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Colorado - Fri. 12/05/25 |
A Free Business Publication from Alpine Bank
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RURAL BROADBAND IN COLORADO SET TO GET A $420M BOOST
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Colorado’s rural communities are slated to receive over $420 million in federal funding for high-speed internet. The funding will come from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a federal 2021 law that allocated $550 billion in new infrastructure investments over five years. That includes $65 billion for broadband infrastructure and subsidies to help lower-income families afford their internet. The Governor’s Office of Information Technology said the National Telecommunications and Information Administration had approved Colorado’s proposal for how it intends to use $420 million in broadband funding allocated to the state. The office said the “historic investment” will provide high-speed internet to more than 96,000 Coloradans. To see which locations will receive funding, go to Tinyurl.com/BEADMap.
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COLORADO'S 2025 'WATER YEAR' ABNORMALLY HOT & DRY
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Colorado’s 2025 “water year” was a scorcher, according to a report from the Colorado Climate Center at CSU. The 2025 water year was the 10th hottest year on record, which stretches back to 1895. A few Western Slope locations saw their warmest years on record. October 2024 was also the hottest October ever recorded in that dataset. Most months recorded above-average temperatures compared to the past century. Seven of our ten warmest water years have occurred since 2012. By mid-August, parts of Western Colorado were facing the most severe category of drought. Those hot and dry conditions contributed to a bevy of wildfires — the August 2025 Lee Fire is among the largest in state history.
Most of the entire mountain West ended the 2025 water year in drought, though there was considerable variation. East of the Continental Divide faced no drought in most areas, while West of the Divide was much drier. Western Colorado saw only a fraction of its expected moisture until monsoon rains arrived in late August, behind schedule. “Much of the West Slope saw a top ten dry water year, while a few locations on the Eastern Plains saw a top 10 wettest year,” the report said. As of Nov. 18, 2025, drought conditions have improved across the state, but much of Colorado remains dry. Rain and snow showers over the next week could bring some relief.
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METHANE FLARING PROJECT ABOVE PAONIA HAILED AS GLOBAL CLIMATE MODEL
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A pioneering effort near Paonia is drawing praise as a potential global model for reducing emissions. Climate leaders Auden Schendler, Matt Jones and scientist Chris Caskey are capturing and burning methane leaking from the abandoned Bowie No. 1 coal mine. In October alone, the project destroyed more than 51 metric tons of methane, equal to removing 1,428 metric tons of carbon dioxide or about 4,000 cars from the road. Using a 20-year calculation, the impact equates to 4,243 metric tons of carbon monoxide, or 11,700 cars. Because methane is up to 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over two decades, researchers say flaring offers immediate climate benefits while broader economic transitions unfold. The team hopes to expand the model across Colorado’s leaking mines, positioning the project as a replicable solution for global emission reduction.
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PITKIN COUNTY MAKES HISTORY WITH 2026 BUDGET
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With nearly $312 million in total expenditures next year, Pitkin County is poised to adopt its largest budget in history — much larger, even, than the numbers for 2025. Total spending is up almost $80 million in 2026, a 34 percent increase year over year. Capital projects account for more than $128 million in spending, almost double what it was last year. Redevelopment of the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport explains most of the jump, with about $75 million earmarked for 2026. The bulk of construction isn’t scheduled to begin until 2027, when the airport will close for about nine months to build a new, wider runway and get started on a new terminal.
Other capital projects in the budget include a new emergency dispatch center in El Jebel, electrification initiatives at the Health and Human Services building and the Pitkin County Library, replacement of an aging bridge in Redstone, and water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades at the Phillips Mobile Home Park near Woody Creek, as well as continued work to expand the landfill at the county’s solid waste center. A second reading of the budget resolution, with a public hearing, is scheduled for a special meeting on Dec. 9.
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COTTONWOOD PASS CLOSES FOR THE WINTER TODAY
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Cottonwood Pass, which runs from Gypsum in Eagle County to the Roaring Fork Valley, will close on Friday, Dec. 5, for the remainder of the winter season. The closure will be in place from mile marker 2.5 in Gypsum to mile marker 12.5 in the Roaring Fork Valley. There is no winter maintenance on Cottonwood Pass. The road will reopen in April 2026, or when conditions allow. For more information, contact the Eagle County Road & Bridge Dept. at 970-328-3540 or road@eaglecounty.us.
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PRIVATE PROPERTY WILL BECOME DESIGNATED WILDERNESS
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The Wilderness Land Trust has successfully purchased the 20-acre Busher Claim in the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness to protect it from development. The Busher Claim was one of three recent WLT purchases — the other two were a 30-acre Needle Creek property and the 31-acre Great Western Lode, both in Colorado’s Weminuche Wilderness. The Busher Claim sits above the popular hiking destination of Cumberland Basin, just below Pearl Mountain and Castle Peak, past Castle Creek Road out of Aspen. WLT will now work to transfer the property to public ownership, where it will be protected as designated wilderness, the highest level of protection available to public lands. To learn more about WLT and the Wilderness Opportunity Fund, visit wildernesslandtrust.org/get-involved/support-a-project. The trust is also part of Colorado Gives Day on Dec. 9 and can receive donations at coloradogives.org.
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ALPINE BANK PRESENTS DURANGO HOLIDAY REWARDS PROGRAM
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Shop local this holiday season and get rewarded! Alpine Bank once again presents the Holiday Rewards Program. Spend at any of over 350 eligible businesses in the heart of Durango, save your receipts, then when you reach a spending level turn them in for a reward! You can combine up to 10 receipts to reach any of these spending levels - $250, $400 or $650. Your reward is a Heart of Durango Dollars digital gift card, worth $25, $50 or $100 depending on how much you spend. Heart of Durango Dollars are accepted at over 100 businesses. Two hundred rewards are available starting Dec. 5, and when they are gone, they are gone! Visit DowntownDurango.org/holiday-rewards for all the details and to submit your receipts starting Dec. 5. Happy Holidays and thank you for supporting local businesses!
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EAGLE TOWN MANAGER LARRY PARDEE TO STEP DOWN DEC. 12
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Larry Pardee will leave his role as Eagle’s town manager on Dec. 12, following the election of a new mayor and four new council members. Pardee, who previously worked in Vail and Jackson Hole, guided Eagle through major initiatives including the multi-year Recode Eagle land use overhaul, a housing needs assessment, and economic development planning for East Eagle. He also helped secure three staff housing units, meeting a town goal set before his arrival. Pardee noted that future managers will benefit from strategic documents on zoning, infrastructure, and revenue sharing. Assistant Town Manager Melissa Daruna will serve as interim town manager beginning Dec. 13.
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THE BEST FOOD CITIES IN AMERICA FOR 2025
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The readers of Condé Nast Traveler have weighed in for its annual travel awards, and in the category of food cities, Oakland takes first place while San Francisco scores fifth. Also placed in the top fifteen cities are (to no surprise) New Orleans and Chicago, and (perhaps to slight surprise) burgs in Ohio and Hawaii. Chiming in with more than 750,000 votes, the readers praised Oakland’s Temescal neighborhood, specifically for the restaurants Burdell and Pizzaiolo, and the Fruitvale District for its taco trucks and the “best birria in the country.” San Francisco ranked for its farm-to-table cuisine and Pacific seafood, as well as the offerings from the oldest Chinatown in America. Also in California, San Diego came in 10th place for its Filipino food, fish tacos and craft-brew industry.
Here are the first ten on the list:
- Oakland
- New Orleans
- Milwaukee
- Chicago
- San Francisco
- Lexington, Ky.
- Columbus, Ohio
- Santa Fe, N.M.
- New York City
- San Diego
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BEAR ENCOUNTERS RISE IN LA PLATA COUNTY, ACROSS COLORADO
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Recent dry winters have increased the number of bear encounters in La Plata County and across Colorado. This year saw some of the highest conflict levels in recent history, according to 2025 data collected by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Statewide, a total of 5,259 bear reports were filed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1, a slight increase from the 4,996 in 2024. It was the most active year of human-bear interaction since 2019, according to a CPW news release. But in La Plata County, the spike was much steeper than statewide trends.
Here’s a look at bear activity countywide in 2025:
- CPW collected 1,116 reports of bear activity in 2025 – up from the 630 collected in 2024.
- CPW is aware of 581 reports of food source property damage caused by bears in 2025.
- There were 74 reported incidents of nonfood property damage in 2025, compared to 48 in 2024.
- CPW relocated 22 bears captured in La Plata County in 2025. The agency typically relocates first-time offenders that enter human spaces in search of food.
- CPW euthanized 17 bears in 2025. There has been a steep jump in euthanasia over the past two years. Fourteen were recorded in 2024, compared to two in 2022.
- A bear rehabilitation facility took in 13 bear cubs found in the county. Six bear cubs out of the 13 sent to a rehab facility were released into the wild following rehabilitation.
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HEAVY SNOWFALL EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND
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After a historically slow start to winter, Colorado’s ski resorts could be on track for a comeback with some forecasting as much as 20 inches of snow this weekend. Snow totals already saw some momentum earlier this week. A storm stretching from Tuesday night through Wednesday night delivered several inches of snow to northern and central mountain resorts. As of 5 a.m. on Thursday, Vail and Aspen Mountain had accumulated 6 inches of snow, with resorts like Steamboat and Sunlight seeing between 2-3 inches respectively. This weekend is expected to bring even more snowfall, thanks to a three-day storm stretching from Friday morning into Sunday.
Weekend forecast and travel conditions:
- Friday will begin with light-to-moderate snow for the northern and central mountains, transitioning into intense snow late at night or early Saturday morning.
- OpenSnow meteorologist Joel Gratz described Saturday’s forecasted weather as “intense snow and very windy,” which will likely impact lift operations and create low road visibility. Wind gusts could be as high as 35 miles per hour in some higher-elevation areas of the Western Slope, jumping to 50-60 miles per hour at the highest peaks on Saturday, according to Boulder-based National Weather Service Meteorologist Zach Hiris.
- The National Weather Service has also issued a winter storm warning for the I-70 corridor for most of Friday night through Saturday night. Road closures are likely to happen in the northern mountains due to accidents and low visibility, so drivers are encouraged to plan accordingly.
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MARKET UPDATE - 12/04/2025 Close
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(Courtesy of Alpine Bank Wealth Management*)
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Canadian dollar (per U.S. dollar)
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Mexican peso (per U.S. dollar)
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30-year fixed mortgage rate (Freddie Mac 12/4/2025)
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*Not FDIC insured. May lose value. Not guaranteed by the bank.
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Alpine Bank is an independent, employee-owned organization with headquarters in Glenwood Springs and banking offices across Colorado's Western Slope, mountains and Front Range. Alpine Bank serves customers with retail, business, wealth management*, mortgage and electronic banking services. Learn more at alpinebank.com.
*Alpine Bank Wealth Management services are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not guaranteed by the bank.
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