Michael Fanelli
Climate Desk ReporterMichael Fanelli is the inaugural reporter for Aspen Public Radio’s Climate Desk. He moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in June 2025, after living and working in two very different parts of Alaska. A Southern California local, he got his start in public radio at KCRW in Santa Monica.
At Alaska Public Media in Anchorage, he hosted the statewide morning news and reported on stories ranging from glacier tourism and EV’s to a bagel oasis. Michael was most recently the news director of KRBD in Ketchikan, where he covered local issues like homeless services and kelp entrepreneurship, plus an occasional bizarre story about imitation totem poles. His work has been recognized on several occasions by the Alaska Press Club, including an environmental reporting award for a story about federally funded heat pumps.
Michael is excited to live in a place with a little more sun and a lot less rain. Say hi if you bump into him while exploring the natural beauty of the Western Slope.
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Pitkin County commissioners voted at the end of May to overrule the Planning and Zoning Commission’s decision and proceed with the modernization project as planned. Part of the disagreement involved ultrafine air particles, a topic of ongoing debate. -
Local landscaping companies say electric alternatives aren’t feasible. But proponents of a ban could appeal to voters if the town doesn’t act. -
The Colorado River Wildfire Collaborative hired a program manager to raise funds for mitigation work between Glenwood Springs and De Beque. That region is one of the most fire-prone in the state, and has lacked the resources to address the risk. -
Pitkin County announced on May 12 that it’s exploring a permit to take over management of the Maroon Bells Scenic Area. If it doesn’t agree to do that by this fall, the U.S. Forest Service plans to explore partnerships with private concessionaires. -
Mushrooms require only a fraction of the water required to grow other food products. But one expert doesn’t think Americans are ready to embrace more edible fungi. -
A passenger train struck a semi-tanker truck off Highway 6 just east of Rifle Wednesday morning. The tanker driver sustained minor injuries, but no other injuries were reported. -
Snowpack levels have improved in the Roaring Fork River Basin, but are still only 17% of normal. Hydrologists say potential for a significant wildfire season remains, and water supplies will still be stretched thin. -
Desde octubre de 2023, Aspen exige a los restaurantes que practiquen el compostaje, lo que ha evitado que miles de toneladas de materia orgánica acaben en el vertedero y ha reducido las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero. -
Pitkin County recently approved an updated management plan for the North Star Nature Reserve. While the process has been contentious in recent years, Elizabeth Stewart-Severy reported for Aspen Journalism that the county has been pouring resources into balancing the community and ecological interests in the area. -
A new study from Western Colorado University found that winters with low snowpack tend to yield wildfire seasons that destroy more live biomass. The findings don’t bode well for Colorado forests this summer, but the worst outcomes can still be avoided.
