EcoFlight, an environmental nonprofit based out of Aspen, will be hosting a roundtable seminar on Monday at 5:30 p.m. to kick off its 10th annual Flight Across America Student Program.
 This year’s program focuses on the Upper Basin of the Colorado River.

Using flight and ground-based education, the program is designed to involve and inform college-age students about current conservation issues from a broad range of perspectives and show them through flight how such issues impact their lives and their world.

Five students studying environmental affairs from Colorado Mountain College, CU Boulder and Colorado Mesa University will accompany EcoFlight on this week of learning. It begins Monday with a roundtable conversation with Thompson Divide Coalition, Roaring Fork Conservancy, and local civic and conservation leaders, followed by a screening of the Robert Redford documentary “Watershed.” The event will take place at 465 Conundrum Road, outside of Aspen.

Flight Across America will then continue on to Grand Junction; Farmington, N.M.; Page, Ariz.; Desolation Canyon, Utah; Flaming Gorge, Wyo.; and Craig to study water conservation concerns and issues that affect the rivers: coal, natural gas, hydroelectric, and tar sands development as well as agriculture, recreation areas, and wildlife habitat in the Upper Colorado River Basin.

For more information, contact EcoFlight program director Jane Pargiter at jane@ecoflight.org [1] or 970 429-1110 ext. 1.

The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on its environmental assessment covering a proposal to reduce hazardous fuels for wildfires along Panorama Road near the head of Cattle Creek above El Jebel.

A total of about 251 acres of vegetation could be thinned using a variety of techniques along the boundary between public and private land in this area. The project would reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires entering private property from BLM land and provide for firefighter and public safety.

BLM will hold a public open house to review the proposal and answer questions beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25 at the El Jebel Community Center Pinyon Room, 0020 Eagle County Drive.

The Panorama Fuels Treatment Project EA is available on-line at www.blm.gov/co/crvfo [2].

Written comments and questions should be directed to Colorado River Valley Field Office at 2300 River Frontage Road, Silt, CO 81652. Electronic comments may be submitted to BLM_CO_SI_CRVFO_Webmail@blm.gov [3]. Comments will be most helpful if received by Nov. 9.