HomeMy WebLinkAboutRoaring Fork Safe Passages - Wildlife Priority Highway Study
Dear Board of County Commissioners,
We are excited to announce that Roaring Fork Valley Safe Passages (RFSP)
is officially commencing a valley-wide prioritization study. The analysis will
build on recently completed studies to identify priority highway segments
for reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and improving permeability for
wildlife movement on Highways 82 and 133 in the Roaring Fork
Watershed. This process will also include a key stakeholder and agency
engagement process to cultivate collaboration among entities such as the
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado Parks and
Wildlife (CPW), local counties, cities, land trusts, NGOs and private land
owners.
It is really important that we are not only identifying the areas with the
worst rate of collisions, but also ensuring that we are identifying pieces of
habitat that will remain protected indefinitely. The last thing we want is to
funnel an elk herd into an area marked for future residential development
or increased recreation.
This study will commence mid-March and will be completed by July 2023.
Following the Prioritization Study, Mitigation Plans will be created for
three high priority road segments detailing site-specific mitigation
strategies (e.g., wildlife underpasses, overpasses, and other fencing and
mitigation components) along with associated cost estimates. The
Mitigation Plans will be developed in close coordination with CDOT, CPW,
counties, and other partners to ensure the feasibility and functionality of
the proposed mitigation. RFSP’s capital campaign has gone well with strong
support from the community, we've raised $80,000 to date, with plans to
raise an additional $100,000 for the three mitigation plans by July 2023.
Additionally RFSP has initiated the formation of its board and is excited to
announce its first three members:
· Will Roush, Director of Wilderness Workshop
· Rebecca Mirsky of Mirsky Consulting
· Tom Cardamone of the Watershed Biodiversity Initiative
To learn more about Roaring Fork Safe Passages, please
visit roaringforksafepassages.org