What We Don’t See

My name is Cameron Daniel. I am a third-generation resident of the Roaring Fork Valley and have lived here for the majority of my life. I currently serve as a Patrol Deputy with the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office, but I want to be clear that in no way is my letter today intended to be a representation of the Sheriff’s Office.

Growing up here, I was raised by ranchers, farmers, and outdoorsmen, and I was given the freedom to hunt, fish, and explore our local backcountry. Respect and preservation of wildlife were ingrained into the culture, but these days, it seems to be a second thought as that culture has slowly eroded into an urban rat race. The valley floors that were once filled with ranches and open space are filling in with housing and other developments, slowly eroding wildlife habitat. I commend this community, especially Pitkin County, for its preservation of habitat and open space. Our wildlife is one of our community's most precious resources, and I’m writing to ask you to continue preserving it for future generations.

I’m sure you wonder why an avid hunter like myself is writing a letter advocating for wildlife. It’s nothing new; hunters have always been among the most misunderstood advocates for wildlife, yet it’s the North American model of wildlife management that brought many species close to extinction back to the healthy populations we see today. However, given how recently this state has chosen to ignore science-based wildlife management in favor of ballot-box biology, I think it would be better for me to share my experience as a deputy so you can accurately understand my passion for this project.

One of the first experiences I had as a deputy that kept me up at night occurred when I first started working patrol. It took place near Aspen Village after a bear had been hit by a car and was dragging its back legs, attempting to pull itself off the highway. Thankfully, a passerby reported it; after the person who hit him failed to stop or call it in, which happens all too often. The bear was lying there in pain until someone had the decency to call Dispatch, so I could put him out of his misery. I hunt bear, I eat bear meat, render the fat to cook with, use the tallow; I tan the hide, and keep every part I can from the animal. It was the indifference shown to that bear's life that kept me up that evening; any respectable hunter would never allow such waste and disregard for life to occur.

As I continued my career, I was often called upon to attend these calls, and because of my upbringing, I was able to put these animals out of their misery quickly. But I want to be clear that it never gets easier, and just like me, all of our deputies and CPW officers deal with this constantly on Highway 82.

Most of you see all the deer and elk piled up on the sides of the road rotting in the sun and think you have an accurate understanding of the number of animals that get hit every day, but the rest of our citizens don't. I see the animals that were hit by drivers who call in days later wanting a crash report, but never thought to inform us in the moment, so we could go and recover the animal, or see if it survived.

We see all the animals that are hit and picked up by people on the road kill list who, like me, are trying to provide quality, organic meat to their families, most of whom are also hunters. I hear all the calls on the radio of animals hit and fatally wounded, trying to cross the highway with the rest of the herd early in the morning, only to limp off and not be found. Those are the ones who will be eaten alive slowly by predators because they are too injured to run, or they will die slowly in misery. All of the animals with compound fractures who are left trying to crawl off the highway while cars whiz by, often times not even slowing down or attempting to help.

I see all the animals we drag off deep into the brush because we don’t want other animals feeding on the carcass to get hit, which they often do because we are left with no other option but to leave the carcass where it is for CDOT to maybe come and pick them up weeks later.

I see the cubs who get hit, wandering up and down the highway after their mother was hit in front of them, confused and don’t know where to go. I can go on and on about what we see but you and the rest of the public likely don’t, but I won't. I’m not trying to traumatize anyone; I’m trying to help the rest of the public understand that what they see is a fraction of what is going on. I guarantee you I’m more aware of how brutal nature can be than anyone on this board, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't take action to limit these incidents when human interaction is the cause of suffering.

Highway 82 divides critical low-country habitat and river corridors from the Roaring Fork River, the main water source for deer, elk, and other wildlife. These animals already face enough challenges from winter kill, habitat loss due to development, and the fragmentation caused by our roadways, hunting, and living amongst multiple apex predators.

As a deputy, I see the heavy traffic starting before dawn and continuing into the evening, which are peak times when mammals like deer and elk are most active and vulnerable. CDOT data shows that on the six-mile stretch of Highway 82 from the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport to Aspen Village, more than 55% of reported collisions involve wildlife, with elk accounting for about 34%. I can tell you first hand that those numbers do not accurately reflect how many animals are killed; unfortunately, it's much more.

If the preservation of wildlife isn't enough cause for action, reports indicate that up to 30% of crashes in the broader Roaring Fork Valley involve animals, resulting in millions of dollars in vehicle damage, serious bodily injuries, and, sadly, more roadkill. These aren't just numbers; they represent real experiences and tragic losses for our wildlife populations and the residents of this community. As an SRO, I’ve had students who were afraid to injure an animal, swerve and crash their vehicles.

I’ll leave it to the experts involved in this project to share all the statistics with you. We live in an abundance of information; you don’t need to hear that from me, but I do encourage you all to do your own research, and when you do, you will see these projects save lives.

Supporting Roaring Fork Safe Passages means investing in safer roads for our community, protecting our wildlife heritage, and preserving the valley's outdoor way of life that has been a part of our culture and community for generations. This is a win for drivers, animals, hunters, tourism, and future generations.

I respectfully urge the Board to support research, partnerships, and approvals to advance these crossings. I'm happy to answer questions or provide more details from my perspective as a citizen growing up in this wonderful community.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Cameron Daniel

Third-Generation Roaring Fork Valley Resident