from Paul Andersen exploring the historic legacy of public lands across […]