Hunting advocates are asking the Colorado Supreme Court to reject a 2024 ballot initiative that would ban hunting mountain lions, bobcats and lynx as animal conservation groups file a new initiative

Jason Blevins
Jason Blevins lives in Eagle with his wife, daughters and a dog named Gravy.
Topic expertise: Western Slope, public lands, outdoors, ski industry, mountain business, housing, interesting things
Location: Eagle, CO
Newsletter: The Outsider, a look at the outdoors industry from the inside out
Education: Southwestern University
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X (Formerly Twitter): @jasonblevins
Women accused of stealing $4.5 million from investors in Idaho Springs resort project indicted on federal charges
Money siphoned from an escrow account in the Argo Mill project led federal investigators to nine other victims who allegedly lost $10 million to a Virginia title company scheme
Wolves at the gate while mountain lion hunting prepares for 2024 vote
Plus: Indictments for women accused of stealing Argo Mill escrow, fur flying over Mad Rabbit plan, CO opposition to Uinta Basin Railway remains robust
Colorado land trusts want increased support for easement tax credits to help “double down on conservation”
Keep It Colorado coalition hopes to conserve 3.3 million acres by 2033, but it needs lawmakers to renew and increase the state tax incentive program
Park City court decision could open ski resorts’ secret formula for accommodating crowds
A Utah court’s decision rejecting an appeal by Vail Resorts could finally expose the complicated calculus behind “comfortable carrying capacity,” the secret metric used by all resorts for managing crowds
A proposed auction of state trust land sale in Wyoming could start a national trend
The Colorado State Land Board does sell trust land, but recent disposals have focused on housing and conservation over maximum revenue. Could a $75 million sale in Wyoming change that?
Outdoor recreation economy tops $1.1 trillion, fueling efforts for legislative support of industry
Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy topped $13.9 billion in 2022 and employed 130,000 workers
Forest Service, Park Service rock climbing proposals worry both climbers and wilderness advocates
New guidance from federal land managers seems to require an inventory and review of all existing bolts and fixed anchors in wilderness areas
Aspen Mountain stays analog with new hand-drawn trail map showcasing expanded terrain
Building on the hand-drawn trail map tradition plotted by Bill Brown and Jim Niehues, artist Rad Smith’s version adds 153-acre Hero’s zone on the mountain where he finds “endless inspiration”
Dam on the Arkansas River near Salida finally removed after years of rescues, drownings and environmental impacts
Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Chaffee County commissioners help fund removal of the dam that has threatened river runners, fish habitat for nearly 60 years.