One Small Flower, One Big Issue

This month I reported a series of stories on new protections for a rare flower that only grows on the Roan Plateau in Northwestern Colorado. The US Fish and Wildlife Service designated the Parachute Penstemon as "threatened" on its Endangered Species List. The flower blooms in areas where oil and gas companies own leases, but so far, no development is happening. The Fish and Wildlife Service says the flower's greatest threat is from potential natural gas drilling. If a company wants to develop there, it may have to re-route pipelines, or move roads.



Well pads where drilling is taking place can be seen from a steep slope where the plant grows. The energy industry fears additional environmental regulations, like those that come with the Fish and Wildlife's designation, could slow job growth. But environmental groups say the flower is important to maintain a healthy natural ecosystem. The flower may be small, but it represents a big age-old debate about how to balance energy development with a healthy environment. (photos courtesy of Rocky Mountain Wild)

Recognizing 9/11 in Aspen

This morning's 9/11 ceremony in downtown Aspen included words from people who were in New York City at the time of the attacks. Aspen resident Dick Butera described a massive cloud of debris heading toward his hotel near the Twin Towers. He became emotional yesterday when he described calling his children from the hotel to say goodbye. Butera survived and his hotel became the feeding center for thousands of first-responders and others at the site. Another Aspen resident, Andrea Booher, took photos at Ground Zero for FEMA. She thanked first-responders yesterday, for their hard work in NYC and everywhere else. The ceremony focused on work done by police, firefighters and others who were on the scene to help. Audience members were asked to place roses in empty firefighters' boots. The boots signified those lost in the 9/11 attacks. For the full story, log onto www.aspenpublicradio.org.

Cycling culture invades Aspen with delicious meals and unique lingo

Cycling chef serves up good eats

The winner of the queen stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge from Gunnison to Aspen says food played a role in his victory. During a post-win press conference in Aspen Wednesday, George Hincapie of the BMC racing team credited good eating:

“I thought I was in pretty good shape coming into this race and yesterday I pretty much fully bonked coming into the finish and didn’t eat enough and so, today, I ate as much as I would do for a world cup and it ended up helping out because I felt a lot better today,” Hincapie said.

Indeed, food does play and integral part of an athlete’s performance. Aspen Public Radio’s Marci Krivonen visited with the chef for Team Radio Shack as he cooked for the team’s cyclists following yesterday’s stage of the race.




Who or what is a peloton?

A large scale bike race barreling through a town’s main street, like Colorado’s ProCycling Challenge, can be a headache for people who couldn’t care less about cycling. But for diehard bike fans this race is what the Super Bowl is for football fans or the World Series to baseball fans. As with any sport with a large enough following a certain culture forms around it complete with its own clothing, tools and lingo. Aspen Public Radio’s Luke Runyon met up with some of those fans and gives us a peek into the world of pro cycling.

Natural gas drilling expansion sparks debate in Garfield County

Part One

Drive west on Interstate 70 and a change in the landscape is evident almost as soon as you pull out of Glenwood Springs. Natural gas wells dot the highway. Their prevalence is not new, but the industry is growing and with that growth comes serious public policy debates. Aspen Public Radio's Luke Runyon looked into what’s at stake for the industry and for residents who fear for their health. In part one of his report he has one example of what happens when oil and gas operations attempt to coexist in a densely populated neighborhood.

Part Two

Fracking. The word is powerful enough in Western Colorado to elicit gut reactions. The spreading use of the drilling practice is touted as a way to wean the United States off foreign oil. Critics, who say their air is being polluted with noxious fumes, believe fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is a health hazard. There still is no definitive science to back up the claim. One of the only studies to consider the issue was recently halted before completion. Now, residents of the small retirement community of Battlement Mesa in Garfield County have taken matters into their own hands; they are doing their own testing. In the second of our reports on the debate over natural gas drilling in Garfield County, Aspen Public Radio’s Luke Runyon explores whether this citizen sampling is political action or sound science.

Part Three

Colorado’s natural gas industry is growing...fast. Drilling companies are seeking permits to open more wells at a furious pace. And the requests are no longer limited to just the western part of the state, the region generally thought of as Colorado’s natural gas mecca. Now parts of northern and eastern Colorado could be on the brink of a drilling boom as companies are scooping up mineral rights to a massive shale formation. Nationally, demand for gas is growing and that has companies aggressively exploring in the state. In the final part of our report on natural gas drilling in Colorado, Aspen Public Radio’s Luke Runyon explains that changes in drilling technology will likely have the biggest impact on the future of energy development here.

Grilled Cheese, Street Food and Celebrity Chefs: Food and Wine Classic in Aspen 2011

This year I spent an entire day, from 10am to 10pm, indulging in the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. This is the third year I've covered the event, but I've never participated in an entire day of sessions and tastings.

The day began with Laura Werlin's workshop on pairing grilled cheese sandwiches with wine. According to the official Classic handbook, Werlin is one of the country's foremost authorities on cheese. Her latest book is called, "Grilled Cheese, Please." And, by the way, it's her second book on the subject. I don't claim or aim to be a food critic, but Werlin's grilled cheese sandwiches made me salivate. They were absolutely the most delicious grilled cheese sandwiches I've ever tasted. The first sandwich (there were four) was my favorite. The melted cheese oozed out between two slices of cinnamon raisin bread and a sort of chili chutney was spread on top of the cheese. Delicious!

After the cheese/wine session, I attended a Street Food from Singapore luncheon. A few of the food selections were Singapore curry, fried rice and an edible cup filled with noodles and topped with shrimp. Celebrity chef Susan Feniger even cut in front of me (after nicely asking) to get to the food first!

Next came a Borolo wine tasting with David Lynch. Some history on Lynch from the ultimate Classic handbook: "David Lynch served as the senior editor at Wine & Spirits. He was also the sommelier at New York's famed Babbo Ristorante." At this tasting, the looseness that develops after several glasses of wine was apparent in many of the participants. At least three times, those sitting in the tent yelled and howled at a nearby tent, where another wine tasting was happening. Those in the other tent proudly howled back.

All in all, my experience at this year's Classic was one to remember and my pallet is now a bit more educated. My Sunday night meal of macaroni and cheese may need to be spiced up a bit...Now, over to the kitchen!

Statements from NPR and Ron Schiller about Project Veritas' Video

March 8, 2011 Statements from Ron Schiller & Vivian Schiller

"While the meeting I participated in turned out to be a ruse, I made statements during the course of the meeting that are counter to NPR’s values and also not reflective of my own beliefs. I offer my sincere apology to those I offended. I resigned from NPR, previously effective May 6th, to accept another job. In an effort to put this unfortunate matter behind us, NPR and I have agreed that my resignation is effective today." Ron Schiller, Former SVP of Development and Former President of the NPR Foundation – March 8, 2011

“Ron Schiller’s remarks are contrary to what NPR stands for and deeply distressing to reporters, editors and others who bring fairness, civility and respect for a wide variety of viewpoints to their work every day.” Vivian Schiller, President & CEO, NPR – March 8, 2011


NPR Corporate Statement – provided to media March 8th

The comments contained in the video released today are contrary to everything we stand for and we completely disavow the views expressed. NPR is fair and open minded about the people we cover. Our reporting reflects those values every single day -- in the civility of our programming, the range of opinions we reflect and the diversity of stories we tell.

The assertion that NPR and public radio stations would be better off without federal funding does not reflect reality. The elimination of federal funding would significantly damage public broadcasting as a whole.

Ron Schiller tendered his resignation on January 24, well before the lunch meeting occurred. His resignation was announced last week. He was intending to stay with NPR through May 5. We have mutually agreed that Ron is leaving NPR effective today.

Colorado's resort region continues to get hit hard by foreclosure

This morning listen for a story on the latest foreclosure numbers in Colorado. The state's foreclosure rate is flattening out. But the numbers are not a pretty picture for the rural resort region. Tune in -- an economist and spokesperson for the Colorado Division of Housing will explain why.

In the meantime, if you want to read the report for yourself, head here.

It's a Bear's Life

I went on a memorable reporting trip recently to a black bear's den, on the East side of Aspen Mountain. A group of Colorado State University Students, Division of Wildlife officials and a few others used snowshoes and skies to get to the den, 1200 vertical feet up a snowy, steep mountainside.

The students were wrapping up a multi-year study on the movement of black bears, particularly in urban areas. About 50 bears were outfitted with GPS collars and their feeding habits were tracked. The scientists discovered the bears prefer natural foods like service berries and acorns, over peoples' trash. But, the bears did resort to feasting on trash during bad food years. The study was meant to help City of Aspen officials and others make moves to prevent bears from getting into trash and potentially having dangerous run-in's with humans.

The students had been to this bear's den before, but this time they were removing the GPS collar that had been on the female bear for about one year. Once at the den, the group quietly loaded dart guns with tranquilizers. They squeezed into the small den to pull out the momma bear so they could check her health by taking her temperature and blood. A cub was curled up in the den too, and its health was checked.

The report by the CSU students will likely be released in one year. Then local officials can choose whether to use the information in dealing with bears in urban areas.

How Much Water Will Colorado Need?

This morning, I reported on the Statewide Water Supply Initiative, the latest in a decade-long effort to figure out how much water Colorado will need over the next several decades -- and whether the state's on the right path to supply users with all that water.

Check out the Executive Summary for yourself here.

Here's a shorter summary of the findings for municipal and industrial use -- basically the water we use everyday at home. The need is expected to skyrocket. I bolded a few facts of particular interest to the West Slope.

The following are the major conclusions from
Colorado's 2050 M&I water use projections:

-Colorado's population is expected to nearly
double to between 8.6 and 10 million people
by 2050.

-The Front Range will continue to be the most
populous place in Colorado with over
80 percent of the state's population residing
in the Arkansas, Metro, and South Platte
Basins. The Front Range is expected to grow
by approximately 70 percent.

-The West Slope will grow at the fastest rate
of any area in Colorado between now and
2050. Population on the West Slope is
expected to more than double in the next
40 years with some growth rates as high as
240 percent.

-Statewide M&I water usage rates have
decreased by 18 percent. This decrease is due
to a combination of drought response,
conservation savings, and additional data
collection efforts. Additional data collected
during this effort has improved the original
SWSI water usage information.

-Because population growth is the driving
factor in water use across the state, water use
is also expected to nearly double by 2050.

-Passive conservation will save approximately
150,000 AFY by 2050 or an 8 percent savings
relative to baseline 2050 M&I water demands.

-The basins with the largest SSI water usage in
2050 are projected to be the Yampa‐White,
Arkansas, Metro, and South Platte Basins.

-Colorado will need approximately
600,000 AFY to 1 million AFY of additional
M&I and SSI water by 2050. These estimates
incorporate new water demands from
population growth, energy, and other SSI
needs (including oil shale), and replacement
of nontributary groundwater.

-An oil shale industry producing
1,550,000 barrels of oil/day could use between
0 to 120,000 AFY depending upon what
technologies and other factors are
implemented. Due to ramp up rates, by 2050
projected water use ranges from 0 to
44,000 AFY for an industry providing
550,000 barrels of oil/day p16

Bente Birkeland Interviews Statehouse Leaders

The new legislative session begins next week.





In anticipation of the new session, Rocky Mountain Community Radio's Bente Birkeland interviewed the House and Senate Minority and Majority Leaders.



You can listen to her interviews here:


Republicans hold the minority in the state senate, but say they’re looking forward to having more leverage now that Republicans control the other chamber. Mike Kopp from Littleton is the Senate Minority Leader.




The state senate remains firmly in Democratic hands. Senate President Brandon Schaefer of Longmont is the only legislative leader who is not new to the position this session. And he has a specific vision for the months ahead.


Control of Colorado’s State House of Representatives, has changed this year, with Republicans now in control. New House minority leader Democratic representative Sal Pace talked about what it means and the role of his caucus.


Colorado has a new Republican Speaker of the State House, Frank McNulty. He talked about his plans for leadership and how he intends to work with the Democratic controlled senate and the Democratic Governor.

More on Secure Communities

Today I reported on Governor Ritter signing onto Secure Communities, a fingerprint check program with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Now, anyone booked at their local law enforcement will have their prints and other identification scanned through the immigration database with ICE.

Click here for more details on Secure Communities, from ICE.

Take a look at the state's agreement with the feds:

Secure Communities MOA - Colorado Final-1

Here are some thoughts from immigration rights' activists who oppose Secure Communities, from the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition in a press release yesterday:

ColoradoImmigrantRightsCoalition-SecureCommunities

Citizens and members of the city of Aspen Historic Preservation and Planning and Zoning Commissions were generally appalled at an anonymous developer's application to redevelop the Given Institute property.



I reported on it on our local news, but there is never enough time to include everything, or even part of everything.



At last night's meeting the general comments were that the proposed development lacked sensitivity because it asked for nearly $2 million in exemptions from the city as well as height, setback and size limit exemptions and would require cutting down many of Aspen's oldest and tallest trees.



Citizens were irked that there was a development being proposed at all and some mentioned trying to create a consortium of people to buy the property. The anonymous buyer (he's buying the 2.25 acre property and buildings from the University of Colorado for $15 million) is proposing to save the Given Institute building on one lot and subdivide the property into three more for private residential development. Representatives of the buyer said this application was rushed and they wanted to get feedback from the commissions, staff and citizens and go back to the drawing board.



Here's what some various members said during the meeting:



Neighbor Jonathan Lewis

Former neighbor Al Dietsch

Aspen Deputy Parks Director Stephen Ellsperman

Aspen Community Development Director Chris Bendon

Attorney for the buyer Bart Johnson

Planner for the buyer Mitch Haas

Aspen citizen and ACES board member Michael Fox