Noticias

• The Bears Are Back in Town
• Federal Firefighting in the Region Sees Shift
• The Wonder, Intimacy, and Hope of “Appalachia”

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The Bears Are Back in Town

Bears are back in town.

“Bears are up. They’re active. They’re hungry,” said John Livingston with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

“Coming off a historically low snowpack, the bears were poking their heads out the den, and seeing grass available,” Livingston said. “We saw a little earlier activity of bears coming out of the dens and staying out of their dens this spring, and have already been made aware of some levels of conflict with bears getting in trash across southwest Colorado, including San Miguel County.”

Livingston said a warm winter followed by colder snaps in the spring could impact natural food sources for bears this summer, potentially pushing them to search for easy food sources.

“Easy food sources that humans leave out could certainly be a good target for bears right now,” Livingston said. “We want to make sure we avoid that early in the season because we don’t want things to get off to a bad start in what could be a tough summer for our black bear population.”

He added that now is the time sows are teaching their cubs how to act.

“We really want to do the right things now, and early in the year, especially as female bears have cubs in tow, we don’t want to create generational problems,” Livingston said. “What cubs are learning from their moms right now are behaviors that will stick with them the rest of their lives. We really don’t want those cubs learning lessons from their mom of how to get into trash, how to get into birdseed, how to get into homes. Really, we need to get off to a good start so it’s not a bad bear year for our officers responding to a lot of conflict throughout the entire summer, but also so these young cubs aren’t learning these new lessons the wrong way, early.”

If a bear does come into a neighborhood, Livingston said the best thing residents can do in the long run is haze it away.

“People think it’s nuts when we tell them to bang pots and pans, or set off car alarms, or blow airhorns at bears when they pass through a property,” Livingston said, “but scaring a bear away could really be beneficial for that bear. If it gets those negative interactions from being around human-developed spaces, hopefully it encourages it not to come back.”

To help prevent bear conflicts and keep cubs from learning bad habits, Livingston said residents should make sure all doors are locked and windows are shut on cars and ground floors of homes, take down bird feeders, avoid leaving food outside and make sure trash is secured.

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Federal Firefighting in the Region Sees Shift

The organizational structure of wildland firefighting in the region is shifting.

“Last time we talked, I mentioned our BLM fire resources were transitioning over to the Wildland Fire Service, but that there weren’t going to be any major changes this year. Well, that has changed,” said Derek Padilla.

Padilla, field manager for the Tres Rios Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management, provided an update Wednesday to the San Miguel Board of County Commissioners.

The Wildland Fire Service is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, as is the Bureau of Land Management.

While Padilla said some of the shifts are substantial, he added they are mostly on the leadership side.

“We’re all going to have all the same resources. They’re still stationed there in Dolores. We’re fully staffed,” Padilla said. “So, from that aspect there shouldn’t be any difference. Where we will see a difference though is that many of the authorities that were assigned to the local agency administrator are being transitioned over to the Wildland Fire Service unit fire chief.”

That position is currently vacant, but Padilla said it should be filled in the next several weeks.

Essentially, Padilla said, the shift is consolidating wildfire fighting into one department.

“The Wildland Fire Service is taking in all the Department of Interior bureau fire resources under one umbrella,” Padilla said.

He said the Wildland Fire Service chief will either be stationed in Montrose or Dolores. The service area has not been fully defined yet, but it will include Department of the Interior land in the region, including BLM land, national parks and tribal land.

“Anything that’s Department of Interior bureau land from Montrose south to the New Mexico line, west to the Utah line, and then over the Pagosa Springs would potentially be within our area unit,” Padilla said.

While Padilla said the shift is a realignment in structure, he said he has not seen any elimination in positions so far.

“We’ve been told we should be able to expect the same level of engagement and support from the organization,” Padilla said, “but the unknown is that because these employees are now going to be supporting the [Bureau of Indian Affairs] lands, the park service lands, we’re not losing any firefighters but are they going to consolidate their time in particular areas that may be of higher priority than others.”

Padilla said that remains to be determined, and BLM land in the region could actually see more support because of its proximity to private land in the wildland-urban interface.

The transition of fire resources from individual agencies to the Wildland Fire Service will officially take place May 17, 2026.

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The Wonder, Intimacy, and Hope of “Appalachia”

Emily Scott Robinson is a rising star in the Americana music scene. She is signed to John Prine’s Oh Boy Records, and this week her most recent album, Appalachia, was featured in Rolling Stone Magazine. She also calls the San Juan Mountains home.

Robinson stopped by the Purple House on Pine to discuss the new album and the hope and service of music. The interview originally aired in February 2026.

Story begins at 6:20.

Julia Caulfield (JC): This is your fifth album that’s coming out. How does it feel to have it enter into the world?

Emily Scott Robinson (ESR): It feels amazing. I am so in love with this album. The songs feel so powerful, and I worked on these songs for four years. I recorded them in a way that felt really good — in five days in the Hudson River Valley, in this beautiful church, right at the beginning of springtime. It was so magical. There’s this sense of wonder and openness that in the recording itself that feels like it’s in the DNA of the songs. I’m so happy it’s out. I’m so excited for these songs to make their way into the world.

JC: This album, Appalachia — what do you feel like it sounds like to you?

ESR: It feels kind of sparkly and warm, and in a less esoteric way, it’s very acoustic. There’s a lot of fiddle and cello and acoustic guitar. It feels, in some ways, almost like a solo record. There’s one full-band song, “Dirt Bag Saloon,” but otherwise it feels really intimate and warm.

The way we recorded it, we were all in one big church room, recording together, so there’s a live feel — like you’re in the room with us. That was very much on purpose because I love records that feel really organic and textural. So, it feels really organic, and textural, and acoustic, and very folky, with a little bluegrass influence, and there’s definitely one country banger on there. But it feels more intimate than my last couple of records.

JC: You’ve been a working singer-songwriter for a decade. You’ve had a number of albums that have, maybe, the same essence but flex different parts of who you are. How do you feel your writing, your music, your craft have shifted over the past 10 years?

ESR: In the early years of my career, I was really trying to prove myself as a songwriter. I had something to prove. I was climbing, it was scrappy. These songs feel more like they’re of service to the human experience, rather than coming from a place of needing to prove myself as a songwriter and a singer.

They feel more laid back, more relaxed, more grounded. I love my early records. When I listen to my albums through the years, I really here where I was an artist and a singer and a songwriter. I’m incredibly proud of all of that songwriting. But I do feel like I’ve moved into a different chapter of my life, and correspondingly a different chapter as a songwriter and an artist. These songs are of service or they’re useful in a way, rather than being ‘shine a light on me. I have something to prove.’ They feel more laid back, and relaxed and centered.

JC: With that notion of being of use, there’s a lot going on in the world right now. How do you hope these songs are useful at this moment?

ESR: I really hope they give people hope and fortify people’s spirits. I think these songs are messages of hope, and they shine a light on how we can take care of each other — as humans, as neighbors, as friends. I think there’s a sacred in the ordinary, and that’s really the heart of this record.

I hope the songs help people feel their way through these times and they help people remember to look to each other and not to give up hope in themselves or in their communities. There are a couple different truths that co-exist at once — there’s so much evidence for hope. There’s so much that we can’t control. There are so many painful experiences in life. There’s a lot of loss that doesn’t have meaning, it’s just painful and hard. There’s a lot of grief that we walk through as humans. But here we are. We have each other. That’s kind of my manifesto for these songs.

JC: Emily, thanks so much for coming in and chatting with us about Appalachia.

ESR: It’s my pleasure. Thanks for having me. I love KOTO, I love you, Julia, and I love this community. It’s a great gift to be able to share music here.

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Forest Service Seeks Input on Telski Upgrades

The U.S. Forest Service is seeking public feedback on an environmental assessment tied to proposed improvements at Telluride Ski Resort.

The project, proposed by Telski, includes forest management logging, replacement of lifts 7 and 8, widening the Galloping Goose ski run and construction of a new trail, Jaws, off lift 9. The proposal also includes construction of an approximately 1,800-foot cat track connecting lift 9 to Telluride Trail.

The project also calls for expanding the High Camp hut at the top of lift 12 into a full-service restaurant.

Additionally, Telski is seeking permanent approval for the Heritage Trail and proposing construction of a new bike connector trail.

The work would take place on Forest Service land within Telski’s special-use permit area, as well as on privately owned land in Telluride and Mountain Village.

According to the Forest Service, the proposal is intended to enhance public access, strengthen visitor safety and improve the overall visitor experience.

Environmental organizations, including Sheep Mountain Alliance, have raised concerns about potential impacts to lynx habitat and wetland areas.

Public comments on the environmental assessment will remain open through Monday, May 11. Comments can be submitted by email or text message to [email protected].

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San Miguel Basin Extension Office Hosts Sip Tea and Paint

After a long week, a cup of tea and some guided creativity may be just what the mind and body need.

This weekend, the San Miguel Basin Extension Office is offering that space with a Sip Tea and Paint event.

The third installment in the Tiny Masterpieces series is a guided painting class open to all ages and skill levels. This session will focus on moonlit tree canvas painting.

Sip Tea and Paint will take place Saturday, May 9, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Extension Office in Norwood. The event is donation-based.

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DOJ Sues Colorado Over High-Capacity Magazine Ban

The U.S. Department of Justice sued Colorado on Wednesday over the state’s ban on high-capacity gun magazines.

The lawsuit challenges a 2013 law banning magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.

The DOJ argues the law violates the Second Amendment because 15-round magazines are standard for many firearms. But Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is calling the lawsuit “dangerous overreach” from the federal government.

State lawmakers passed the ban following the 2012 Aurora movie theater shooting, where the gunman used a high-capacity magazine during the attack.

The DOJ also filed a lawsuit against Denver this week over the city’s ban on assault weapons.

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Colorado Bill Would Add Worker Protections at Meatpacking Plants

Are current federal occupational safety laws sufficient to protect workers in Colorado? That question is at the center of a set of bills advancing at the state Capitol, including one focused on conditions at meatpacking plants.

As Rae Solomon reports for the Colorado Capitol News Alliance, federal law requires employers to pay for safety equipment and allow workers to take bathroom breaks. But workers at the JBS USA meatpacking plant in Greeley say those protections are not being enforced on the production line.

“Your supervisor looks you in the eyes and tell you no, not wait. But no,” said TChelly Moise, a representative with UFCW Local 7, translating for JBS worker Bernice Garcia, who testified about being denied a bathroom break.

“I explained that I really needed to go, but it didn’t matter,” Garcia said. “I was in pain the rest of the day and even after I got home because I was forced to hold it for so long.”

The bill would enshrine those federal protections into state law. Supporters say it would increase enforcement, while opponents argue it is redundant and that the issue should be left to contract negotiations between the company and the union.

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ICE Officer Faces Assault Charges After Durango Protest Incident

A federal immigration officer is facing assault charges following an incident at a protest outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Durango last October.

The case stems from a confrontation captured on video during demonstrations over the detention of an asylum-seeking family.

KDUR reporter Jamie Wanzek has been covering the proceedings and was at the protest when the incident occurred.

Rocky Mountain Community Radio reporter Maeve Conran spoke with Wanzek about the charges and how the case is unfolding.

Story begins at 18:00