© 2024 Aspen Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
The environment desk at Aspen Public Radio covers issues in the Roaring Fork Valley and throughout the state of Colorado including water use and quality, impact of recreation, population growth and oil and gas development. APR’s Environment Reporter is Elizabeth Stewart-Severy.

PitCo gets kickstart for Carbondale-Crested Butte Trail

Courtesy of Pitkin County Open Space and Trails

Pitkin County Open Space and Trails officials have received a big boost — to the tune of $100,000 — in building a trail between Carbondale and Crested Butte.

The contribution from Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) will be combined with $200,000 from the Pitkin County Open Space and Trails budget to kick off a year-long planning effort on the trail. 

 
The project gained momentum earlier this year when it was placed on Governor Hickenlooper’s list of 16 top-priority trails in the state. The complete connection between the two small towns will cross about 83 miles; Pitkin County’s portion runs from the south side of Carbondale to the top of McClure Pass. The route passes through federal lands as well, and the GOCO grant will help fund studies of possible environmental impacts.  

 
Open Space and Trails will host several planning meetings early in 2017 to gather public input. Construction is not expected to start until 2019.

 

Aspen native Elizabeth Stewart-Severy is excited to be making a return to both the Red Brick, where she attended kindergarten, and the field of journalism. She has spent her entire life playing in the mountains and rivers around Aspen, and is thrilled to be reporting about all things environmental in this special place. She attended the University of Colorado with a Boettcher Scholarship, and graduated as the top student from the School of Journalism in 2006. Her lifelong love of hockey lead to a stint working for the Colorado Avalanche, and she still plays in local leagues and coaches the Aspen Junior Hockey U-19 girls.