By Jason Auslander, The Aspen Times While the number of bears in Aspen has been manageable so far this summer, a lack of natural food sources could change that as fall approaches, an area wildlife official said. The below average snowpack and runoff in the spring and little rain in the early summer meant berries […]

Jason Auslander
The Aspen Times
Email: JAuslander@aspentimes.com Twitter: @JasonAuslander
Bear and wildlife conflicts are increasing around Aspen as the weather warms
As the snow melts and spring comes out of its shell in the upper Roaring Fork Valley, human conflicts with bears, moose and mountain lions are increasing. Local wildlife officials have been fielding calls about bears — they’ve gotten into cars so far though no home break-ins have yet been reported — while moose have […]
Pitkin County, with Colorado’s highest coronavirus incidence rate, is moving to red-level restrictions
With the highest incidence rate of COVID-19 in Colorado, Pitkin County will close indoor dining at restaurants Sunday and move fully into red-level restrictions. Monday’s unanimous decision by the seven members of the Pitkin County Board of Health also includes a 50% capacity limit on lodging in Aspen and Snowmass Village and assurances by Aspen […]
FBI aids in investigation of gas pipeline sabotage that turned heat off in Aspen
ASPEN — The name of a radical environmental advocacy organization was scrawled Saturday on a pipe at a natural gas pumping station near Aspen that was vandalized, Aspen police said Monday. It was not clear whether members of the “Earth First!” group were involved in the intentional disruption of gas service to the Aspen area […]
Judge bans David Lesh from millions of acres of public land after photo shows him pooping in Maroon Lake
A part-time Colorado resident who documents his disrespect for public lands on social media learned Friday what happens when defendants try to go toe-to-toe with a federal judge. David Lesh agreed to a compromise on Oct. 2 that allowed him to enter U.S. Forest Service lands if he followed the same rules as everyone else. […]
Aspen officials waiting for 13 Australians’ test results after woman tests positive for coronavirus
Thirteen people traveling with a 21-year-old Australian woman who tested positive for the coronavirus after visiting Aspen are in isolation in the ski town after exhibiting symptoms. Their test results won’t be available for 24 hours, officials said Monday. An investigation by the Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment revealed the woman came […]
Parked: One of the wealthiest counties in Colorado owns four mobile-home parks, an effort to hold on to affordable housing
While the existence of five mobile-home parks in Colorado’s wealthiest county might come as a surprise to some, they are actually an integral part of Pitkin County’s affordable housing system. In fact, the city of Aspen first took steps in the early 1980s to preserve a mobile-home park in the middle of town that still […]