The Roundup | Confronting our urgent climate and environmental challenges

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, wildfires and environmental risk

Coverage of drought and wildfire risk in northwest Colorado revealed the dangerous convergence of record heat, parched landscapes, and extreme fire behavior. Kari Dequine, in her debut story for the Connie Harvey Environment Desk, covers the trinity that led to the “ring of fire” for northwest Colorado: near-record temperatures, 2% humidity, and bone-dry vegetation fueled ferocious fires, including the state’s fourth-largest in history. This same climate stress is visible in our rivers, where Heather Sackett explains how historically low flows, visible with a near-empty Crystal River along certain stretches below large agricultural diversions, have triggered fishing closures and raised alarms for aquatic ecosystems and recreation. Without emergency water releases, the “15-mile reach” on the Colorado could have plunged to as low as 30 to 50 cfs when 810 cfs is the flow needed to meet the needs of endangered fish. And in Sackett’s latest piece, differing perspectives on the implications of formalizing a process for agricultural water users to send their water downstream as a hedge against water scarcity are highlighted during a tour of a Delta County ranch and at a meeting of state legislators. There is a shared understanding that adaptations are coming, but what shape those take remains an open and intensely debated question. Together, these stories illustrate how deeply water and weather now influence our daily lives, and how the systems we rely on are under unprecedented pressure.

Stewardship, volunteers and sustainable innovation

Alongside these challenges, our reporting also uncovered examples of resilience. Elizabeth Stewart-Severy covered the gap being filled by Forest Conservancy volunteers who are contributing the hours of 10 to 12 seasonal employees to help manage the White River National Forest. When volunteers carried out hundreds of pounds of trash and human waste and dismantled triple the seasonal average of illegal campfire rings, they stepped up in response to unprecedented staff and budget cuts handed down from Washington, D.C. Their efforts are a testament to civic responsibility and the role of grassroots stewardship in protecting public lands. “It’s up to all of us,” as noted by the head of Aspen Historical Society, which plays its part through its management of two historical sites on the forest. Similarly, the Aspen School District’s exploration of geothermal energy demonstrates how institutions can invest boldly in sustainable infrastructure, reducing emissions while improving comfort for students and staff.

Ideas, infrastructure and civic vision

Tim Cooney’s coverage of Aspen Ideas: Health showed that conversations about science, resilience, and unlikely partnerships do not stay confined to the stage. They reverberate in local decision-making, influencing how communities like ours think about preparedness and innovation. And Laurine Lassalle’s reporting on traffic congestion underscores the need for policies that balance incentives with disincentives. Carpooling apps and expanded bus service may help, but without tools like congestion pricing or parking reform, induced demand will continue to overwhelm the system. Add to the mix the growth of the large-residential-home-management sector driving much of our traffic congestion and you get a complex picture without easy solutions. Yet valley leaders are working on an in-depth analysis that will lead to a series of recommendations later this year.

What emerges from these stories is a picture of a valley at a crossroads. Climate change and growth are no longer a distant concept — they are reshaping our forests, rivers, schools, farms, and roads today. Institutions alone cannot meet these challenges, but neither can individuals acting in isolation. Solutions must be forward-looking, grounded in science and equity, and built through collaboration across neighborhoods, towns and counties.

It is in this spirit that we take pride in noting that Aspen Journalism was honored with six awards in the 2024 Better News Media Contest from the Colorado Press Association, including first-place recognition for best news story and best public service project. These awards are an affirmation that rigorous, independent reporting makes a difference, and that our community benefits when problems and solutions are placed in clear view.

Thank you for supporting Aspen Journalism. By reading, sharing, and engaging with our work, you help ensure that essential stories of this valley are told with depth, care and accountability.

– Curtis Wackerle
Editor and Executive Director
Aspen Journalism

Ranchers ask: Why not pay to conserve water?

Delta County ranchers are urging Colorado lawmakers to enable voluntary, paid water conservation programs that credit participants and allow conserved water to be shepherded into Lake Powell. Unlike the federal System Conservation Program, which pays for temporary reductions, the proposed bill would ensure conserved water is legally protected and recognized. Advocates argue such reforms are essential to bolster agricultural resilience and protect supplies, while critics worry it could encourage sales to downriver users instead of true conservation.

Enough carrots, try the stick

Traffic experts warn that incentives alone, like carpooling apps, buses or even a gondola, won’t solve Aspen’s congestion. A 2024 traffic-analysis memorandum by Jacobs Engineering estimates that by 2050 it will take nearly 67 minutes to drive the 5.5-mile corridor entering Aspen during rush hours – up from the existing 32 minutes of travel time. Real relief requires pairing these “carrots” with “sticks,” such as parking limits or congestion pricing. Otherwise, induced demand will keep traffic and emissions rising, despite alternative transportation efforts. 

Once ‘unimaginable’, megafires are here

A D4 “exceptional drought” is expected about once in 50 years, reserved for the most extreme drought conditions. But parts of Colorado have entered into exceptional drought at least five times since 2000. Colorado’s recent D4 drought conditions covered the footprints of four fires that burned in August through northwest Colorado. Firefighters described some of the fire behavior witnessed as unprecedented, with one veteran noting that 100,000-acre fires were once unimaginable. Analysts warned that such extreme conditions could become more common, and while fire has always been a part of the western U.S. landscape, this size and intensity poses significant challenges for future wildfire management.

Vaccines, AI and healthcare

At Aspen Ideas: Health 2025, experts explored the promise and perils of artificial intelligence in medicine, highlighting its potential to transform diagnosis and treatment alongside its heavy electricity and water demands paired with minimal regulation. Discussions also celebrated breakthroughs in vaccine development, including rapid mRNA innovation during COVID-19, while acknowledging the fragile ecosystem of scientific research. The sessions underscored the tension between technological advancement, sustainability, and the need for robust oversight to guide future health innovations.

Rather than bury its head in the sand, Aspen schools looking to harness geothermal energy

Aspen School District is exploring geothermal energy to cut emissions and lower costs, with students at the center of the initiative. Backed by state and local grants, the project could provide cleaner heating and cooling for classrooms. A test bore this fall may give students firsthand experience with sustainable technology.

Emergency measures to protect endangered fish

Streamflows across Colorado’s Western Slope have plunged to well below average, triggering emergency measures to protect endangered fish. A stretch known as the 15-mile reach along the Colorado and west of the Roaring Fork Valley, should have at least 810 cfs to meet the needs of endangered fish, it hasn’t been at that level since July 9. Reservoir releases continue to prop up the critically dry 15-mile reach, though supply is rapidly dwindling. Without releases, flows in the 15-mile reach could have dipped as low as 30 to 50 cfs. Voluntary fishing closures and minimum-flow calls were enacted on the Crystal and Roaring Fork rivers. 

Forest Conservancy volunteers step in for the White River National Forest

Tasked with assisting the White River National Forest amid staffing cuts — Forest Conservancy volunteers have removed 35 illegal campfire rings by mid-August, nine of which had active embers when found. Through Aug. 17, volunteers with Forest Conservancy have worked more than 8,800 service hours, which Johnson said represents an in-kind contribution value of more than $340,000, or the equivalent of 10 to 12 seasonal employees.

Aspen Journalism recognized with six awards

The awards, announced on Aug. 24 at the Local News Solutions 2025 conference, honored three stories by Heather Sackett, the 10-part “In Search of Community” series by Paul Andersen, and Kaya Williams and Laurine Lassalle were twice awarded for their collaborative coverage of the St. Benedict’s Monastery potential land sale, including the A-Mark Prize for Responsive Journalism, which recognizes deep reporting that responds to a community’s needs.

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