We work to ensure that wildlife can safely move throughout the Southern Rockies. © Jim Robertson
Stable wildlife populations require healthy and connected ecosystems. Some species migrate seasonally, others require large territories to hunt, and many – especially predator species – need to be able to move across great distances to maintain the genetic diversity that is key to their survival.
Habitat fragmentation is recognized as a primary cause of the decline of species worldwide. Roads and highways, in particular, fragment habitat, and create barriers to wildlife movement, and result in animal-vehicle collisions. Global climate change will alter ecosystems and force wildlife to shift their range, underscoring the need for wildlife to move across the landscape.
Interstate 70 is a major barrier to north-south wildlife migration in Colorado. © SREP
The goal of our Habitat Connectivity Campaign is to address habitat fragmentation by protecting key remaining habitat and restoring linkages between core habitat areas. The program complements our other campaigns to protect at-risk species and habitats in the Greater Southern Rockies, and integrates a landscape-level component into our work, creating a comprehensive conservation program that addresses species’ needs at the local, regional, and landscape scales.
I-70 Safe Passages and Witness for Wildlife Project
The current focus of our Habitat Connectivity Program is the I-70 Safe Passages Project. This project offers a unique opportunity to influence Colorado’s biggest highway reconstruction — transforming the ‘Berlin Wall for wildlife in the Southern Rockies’ into a system of wildlife crossings, including culverts, overpasses and underpasses. We provide state and federal transportation agencies with ecologically-sound recommendations and wildlife monitoring programs for integration into the I-70 reconstruction project.
See some of the amazing wildlife photos recently captured by our 30 motion-triggered cameras set up at key sites along I-70. To learn more about this project, please read our 2009 I-70 Monitoring Report.
In 2009, Center for Native Ecosystems partnered with Denver Zoo on Witness for Wildlife, a program designed by Freedom to Roam to engage the public in wildlife corridor issues. In 2010, this program is growing to include the Colorado Mountain Club and an additional citizen science element. Data collected by citizen scientists will be used to strengthen Center for Native Ecosystems’ I-70 Safe Passages Project by identifying the presence of animals that don’t activate our motion-sensor cameras.
Data Sheets and Protocols for Participants in the I-70 Witness for Wildlife Project
CNE I-70 Witness for Wildlife Data Sheet Print Version (this version can be printed and taken into the field with you)
CNE I-70 Witness for Wildlife Data Sheet Fillable Version (this version can be filled out at home after your field visit and the information will be sent directly to Center for Native Ecosystems after you click ‘Submit by Email’ at the top of the form)
Example of how to take a picture of tracks and scat
Other Cool Information and Projects
I-70 Wildlife Watch billboard up near Downieville, CO. © Russ Sands
The I-70 Wildlife Watch website was launched in November 2009 by Colorado Wildlife on the Move, a coalition of businesses, state agencies, and non-profit organizations working together to decrease wildlife-vehicle collisions on our state’s roadways. The website allows motorists to report wildlife along Colorado’s Interstate 70 between Golden and Glenwood Springs. Data from the website will be used to help identify locations on the interstate where animals are most frequently trying to cross.
Learn more about the proposed I-70 wildlife bridge on West Vail Pass! Here’s a map of the proposed site.
Read more about our mapping and modeling efforts through the Linking Colorado’s Landscapes project.
