VAIL \u2014 Creating safe ways for wildlife to cross local highways will be expensive. But the results can be immediate, and dramatic.<\/p>\n
Julie Kintsch of ECO-resolutions spent the noon hour Tuesday talking about reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions at Vail’s Grand View meeting room for the town’s latest Lunch with the Locals presentation.<\/p>\n
Kintsch is part of an effort called Eagle County Safe Passages for Wildlife. That group is working with local governments, state and federal agencies, nonprofit groups and other private-sector interests to make it easier for animals to get around, particularly in the Eagle River Valley.<\/p>\n
Kintsch said while the miles of wildlife fencing along Interstate 70 have helped reduce collisions, there are relatively few places for animals to cross the highway.<\/p>\n
There are long bridges in spots along the west side of Vail Pass that allow wildlife unencumbered movement. A handful of long bridges between Eagle and Gypsum serve the same role, with limited success.<\/p>\n
In between, crossing spots are limited, and of limited usefulness.<\/p>\n
There’s a large culvert under the interstate between West Vail and Dowd Junction. But, Kintsch said, that culvert isn’t quite large enough for animals to comfortably use.<\/p>\n
There are early plans to expand I-70 on the west side of Vail Pass<\/a> to accommodate animal migration. But that project is still in its preliminary stages, and there’s no funding currently available.<\/p>\n Still, Kintsch said, big projects are possible, and they can have an almost immediate effect.<\/p>\n Along with talking about efforts in this and other countries, Kintsch spent a good bit of time talking about an ambitious and recent highway crossing project in Grand County.<\/p>\n That project, along State Highway 9 between Silverthorne and Kremmling, has put up miles of wildlife fencing, as well as a number of crossing sites, including two overpasses and five underpasses.<\/p>\n That stretch of highway was once one of the most dangerous in the state for wildlife-vehicle collisions.<\/p>\n In the decade before the 2015 completion of the project’s first phase, there had been more than 650 wildlife-vehicle collisions on that stretch of the highway. From 1995 \u2014 2015, 16 human fatalities had occurred.<\/p>\n Those accidents fell dramatically after the first phase was complete, and fell even more after the project was finished in 2016. In fact, wildlife-vehicle accidents dropped by about 85 percent.<\/p>\n But getting to the point of construction wasn’t easy, and required work from a lot of agencies and individuals.<\/p>\n Kintsch said a lot of credit goes to Paul T. Jones, owner of the Blue Valley Ranch. In total, the ranch contributed nearly $5 million for design work and construction costs. It also contributed right-of-way for wildlife crossings.<\/p>\n But, Kintsch said, the project required more than just the deep pockets of one ranch owner.<\/p>\n When the Colorado Department of Transportation agreed to fund the Highway 9 project, that agency required a 20 percent investment from local interests.<\/p>\n Blue Valley Ranch put up $4 million as a matching grant, and another $5.5 million was raised in just 45 days. Kintsch said that money was raised from individuals and the towns of Kremmling and Silverthorne. Grand County put in the remaining $2.1 million.<\/p>\n While some wildlife crossings can take a few seasons for animals to acclimate, the mule deer using the Highway 9 crossing started using the overpasses and underpasses almost immediately.<\/p>\n Partnerships like the one that made the Highway 9 project possible will be needed in Eagle County, Kintsch said. But good planning and prioritization are also essential.<\/p>\n Eagle County has a plan that accommodates wildlife crossings. Kintsch said the work is going to require working with state and federal agencies, as well as with towns and other counties.<\/p>\n It will be hard to coordinate need and funding. But Kintsch said if she could choose the first projects, they’d be at Dowd Junction and on Vail Pass.<\/p>\n And, while better freedom of movement isn’t the only answer to rebuilding Eagle County’s wildlife herds, Kintsch said it’s an important part of the larger answer.<\/p>\nCooperation is key<\/h2>\n