Interstate 70 (I-70) is one of the most dangerous highways in Colorado for wildlife. It bisects major migration routes with four to six lanes of high-speed traffic and concrete dividers. Four of Colorado’s threatened Canada lynx population have been killed trying to cross the highway.
Traffic is so heavy along stretches of I-70 that some species avoid the road completely. This forces wildlife to modify important daily, seasonal, and life behaviors, and may cut them off from important habitat and food sources.
Sign on to show you support a wildlife bridge for Vail Pass
Help us persuade decision-makers to prioritize and build a wildlife bridge over I-70 near Vail Pass. Researchers have identified this area as one of the key wildlife linkages in our region. Please take two minutes to sign on and show your support.
Construction of a wildlife bridge near Vail Pass on I-70 will:
- Help reduce wildlife/vehicle collisions, protecting people as well as animals;
- Serve as an educational tool for demonstrating the ecological necessity of restoring natural connections between wild areas;
- Show how we can affordably incorporate wildlife crossings into our Interstate highway system;
- Establish Colorado’s leadership in protecting our natural heritage that draws visitors from around the globe.
Wildlife Monitoring and the Colorado Corridors Project
Rocky Mountain Wild, along with partners at Denver Zoo and help from Marcel Huijser at Western Transportation Institute and Walking Mountains Science Center, is working to monitor wildlife movement at an overpass site before and after construction. Wildlife monitoring is an essential step in assessing whether the Vail Pass Wildlife Byway is effective in restoring wildlife connectivity.
The Colorado Corridors Project is an initiative of Rocky Mountain Wild, and our partners at Denver Zoo, to engage volunteers in wildlife monitoring at the proposed site for the Vail Pass Wildlife Byway. Volunteers assist with setting up and checking remote-triggered cameras in the field as well as identifying and cataloging species captured on the cameras through Zooniverse. The wildlife data that volunteers help us collect through this project will be used to assess the effectiveness of the Vail Pass Wildlife Byway by comparing data collected before and after construction of the overpass.
To make a donation to the project, go to our GivingFuel page and select “Vail Pass Wildlife Byway” from the Direct My Donation drop down.