Researchers expect more smoke days per year, while public health experts uncover far-reaching consequences
Category: Environment
Aspen Journalism’s “Connie Harvey Environment Desk” is named in honor of the longtime Aspen environmentalist.
Local ranchers face backlog of cattle due to coronavirus. Now comes the drought.
“We not only do have to keep them because there was nowhere to go with them, and then all of a sudden we find ourselves in the middle of a drought. We basically got to the point where we had to get rid of them, whatever price was being offered.”
Increase in human-caused bear deaths raises concern for forest health
When natural foods aren’t abundant, bears are forced to move around more, searching for calories. This makes bears more vulnerable to hunters, and it also leads to an increase in roadkills and conflicts in developed areas.
Increased use, violations on Pitkin County open space kept rangers busy this spring
The number of enforcement contacts — in which rangers had to remind people of the rules through a simple conversation, a warning or a ticket — exploded in the spring, especially in May.
CORE funding at risk; ‘transition year’ ahead
Fees from Pitkin County’s Renewable Energy Mitigation Program are likely to continue to decline because of recent changes to the building and energy codes.
Pitkin County targets building codes in effort to reduce emissions
Recent changes to Pitkin County’s land-use and energy codes hold new and renovated residential buildings to strict efficiency standards that officials say will significantly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
COVID-19 brings extra hazards to wildfire season
Wildland firefighters across the country are working together to share information and best practices, mostly through a website called Wildland Fire Lessons Learned.
Forest Service plans for fire season, tourist season amid COVID-19 concerns
Every summer, the White River National Forest brings on more than 100 seasonal employees. Many of them live in tight quarters and bunkhouses, but not this year.
Environmental nonprofits adjust to life in a pandemic
Amid the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, people continue to turn to nature for solace, and local environmental organizations are adjusting to the crisis and working to prepare for what comes next.
Airport recommendations depend on pollution mitigation, cooperation from airlines
The vision committee is clear that it wants a cleaner airport, but there are real challenges to making that happen.