West Elk Word

The One Valley Prosperity Project, or OVPP, was formed in 2014 as a collaborative effort to achieve, in the words of their website,  "a more prosperous and successful future" for all communities valley-wide. Some of its focus areas include affordable housing, economic resiliency, and social services. The OVPP recently released its 2018 State of the Valley Report. Gunnison Mayor Jim Gelwicks and Gunnison City Manager Russ Forrest dropped by the KBUT studios to talk what's been accomplished so far and the work ahead. They spoke with Toni Todd for West Elk Word, KBUT's premiere local public affairs interview show. Hear archived episodes of West Elk Word.

11/3/18 - KBUT's West Elk Word: One Valley Prosperity Project Update

Dr. Duane Vandenbusche's latest book, co-authored with Grant Houston, is a collection of photos from Lake City's early days as a mining mecca. Dr. Vandenbusche, noted local historian and storyteller, shares colorful tales from that time in his own unique, indominable way.

4/27/19 - West Elk Word: Dr. Duane Vandenbusche

Daniel Brauch and Seth Firestone are here from Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Join the conversation about fishing, our local fishery and fish hatchery management, species conservation, habitat restoration, and more.

4/20/19 - West Elk Word: Colorado Parks and Wildlife- Seth Firestone and Daniel Brauch

Dave Ochs and Laura Pickett Daniels share the latest from the Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association, the oldest such organization in the country. Learn about trail building and maintenance, the Conservation Corp's efforts to clean up and educate visitors on how to protect our trails and public lands, upcoming CMBMBA events, and how to get involved.

5/4/19 - West Elk Word: Crested Butte Mountain Bike Association

Brandon Diamond discusses CPW's efforts with wildlife management and conservation. Learn how Colorado Parks and Wildlife works to manage wildlife of all sorts, most notably big game. The CPW also works to preserve threatened and endangered species, and keeps waterways stocked with fish. The CPW is funded by hunting and fishing license revenues-- find out why that's important and why some consider that a conflict of interest.

5/25/19 - West Elk Word: Brandon Diamond, District Manager for Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Shelley Popke and Nel Burkett from the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum return. This time, they're accompanied by Jessica Reske and Beth Heller from Collections Assessment for Preservation. Learn about the museum's efforts to best care for its artifacts. It's a balancing act, putting items on display for long enough and often enough that folks can experience and learn from them, but not so long that they begin to degrade. How they're stored is  important; light, heat and humidity all have an impact on historical items. This is a fascinating conversation on the museum's quest to implement best practices in preserving their local treasures for future generations to enjoy.

6/8/19 - West Elk Word: Crested Butte Mt. Heritage Museum

KBUT is a community radio station serving Gunnison County, Colorado. Broadcasting since 1986, KBUT serves the Gunnison Valley through diverse on-air programs, volunteer opportunities open to all community members, and ongoing support for the area’s nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. Community radio is a significant facilitator of democratic ideals and civic participation and is an invaluable community resource, particularly for a rural and remote area such as Gunnison County.