Noticias

• Representative Hurd Speaks to San Miguel County
• Planet Bluegrass Prevails
• Telluride Institute Envisions the Future

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San Miguel County Search and Rescue Responds to Avalanche Incident

San Miguel County Search and Rescue responded to a skier-triggered avalanche on Tuesday just outside of Ophir on a run locally known as the “Mine Dump.”
The skier, a 64-year-old man, was carried into trees and partially buried. He was rescued with the help of Search and Rescue, Sheriff Deputies, and his ski partner.
The skier was taken to a regional hospital by Careflight.

Search and Rescue and the Colorado Avalanche Information Center urge anyone recreating in the backcountry to check the avalanche forecast before heading out and pick terrain wisely.

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Representative Hurd Speaks to San Miguel County

Jeff Hurd says he’s not focused on making national headlines.

“I want to make local headlines about economic development, jobs, infrastructure, responsible public policy, particularly when it comes to federal lands and federal lands management,” Hurd said.

Hurd, the new representative for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, joined a special San Miguel County Commissioners meeting virtually on Wednesday, February 26th, to talk about economic development and federal lands management.

Last week, over 10% of U.S. Forest Service employees were laid off. While the layoffs include wildland firefighters, Hurd is concerned it could impact firefighting operations, including on the Western Slope.

“I will tell you that I am sympathetic to and understand the administration’s and President Trump’s desire to streamline and economize and make government more efficient. When we do that, though, we need to make sure the streamlining that’s taking place and the savings we’re looking at don’t come at the cost of delivering services to the people that rely on those services,” he said.

On the local level, Commissioner Galena Gleason emphasized the Town of Norwood’s federal needs, including a congressional spending request for $3.5 million in upgrades for water infrastructure.

“Our aging water infrastructure is kind of hinging on this potential funding, and we’re really looking to bolster our water delivery and storage, just for the well-being and viability of our community,” Gleason said.

Hurd, who serves on the House Committee for Natural Resources and its subcommittee for Water Infrastructure, encouraged Norwood to reach out.
“Water infrastructure is core to what government does, and it’s important to me that we get funding. On that project, absolutely, it’s important to me. Let me know,” Hurd said.

Looking to healthcare, Gleason highlighted the importance of rural healthcare.

“About 30% of constituents in Colorado’s District 3 are enrolled in Medicaid and very much relying on us as elected officials to protect their healthcare, and at our local clinic here, Medicaid makes up about 40% of funding sources. If Medicaid is cut, the clinic would very likely have to shut its doors, leaving our community in a very vulnerable position,” Gleason said.

Hurd said he takes rural healthcare seriously. At the same time, he joined his Republican colleagues to pass the House’s Congressional Budget resolution, which includes $2 trillion in federal spending cuts over the next decade, with deep cuts for Medicare and Medicaid programs.

Amidst the spending cuts, Hurd says he supports congressional spending requests and asks the district to share what needs to be done.

“I need your help in identifying projects that practically and politically show that we are using taxpayer dollars wisely,” Hurd said.

As for federal public lands, Hurd asked county commissioners for their support on a bill to bring back the Trump Administration’s decision to move the Bureau of Land Management headquarters to Western Colorado.

“Public lands management is one of the most important issues that we have here in the West, and having the decision-makers living here in the West where the land is located is good public policy,” Hurd said.

He also says he’s considering supporting previous legislation from Colorado Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennett to protect portions of the Dolores River through a National Conservation Area.

“That is definitely something that I’m looking at picking up with my colleagues in the Senate. As far as I know, all of the counties are in favor and the local governments have bought in,” Hurd said.

Commissioner Anne Brown noted the freeze of a $72 million government loan for the Delta Montrose Electric Association for renewable energy development. This funding, along with $9.8 million in solar infrastructure money for San Miguel Power Association, was put on hold by the Trump Administration in late January.

Hurd said, “I do recognize the importance of making sure that we have reliable, affordable, safe, and responsible energy, and that rural electric cooperatives have a core responsibility in that.”

At the end of the day, Hurd says he’s committed to representing the whole district.

“Know that I am here to make sure that the changes that we navigate them as thoughtfully and responsibly as we can,” he said.

Hurd recently introduced legislation to invigorate the timber and wildfire resilience industry on National Forests, and a compensation bill for affected parties of the 2015 Gold King Mine spill along the Animas River.

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Planet Bluegrass Prevails

In the battle for a weekend in August, Planet Bluegrass came out on top.

This week, the Telluride Town Council approved a proposal for a two-night concert on the Town Park Stage on August 22nd and 23rd, 2025.

“What sets Telluride apart is this musical history that it has. That’s why it’s not like any other mountain town in Colorado. It’s unlike any other mountain town I’ve ever been to. I think that comes from the beautiful location and the beautiful stage that we’ve built in Town Park,” said Zack Tucker with Planet Bluegrass, presenting at the Town Council meeting Tuesday.

“We think the best thing we can possibly do is put more music on that and share this beautiful space with more people,” Tucker said.

The proposal is for a two-night concert, with music scheduled to run from 5:30 to 11 p.m. (the musical act has not been confirmed). There will be a maximum capacity of 7,250 people per day—down from the original proposal of 9,000 people per day.

Tucker said the capacity reduction was in an effort to lessen the impact on the Telluride Mountain Run, which falls on the same weekend.

“We want to balance that with creating a successful event, something that feels good as a show. But then, of course, we want town to feel good, and very importantly, we want the Mountain Run to be successful as well,” Tucker said.

While Planet Bluegrass has worked on management plans for ingress and egress, parking, camping, trail etiquette, collaborating with the Mountain Run, and offering to compensate a percentage if the race sees lower turnout this year, Jared Vilhauer, one of the Mountain Run’s co-directors, still says a concert of this size will be detrimental to the race.

“Yes, we have the ability to create a coordination plan and to put this race on concurrently with a concert in the park. This will be proven this summer if this is approved. What we cannot do is continue to grow, and more importantly, we cannot produce the race, our product, that has made our event popular and successful with our participants and sponsors,” Vilhauer said.

Many in the community stand behind him. Town Council received dozens of written public comments in support of the Mountain Run, saying the event embraces the “spirit of Telluride,” highlights the deep connection Telluride has to the mountains, and allows the town to have a quieter weekend during the summer.
But at the meeting this week, the majority spoke in support of the concert, emphasizing the economic benefit that another major event would have for workers in the community.

That’s where Town Council stands as well.
“I’m always going to lean into the decision-making process that will support the greatest good. Right now, the greatest good is to ensure that the people living and working here are able to get one more week of predictable revenue to take them through the off-season,” Councilmember Meehan Fee said.

Councilmember Elena Levin added she hopes the two events can find a symbiotic relationship.

“I know that for some of the Mountain Run participants, this is something they’re not excited about. But I think there will also be some people that think this is a cool addition to the event. This could be a really cool coexistence in the park and collaboration,” Levin said.

Councilmember Dan Enright was the lone voice on Council siding with the Mountain Run.

“My mindset is continuing to put myself in the shoes of the little guy. The people who are trying to build something organic and do something grassroots in our community. It must be acknowledged and I want to take the time to acknowledge that Planet Bluegrass is negotiating in good faith and bending over backwards to try to accommodate the Mountain Run, and that is notable and so appreciated,” Enright said.

“I do not know that those accommodations can negate some of the impacts inherent in an event like this, no matter what,” he added.

In the end, after about 15 minutes of discussion, Town Council approved the concert 4-1. Enright voted against. Councilmember Ashley Von Spreecken recused herself from the conversation, and Councilmember Jessie Rae Arguelles was absent from the meeting.

Planet Bluegrass has committed to announcing an act for the concert by May 1st but plans to provide the artist before that date.

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Telluride Institute Envisions the Future

Pam and John Lifton Zoline are not ones to shy away from big ideas. First known for founding the original Telluride Ski Resort, the Lifton Zolines also founded the Telluride Institute, a nonprofit organization that serves as a catalyst for environmental, artistic, and educational community programs.

The Lifton Zolines joined the San Miguel County Commissioners at a special meeting on Wednesday, February 26th, to discuss another big idea—a sustainability campus and affordable housing project.

Pam Lifton Zoline says, “first to build a center for local science and research, created around an environmental science and educational field station, addressing many of the issues associated with climate resilience and, very importantly, aligned with the needs of the Forest Service, which is tasked to manage this unique and valuable GMUG.”

Lifton Zoline continues, “the second goal of the campus is to build a significant amount of neighborhood housing, which is another one of your main county goals.”

The Telluride Institute staff and board members also joined the meeting, sharing the presentation on an environmental hub that would have affordable housing, facilities for nonprofits and gatherings, and a science and research center to continue climate resilience projects.

The Telluride Institute says they’ve started conversations with the U.S. Forest Service about using their land for the project, hopefully somewhere near San Bernardo and Matterhorn Millsite. This project would complement the ongoing San Miguel County project at the Matterhorn Mill, the Institute says.

As for housing, Lifton Zoline says, “your most recent housing needs assessment has shown a clear need for more housing that will significantly help the local community, and I would suggest it shows the need for larger collections of housing rather than just a bit here, just a bit there, if we’re going to get to the goals.”

Telluride Institute board president Dan Collins says, “there’s a lot of things here, a lot of possibilities. We have wonderful potential, we have a lot of capacity, but it’s fragmented, so the idea of bringing all these players together in an interdisciplinary hub is very exciting, very timely, and very important.”

Commissioners expressed excitement about the idea. Anne Brown says, “the need to shift the vision and ethos of the West away from rugged individualism and constant expansion into a more moderated use of our resources, so anyways, that’s terrific.”

While there is no specific timeline, Lifton Zoline says this takes patience. “We have lots of work ahead, and those who dare to create towns must be bold as well as patient and practical, must be drinkers of wolf mama milk,” she said.

Commissioners agreed to continue to be part of the conversation. County Manager Mike Bordogna noted a similar project in Breckenridge, where local government officials negotiated with the U.S. Forest Service for eight years for a 40-acre parcel of land to develop for affordable housing.

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Bear Activity on the Rise in Colorado

The temperature outside has February feeling like April, and as the weather warms, our ursine neighbors begin to stir.

Colorado Parks and Wildlife estimates 17,000 to 20,000 bears live in Colorado, and every year those bears come into contact with humans. According to CPW, in 2024, there were over 5,000 sightings and conflicts with bears. That’s nearly a 15% increase over the past five years. Over 50% were linked to trash, and nearly 50% resulted in property damage to things like cars, garages, sheds, and fences.

As summer beckons, CPW urges the public to get back in the habit of making sure food and trash are locked up tight, and windows and doors are firmly shut.
In addition to the reported sightings and conflicts, in 2024, CPW had to relocate 68 bears and euthanize 98.

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Governor Polis Pushes Geothermal Energy

Colorado Governor Jared Polis is preaching the gospel of geothermal energy on the national stage.

During the National Governors Association winter meeting last week (2/20), the governor took some time to speak to the Atlantic Council, a think tank focused on international affairs. He says advancing technology allows states like Colorado to draw naturally occurring heat from even deeper underground than before.

Polis says Colorado has been working closely with Iceland on exploring geothermal energy opportunities. He says Iceland is unique because it’s a volcanic island and has different environmental factors that go into geothermal development, but it demonstrates how low-cost geothermal can be deployed widely.

“The amazing thing about geothermal is basically the costs are the capital costs upfront, extremely low operating costs over time, great durability. I mean, systems that have been put in place are in place for many decades,” Polis said.

Governor Polis says Icelandic geothermal companies have partnered on at least one utility-scale geothermal project in Colorado.

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Colorado Bill Proposes Free State Park Access for Federal Tribes, Sparking Lawmaker Debate

A measure moving through the Colorado statehouse would give the state’s two recognized federal tribes free access to Colorado state parks. For the Colorado Capitol News Alliance Bente Birkeland reports, several lawmakers are conflicted.

Story begins at 16:18.

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Trump-Era Freeze on Water Project Funding Causes Concern for Colorado River Stakeholders

In his early days in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that put a freeze on billions of dollars for water projects in the Western U.S. KUNC’s Alex Hager reports, the pause on money from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act has left environmentalists, city leaders, and farmers worried about the Colorado River. 

Story begins at 17:20.