Greater Roaring Fork fates intertwined
10-part “In search of community” series concludes, equating housing with social justice
Recently at Aspen Journalism, we concluded our 10-part “In search of community” series from Paul Andersen with a look at how a growing movement is treating the scarcity of affordable housing as a social justice issue and moral imperative to address.
The series has been a journey, which started last October when I joined Paul for a hike up to the base of one the Fryingpan Valley’s Seven Castles to chat about following up an event that Paul and Aspen Journalism presented in March of 2023 — a free screening of the phenomenal documentary “High Country,” about Crested Butte’s efforts to preserve the soul of its community. The event at Paepcke Auditorium included a symposium with local leaders talking about challenges facing this valley before the film, and a panel discussion with director Conor Hagen and others afterward.
As we gazed down the ‘Pan and toward the midvalley below, we talked about what a remarkable slice of earth we inhabit — what a beautiful, spirited, unusual, often troubled, always changing sort of place this is and how despite the many differences and conflicts that emerge, there is a cohesive and growing community traversing this urban-yet-rural corridor between Independence Pass and De Beque Canyon. Ultimately, for anyone with a stake in the “greater Roaring Fork region,” our fates are intertwined and we increasingly rely on each other for basic needs. We decided that the time was right to pursue in-depth reporting that would reexamine what community means in this regional context.
Paul, who has written 15 books about the region and has long been a contributor to local newspapers, including a nearly 40-year run at The Aspen Times, took to the project with gusto. We kicked off the series on Dec. 23, co-publishing as we did each article in Aspen Daily News, with a scene setter delving into the increasing trends toward regionalism from Aspen to Parachute. Later, the series included a four-part breakdown of the history of the sense of community in Aspen, from its place among the lands of the Ute nations; through the mining boom and bust; and exploring the “quiet years” and then the effort to cultivate the area as a humanist, yet exclusive, retreat beginning in the late 1940s. The lookback concluded with the Feb. 10 installment framing the battle for the Aspen idea as one of “community versus commodity” where that “generational question remains unresolved as roots of elitism, counter culture and capitalism usher Aspen into a new age of affluence.”
From there, Paul took us through growing communities along the Colorado River Valley, where a new generation of leaders are setting positive intentions for the future and the series concluded over these last two weeks with a two–part look at that mother of all regional challenges — affordable housing. As what was once Aspen’s problem becomes the pressing issue everywhere, Paul’s reporting took stock of both the bleak current picture and promising innovative approaches under development to stabilize a community that can feel like it is losing its footing.
The series represented more than six months of work on the part of Paul, as prolific a writer I have ever worked with, and who has devoted his life to finding his community in the Elk Mountains. It has been an honor and a privilege to publish this work, which we could not have done without a generous grant from the McBride family’s Aspen Business Center Foundation that funded the series. Our deepest thanks to them, to all the sources who contributed, and to our readers for going on this journey with us. We hope it inspires deeper contemplation of our connections to one another and a sense of purpose to meet the challenges ahead.
Also published in the last week, be sure to read Water Desk Editor Heather Sackett’s latest reporting on how water managers across the Western Slope are releasing a little extra of the wet stuff from reservoirs to help give endangered fish a boost. And in case you missed the story or Sackett’s May 30 update in The Runoff, check out the piece she co-produced with KUNC’s Alex Hager — for print and broadcast — with our most in-depth look to date at the re-booted System Conservation Pilot Program, which we’ve been covering for two years and funnels millions to farmers that agree to cut their water use.
Thank you for reading, and supporting, Aspen Journalism’s nonprofit newsroom.
– Curtis Wackerle
Editor and Executive Director
Aspen Journalism
Housing solutions are many and challenging
3-Mile Park ownership, buy downs and a modular housing factory highlight new efforts to address housing instability
By Paul Andersen | June 8, 2024
The housing issue has become a pressing concern throughout the region, where necessity becomes the mother of invention as seen in varied approaches striving to address a growing community crisis.
Housing: Where social justice confronts economics
Widening affordability gap creates painful choices, strains community; nonprofit organizations present housing as community’s foremost moral challenge
By Paul Andersen | June 2, 2024
“This is a social justice issue when you have people traveling long distances and leaving children to fend for themselves. It is wrong for our region. Affordable housing is the underpinning of our success as a community, long term.”
Reservoir releases will boost peak Colorado River flows this weekend
Coordinated Reservoir Operations benefits endangered fish in 15-mile reach
By Heather Sackett | June 4, 2024
Releasing the water out of reservoirs this week adds to this natural snowmelt peak and creates a cold flushing flow that clears out excess sediment built up on the cobbles favored by spawning fish.
Using less of the Colorado River takes a willing farmer and $45 million in federal funds
Upper Basin conservation program dogged with concerns over cost and efficacy
By Heather Sackett and Alex Hager/KUNC | May 30, 2024
Of all the challenges in setting up a program such as this — funding, pricing, calculating water saved, getting the word out — the biggest may be the attitudes of water users themselves, some of whom have a deep-seated mistrust of the federal government.
Data dashboard: Winter occupancy reaches 59% in Aspen and Snowmass
Lake Powell’s elevation has gained four feet of water since last week.
By Laurine Lassalle | May 29, 2024
• Winter occupancy in Aspen and Snowmass reached 59%, down from 61.6% last year but the number of room nights sold went up by 3.3%.
• The Fork ran at 49% of average at Stillwater and at 65% of average at Emma, on May 27.
• Snowpack at McClure Pass and North Lost Trail is gone.
By Heather Sackett
May 30, 2024
There are always stories that need a journalist to pursue them. These Aspen Journalism investigative stories are published for you, the community, and our collaborators as a public service, thanks to the generosity of our readers and funders. Will you join them?
