When Carly Senst, the epidemiologist for Pitkin County, heard in late August that the county probably had its first-ever case of West Nile virus, she wasn’t exactly surprised. “It was more like, ‘Yep, all right, it’s happening,’” she said.
Category: Environment
Aspen Journalism’s “Connie Harvey Environment Desk” is named in honor of the longtime Aspen environmentalist.
Posted inEnvironment
D.C. Circuit Court hits the brakes on Uinta Basin Railway, but oil transport through Colorado is still on the table
“When federal agencies are the on/off switches for climate impacts, air pollution impacts, surface impacts of wildlife habitat, they can’t say, as the [STB] did here, ‘Oh, no, not our problem. We don’t control who develops oil in the Uinta Basin. We don’t know where the oil is going. We’re just approving the railway,’” Zukoski said. “The court saw through that.”
Posted inEnvironment
SkiCo-funded methane-capture project no longer generates electricity
Aspen Skiing Co. had provided most of the capital investment for the system, which was generating 3 megawatts of baseload power. But things didn’t turn out exactly as Caskey and the rest of the project partners had hoped,
Posted inEnvironment
As Boomerang property languishes, city investigates
While the Hunt team has been responsive to minor Boomerang fixes in the past, “It has gotten to the point where it is more extensive than a short list, or a punch list,” city planning director Amy Simon said at a June 28 meeting of the Historic Preservation Commission. “We’re concerned.”
Posted inEnvironment
Air taxis and drop-and-go’s: In the mix that makes up 80% of ASE operations
On-demand and chartered private flights known as air taxis have gained popularity since the pandemic at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (ASE), surpassing operations from commercial carriers at an airfield where general aviation and air taxis make up 80% of the flights. Also, general aviation operations in 2021 reached their highest level since 2008.
Posted inEnvironment
Pandora’s expansion proceeding on track with logging, lift construction
To facilitate the new terrain expansion that will add 153 acres to the ski area, Pitkin County and the U.S. Forest Service approved clearing up to 106 acres of trees for gladed and traditional ski runs. This will require cutting an estimated 4,226 tons of timber over three years.
Posted inEnvironment
Downtown Aspen assets on the line in Souki lender dispute
The assets owned by Ajax Holdings, which is controlled by the Souki family and affiliates, also are on the line. The lenders have hired Dallas-based commercial property firm CBRE to solicit bidders and administer a public auction set for the end of the month, according to court records.
Posted inEnvironment
Soil-moisture data points to moderate levels
Looking across the Roaring Fork Basin, soil moisture on Nov. 2, 2022, measured 70% of average for the higher elevations sites and 100% of average at lower elevations. That is wetter than in November 2020, when soil moisture was mostly between 50% and 70% of average.
Posted inLocal Public Data
The outsized impact of REMP residences
Mitigation strategies that offset all exterior energy use have not always been possible or sufficient. Local governments are considering additional measures to help meet climate goals, including potentially reducing the maximum allowed house size in the county.
Posted inLocal Public Data
New short-term-rental rules limit supply, restrict future growth
Since new permits became available in September and October, Aspen has issued 790 as of April 3 and 111 licenses were issued in unincorporated Pitkin County as of April 20, for a total of 901 licensed STRs between the jurisdictions. That appears to be well below the total number of properties involved in short-term vacation renting prior to the new permit regulations, when neither jurisdiction had strict limits on STR proliferation.