In Brief: Holiday lights removal; wildfire mitigation; hunting lottery
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Seasonal lighting
Aspen’s land use code requires seasonal lighting to be removed by March 1.
Under city regulations, such lighting is permitted only temporarily from Nov. 15 through March 1. According to city officials, leaving seasonal lights up beyond this period can lead to increased light pollution, unnecessary energy consumption, and wildlife disturbances.
Additionally, lights wrapped around trees can restrict their growth. Residents and businesses that keep seasonal lighting on after March 1 risk fines for violating city code. For more details, visit the city’s planning and zoning webpage at http://www.aspen.gov.
Wildfire mitigation meeting set for March 4
Organizations involved in the Roaring Fork Wildfire Collaborative invite residents and stakeholders to a community meeting on March 4 to discuss the Sunnyside prescribed fire and wildfire mitigation efforts in the Aspen area.
The meeting will run from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Aspen Fire’s downtown station, 420 E. Hopkins Ave., third floor, offering an overview of the 900-acre controlled burn planned for the south face of Red Mountain this spring. Experts from the White River National Forest, Aspen Fire, city of Aspen, Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, and Pitkin County will explain the benefits of the burn, including reducing wildfire risk, enhancing wildlife habitats, and restoring the natural fire cycle.
Aspen Fire Chief Rick Balentine emphasizes the necessity of proactive fire management, urging residents to participate.
“We have two choices: sit back and wait for a disaster or take decisive action to manage risk,” he said.
Residents can find updates at http://www.RFVwildfire.org, sign up for alerts at http://www.PitkinAlert.org, or follow the White River National Forest on Facebook.
Sky Mountain Park hunting lottery
Pitkin County Open Space and Trails has opened registration for its annual lottery, selecting five hunters for a limited cow elk hunt at Sky Mountain Park this fall.
Interested hunters must enter by March 9, with the drawing set for March 10. The hunt, restricted to the fourth rifle season (Nov. 19-23), requires participants to hold a valid Colorado hunting license and a cow elk tag for Colorado Game Management Unit 431.
In a continued effort to encourage youth and first-time hunters, the lottery provides weighted entries, giving these groups multiple chances to be selected.
“The limited hunt at Sky Mountain Park helps us achieve the dual goals of managing our lands for ecological resilience and providing diverse recreational opportunities,” Liza Mitchell of Pitkin County Open Space and Trails said in a news release.
Registration details and rules are available at pitkincounty.com.
ICE raid rumors on social media stir fear in Colorado mountain towns. Here’s how advocacy groups are fighting back.
For the past few weeks, immigration advocacy organizations in Colorado have taken to social media to warn users about rapidly circulating misinformation about immigration enforcement encounters.
