This week at Aspen Journalism, we published a story, produced in collaboration with Aspen Public Radio, that we believe stands as one of the more remarkable reporting efforts conducted on behalf of this community in quite some time.
In a region with no shortage of land use issues and controversies, the fate of a 3,700-acre property high in the Capitol Creek Valley home for almost 70 years to St. Benedict’s Monastery is a special case. The parcel made headlines when the Trappist order of monks that oversees it put it on the market this spring for $150 million, about 18 months after the order voted to wind down its presence in Snowmass due to the declining and aging population of monks living a life of work and prayer there.
APR reporter Kaya Williams approached AJ back in May, asking for support for an ambitious reporting project that would seek to better understand the significance of the property, its history and what the future might hold. We were happy to help and AJ data editor Laurine Lassalle got to work combing through decades-old property records to assemble a timeline showing how the monastery land was acquired. I provided editing support through the process that resulted in the publication on Sunday of Williams’ investigation, which was featured also in Aspen Daily News and was made into a three-part broadcast feature that ran on APR Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (which you can also listen to on our story post).
The story is a long read that gets into why people care so deeply about the monastery, highlighting its legacy and place in our community. There are also some significant revelations. Williams discovered that a few months prior to the order’s decision to close the monastery, and following years of discussions with Pitkin County Open Space and Trails, the county proposed a conservation easement that would have netted the monks $27 million. That offer never received a formal response, which left county staff puzzled, since they believed that the monks — at least those based locally — were on board with the concept. Williams also spent time digging through the laws and policies governing the higher religious authorities within the Catholic Church that hold sway over any decision to sell. She learned that the Vatican must approve any sale; that authorities will take into consideration factors such as the “reputation” of a potential buyer; and that any transaction “that would put in jeopardy the common good of the church” should be avoided. There is also a provision that directs a portion of the proceeds of a significant sale be used to “respond to the needs of the locality where the monastery is located.”
Williams also reported on a grassroots effort led by influential local leaders with a connection to the monastery who have formed a nonprofit that aims to preserve to the greatest extent possible the land’s existing character and uses. While members of the group downplayed the prospects of coming up with a nine-figure offer to buy the parcel outright, they see a path forward where multiple parties collaborate on an outcome that benefits the community and preserves the essence of what many recognize as a sacred valley.
Many thanks to Williams for her diligent work to understand the forces in play at this community turning point. Thanks to all our colleagues at Aspen Public Radio for holding up the spirit of collaboration. And thanks to you, Aspen Journalism’s readers and donors, for extending us the space and support to invest into a project like this.
– Curtis Wackerle
Editor and Executive Director
Aspen Journalism
P.S…. It’s that time of year. We are into week three of our end-of-year NewsMatch campaign, our most significant fundraiser of the year critical to our ongoing success, where all donations of up to $1,000 through Dec. 31 are matched by the Fund for Nonprofit News at the Miami Foundation. Larger donations are also matched by a philanthropic giving pool. If you support this work, if you see the difference it makes in our community, please give today!
In a ‘sacred valley,’ community partners seek to preserve the legacy of St. Benedict’s
Future of Old Snowmass monastery and surrounding lands — on the market for $150 million — is subject to land-use policies and approval from church authorities
By Kaya Williams
November 10, 2024
A 3,700-acre property owned by St. Benedict’s Monastery is now on the market for $150 million as the religious institution faces a dwindling population of monks. Past efforts to preserve the land never came to fruition — but some local groups hope a collaboration might help.
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