Help Us Track Wildlife on Our Roads
Data is power. Let’s leverage it.
Every day, wildlife move through the Roaring Fork Valley, crossing Highways 82 and 133 to reach food, water, and each other. Too often, those crossings end in collisions. We're always working to build a clearer, more complete picture of how often this is happening, where, and to which species. This picture gets stronger with every report we receive.
This is where you come in.
Roaring Fork Safe Passages has partnered with the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office to launch an ongoing community data collection effort. Using a simple, phone-friendly survey form, anyone traveling our highways can report a wildlife-vehicle collision or a carcass they see on or near the road, even if the animal ran off and you don’t know what happened to it. Because this program is run in partnership with the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, the data collected feeds into the same channels the Sheriff's Office already uses to share information with the state, which helps ensure our valley's numbers are part of the bigger picture. Every report adds to a growing, long-term dataset that we use to advocate for the wildlife crossings and fencing that can reduce collisions by more than 90%.
This isn't a one-time count. It's a permanent part of how we do our work. The more data we collect, the stronger the case we can make to decision-makers, and the closer we get to unlocking state and federal funding for crossings here in the valley.
How the Form Works
The survey takes just a couple of minutes to fill out from your phone, right from the roadside (please only pull over where it's safe to do so). Here's what to expect:
What you'll be asked:
Location — where the collision happened, or where you saw the animal or carcass (the form will help pinpoint this on a map)
Date — when you saw it
Species — what kind of animal, if known
Who's submitting the report — this is where you'll select yourself as “Other,” not a responding agency
A couple of notes as you fill it out:
If you're asked which agency is completing the report, select "Other" — this lets us know the report is coming from a community member, not a law enforcement or transportation agency.
If asked who collected the data, select "Safe Passages or Other."
Hit an animal but it ran off? Report it anyway. You don't need to know whether it was injured or what happened next — just tell us where and roughly when the collision happened. That data matters just as much as a confirmed carcass.
Don't worry about getting every field perfect — any information you can provide helps.
Ready to Report?
Bookmark this page or save the survey link to your phone, you'll want it handy any time you're on Highway 82 or 133.
Questions?
Reach out to Tucker Vest Burton at tucker@roaringforksafepassages.org with any questions about the program or the survey.