Safe passages save money and lives

Colorado counties are solving one of the West's most persistent conservation challenges—and the results are remarkable. By combining habitat protection with wildlife crossings, communities across the state are reconnecting fragmented landscapes, protecting drivers, and restoring the migration corridors that define healthy wildlife populations. Pitkin County has a chance to join them, not only as a leader in land conservation but also in wildlife connectivity.

Here's the thing: you can protect thousands of acres of pristine winter range, but if elk and deer can't safely cross Highway 82 to reach it, that difficult-to-access habitat becomes an island that isolates wildlife populations, harming them in the long term. This isn't just theory—for decades, the science of conservation biology has emphasized the need for and value of connecting wildlife populations to ensure their long-term viability. We know this is an issue locally; according to CDOT crash data, 55% of vehicle collisions on the stretch between Aspen Village and the Airport involve wildlife attempting to cross our roads.

When Grand County committed $3.1 million to build crossing structures on Highway 9, Summit County and private donors brought the local match, including a $5 million philanthropic gift from Blue Valley Ranch, to roughly $9 million, about 20% of the total project cost. CDOT awarded  the remaining funds through a one-time grant program and fast-tracked construction of two overpasses and five underpasses with wildlife fencing along 10.3 miles of highway. The result? A 92% reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions and more than 110,000 documented mule deer passages in the first five years.

Douglas County's 30-year commitment to land protections and policies linking wildlife habitat and corridors spurred CDOT to embed wildlife crossings into the I-25 Gap project, an 18-mile highway improvement between Castle Rock and Monument. The county secured $22 million in federal funding plus $8 million in state funds for wildlife mitigation, including the Greenland Wildlife Overpass. Completed in 2025, it's now Colorado's largest wildlife overpass, connecting thousands of acres of protected county land to vast tracts of National Forest farther west.

On Highway 160 in La Plata County, the Southern Ute Tribe contributed $1.3 million, plus 19 years of elk GPS collar data to help fund wildlife connectivity projects. Combined with CDOT's $9.5 million investment, this project is projected to reduce vehicular collisions in an area where wildlife accounts for the majority of reported crashes. 

Boulder County Parks & Open Space initially allocated $150,000 for a Highway 36 preliminary concept plan, which is being refined in order to pursue federal design and construction funding for an estimated $16–18 million project. 

Closer to home, the Chaffee County Commissioners—having approved an award-winning land use code update emphasizing wildlife habitat protections—recently launched a wildlife-vehicle reduction planning process with a $120,000 commitment as match for federal funding. 

The pattern is clear: local, county, and philanthropic investment often leverages state and federal dollars at ratios of four-to-one or better.

With the completion of the Highway 82 Airport to Aspen Village Wildlife Mitigation Plan, Roaring Fork Safe Passages has raised $200,000 from community donors, with gifts ranging from small to substantial. The Pitkin County Open Space & Trails Board has recommended a $200,000 match for these funds, totalling  $400,000, to initiate an engineering feasibility study. This is the first step to unlocking millions more in state and federal funds, just as it has been done elsewhere in the state. But this needs BOCC approval.

Pitkin County has been a leader in habitat conservation. Three Meadows Ranch is a phenomenal example. Yet, protecting habitat on both sides of Highway 82 without connecting them creates ecological islands. And without safe passages for wildlife under or over the highway, our residents and visitors to the valley will continue to be at risk of a collision.

Every year we delay, the costs mount, for our wildlife, which die needlessly on our roads, and for our communities. Wildlife-vehicle collisions are conservatively estimated to cost Colorado more than $80 million annually and often leave drivers facing significant out-of-pocket costs.

Wildlife crossings aren't experimental. They've reduced vehicle collisions with wildlife 80–97% across multiple Colorado projects and around the world.

Pitkin County now has a chance to continue its leadership in ensuring our local wildlife populations remain healthy and sustainable. Open Space and Trails’ recommended $200,000 in matching funds for wildlife crossings builds on and enhances their legacy of preserving critical wildlife habitat in our open spaces. 

We have the science, the community support, and the proven models. In a recent community survey of 730 respondents, 95% expressed support for wildlife crossing structures and 85% believe it will improve their quality of life in the valley, reflecting strong, nonpartisan support. Statewide, a 2024 Colorado College survey found 87% of Coloradans support wildlife crossings. We have matching funds in hand, CDOT partnerships, and a project that aligns directly with the values in the county’s Vision 2050 goals for environmental stewardship and safety.  Support from the BOCC for the Open Space and Trails’ thoughtful recommendation in December 2025 to fund efforts to protect wildlife not only demonstrates a continued commitment to wildlife but will serve as a catalyst for future funding from other sources.

Local leadership accelerates progress. With BOCC approval of the $200,000 match recommended by the Open Space and Trails Board, Roaring Fork Safe Passages can help make wildlife crossings in Pitkin County a reality.

Want to get involved? Write a letter to the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners prior to March 10th, show up online or in person for public comment March 25th, visit www.roaringforksafepassages.org to sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on social @roaringforksafepassages.

Roaring Fork Safe Passages Board of Directors and Staff

Tom Cardamone
Will Roush
Rebecca Mirsky
Jonathan Lowsky
Charles Simon

Cecily DeAngelo
Tucker Vest Burton