HomeMy WebLinkAboutWildlife Crossing Act - Hurd LOSThe Honorable Jeff Hurd
1641 Longworth House Office
Washington, DC 20515
Email: betsy.bair@mail.house.gov February 10, 2026
Dear Representative Hurd,
On behalf of the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners I urge you to co-sponsor HR6078, Wildlife Road
Crossings Program Reauthorization Act of 2025, and to continue supporting investments that improve public safety,
wildlife connectivity, and transportation infrastructure across Colorado’s Western Slope.
Pitkin County is home to critical wildlife habitat intersected by major transportation corridors, notably Colorado
Highway 82 and Colorado Highway 133. These roadways serve as primary travel routes for residents and visitors, and
as major migration corridors for elk, mule deer, and other wildlife. As traffic volumes have increased, wildlife-vehicle
collisions have become a persistent and serious safety concern.
Local crash data underscores the urgency of this issue. On a six-mile segment of Highway 82 between the Aspen-Pitkin
County Airport and Woody Creek, wildlife collisions accounted for approximately 55 percent of all reported traffic
incidents over the past decade: 224 of 410 reported crashes. Additional analysis indicates an average of more than five
wildlife-vehicle collisions per mile per year on this corridor, including nearly 100 documented elk collisions during the
same period. Many more go unreported. These incidents pose significant risks to motorists, first responders, and
wildlife populations, while also generating substantial economic and emergency response costs for our community.
Wildlife crossing infrastructure - such as overpasses, underpasses, and wildlife fencing - has proven to be one of the
most effective tools for reducing these collisions. Projects of this nature consistently demonstrate significant reductions
in crash rates while preserving critical migration routes that are foundational to Colorado’s amazing wildlife, outdoor
economy, and rural quality of life.
Bipartisan legislation such as this is essential to provide the funding certainty needed for long-term planning and
construction of wildlife crossing projects, particularly in rural and mountainous regions like ours. Federal partnership
plays a vital role in allowing counties and states to implement solutions that are beyond the scope of local resources
alone.
Given the demonstrated safety benefits and the clear need in Pitkin County (and throughout Colorado’s Third
Congressional District), we respectfully encourage you to co-sponsor HR6078, Wildlife Road Crossings Program
Reauthorization Act of 2025. Your support would help advance solutions that save lives, reduce costs, and protect the
wildlife and landscapes that define our region.
Thank you for your consideration and for your service to Colorado. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this
issue further or provide additional local information.
Jeffrey Woodruff,
Chair
Pitkin County Board of Commissioners
Pitkin County | 530 E. Main Street | Aspen, CO 81611 | 970-920-5200