Press Release: Roaring Fork Safe Passages Launches Community Wildlife Data Program, Joins National Roadside Wildlife Count
Partnership with Pitkin County Sheriff's Office lets anyone on Highway 82 or 133 help document wildlife-vehicle collisions, and this October, that data becomes part of a nationwide effort spanning multiple states
ROARING FORK VALLEY, Colo. –Sept. 22, 2026–Roaring Fork Safe Passages (RFSP) announces a new, ongoing citizen science program that invites anyone traveling Highways 82 and 133 to help build the most complete picture of how wildlife-vehicle collisions are affecting the Roaring Fork Valley. Developed by the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, the program uses a very user-friendly phone-based ArcGIS Survey123 tool that lets anyone log wildlife vehicle collisions and carcasses they see on or near the road in real time.
The launch coincides with RFSP's participation in the 2026 Roadside Wildlife Count, a national data-collection event running October 2–11, organized by Environment America Research & Policy Center in partnership with Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center, Wild Aware, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, and state partners, including RFSP.
Building a Complete Picture
For years, wildlife-vehicle collision data in the Roaring Fork Valley has told only part of the story. Statewide reporting has traditionally come through the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol, whose routes and resources are spread across the entire state. In 2024, the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office stepped in as a local partner to help RFSP start building a more complete, valley-specific dataset. Now, RFSP is expanding that effort further by inviting the whole community to pitch in so no sighting goes unrecorded.
"Our deputies are out on these roads every day and see firsthand how often wildlife and vehicles collide," says Sheriff Michael Buglione, Pitkin County Sheriff's Office. "Bringing the community into this effort means more eyes, more data, and a much fuller picture of what's happening on our highways that benefits public safety and wildlife alike."
The new tool opens data collection to everyone in a really simple way. Commuters and anyone driving the valley's highways can now report a collision or a carcass, feeding the same standardized dataset the Sheriff's Office will be using as well. Combining law enforcement and citizen-collected data in one place gives RFSP, and the decision-makers it works with, a far more accurate view of where, when, and what is happening regarding wildlife on our roads.
"Good data builds the case," says Pitkin County Commissioner Greg Poschman. "When both leaders and commuters can see exactly where, and how often, wildlife collisions occur on our highways, we’ll begin to understand the actual cost. This information will strengthen our advocacy before CDOT and other funding sources — and we can demonstrate the urgency for crossings and fencing. This is how our community, our leaders, and our partners will decide where our resources are applied."
This program is designed to run for years to come, building a long-term dataset our Valley can use to continue to make the case for wildlife crossings and fencing along the valley's most dangerous corridors, and to help unlock state and federal funding for these projects. Research shows properly designed wildlife crossings can reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by more than 90 percent.
"Every data point matters," says Cecily DeAngelo, Executive Director of Roaring Fork Safe Passages. "The more complete our picture of where and how often wildlife is being struck on Highways 82 and 133, the stronger the case we can make for the crossings and fencing that will actually solve this problem. This program turns every commute into a chance to help."
National Roadside Wildlife Count, October 2–11
As fall migration, rut, and pre-winter foraging bring animals into motion across the landscape, RFSP is folding its local launch into the national Roadside Wildlife Count. Between October 2 and 11, volunteers across multiple states will use the same phone-based reporting approach to capture a 10-day snapshot of roadway impacts on wildlife. Data that organizers will share with agency partners, the media, and decision-makers.
"Roads and traffic are one of the biggest threats to wildlife in this country as they cut up habitat making it harder for wildlife to access food, water, and mates," says Andrew Rothman, Wildlife Campaigns Director at Environment America Research & Policy Center. "The Roadside Wildlife Count is about exposing people to the impacts of roads on wildlife by getting them involved with data collection. RFSP's work in the Roaring Fork Valley is exactly the kind of local effort that adds to the national picture."
How to Get Involved
Community members wanting to jump straight into helping collect data can visit our website to learn more and be directed to the survey, which is intuitive and easy to fill out: https://www.roaringforksafepassages.org/help-us-with-wildlife-data-collection
Thank You
Roaring Fork Safe Passages is incredibly grateful to the Pitkin County Sheriff's Office, whose deputies have tracked this data since 2024 alongside their demanding day-to-day work protecting our community, and whose leadership and partnership made this program possible.
Media Note
For a selection of images, please click here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iwDD5Z0jzcHASNo02oJ1i-PDUifzxXSr?usp=sharing
About Roaring Fork Safe Passages
Roaring Fork Safe Passages is a citizen-led advocacy organization working to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions in the Roaring Fork Valley by planning and building wildlife crossing infrastructure, overpasses, underpasses, and fencing, in partnership with local residents, government agencies, and state partners. For more information about Roaring Fork Safe Passages, visit www.roaringforksafepassages.org. Follow Roaring Fork Safe Passages @roaringforksafepassages on Instagram or at https://www.facebook.com/p/Roaring-Fork-Safe-Passages-100088297944222/.
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