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Resource Library

Educational and Outreach Materials

The Crossing: An Alliance Newsletter Series

In February 2022, the Alliance released its first issue of “The Crossing,” an Alliance-developed newsletter series intended to keep partners, agency staff, and stakeholders engaged and updated with all things Wildlife and Transportation in Colorado. Please see below for newsletter updates. If you would like to be added to receive the newsletter, please email [email protected].

Education and Outreach Tools

Colorado Parks and Wildlife has developed two education modules to be incorporated to middle and high school curriculum. If you would like to access more information on these modules and connect with one of our education specialists, please contact us here.

Presentation Deck: If you’re looking to present about wildlife and transportation issues in Colorado, the Alliance has developed this slide deck tool as a resource of information to share with others

Webinar Series Recordings

In spring 2021, the Alliance hosted a series of three webinars. These webinars introduced the Alliance success stories, highlighted the West Slope and East Slope and Plains Wildlife Prioritization Studies, and provided tools for partners to engage with the Alliance.

Check out recordings of the completed webinars below:

Policy and Legislation

West Slope Mule Deer Strategy

CPW strives to increase and improve big game populations through investments in habitat and conservation, including building more highway wildlife crossings to protect wildlife and motorists. The importance of this factor was recently identified in CPW’s Mule Deer Strategy as a contributing cause of population-level impacts.

CDOT Environmental Stewardship Guide

This guide speaks to CDOT’s ethic to “support and enhance efforts to protect the environment and quality of life for all of Colorado’s citizens in the pursuit of providing the best transportation systems and services possible.”

CDOT NEPA Manual

NEPA, or the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 USC 4321-4335), was enacted to promote a national policy for protection of the environment and to raise awareness of the importance of natural resources to the nation. NEPA requires federal agencies, in cooperation with state and local governments, to address the environmental impacts of a proposed federal action or an action that receives federal funds.

FHWA Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Reduction Study

This study details the causes and impacts of WVCs and identifies potential solutions to this growing safety problem. The report focuses on mitigation methods that reduce the number of collisions between vehicles and large wildlife, such as deer, because these accidents present the greatest safety danger to travelers and cause the most damage.

Secretarial Order 3362

Released in 2018, this Order directs appropriate bureaus within the Department of the Interior (DOI) to work in close partnership with Colorado, among other states, to enhance and improve the quality of big-game winter range and migration corridor habitat on Federal lands under the management jurisdiction of the DOI in a way that recognizes state authority to conserve and manage big-game species and respects private property rights.

Conserving Colorado’s Big Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors Executive Order

In 2019 the governor signed an executive order (Conserving Colorado’s Big Game Winter Range and Migration Corridors) which enhances collaboration and wildlife conservation efforts by several state agencies — the Department of Natural Resources, Colorado Parks and Wildlife and CDOT and specifically mentions the Alliance as a mechanism for achieving these goals.

CPW is tasked with creating an annual report for this Executive Order.

Colorado Senate Bill 22-151

In 2022, the Colorado state legislature passed Senate Bill 22-151, Safe Crossings For Colorado Wildlife And Motorists. This bill created a dedicated wildlife mitigation fund for Colorado and allocated $5million to the fund in its first year. An additional $500,000 was allocated to the fund in 2023.

Data and Information Sharing

Western Slope Wildlife Prioritization Study

The research team identified, mapped, and prioritized highway segments across Colorado’s Western Slope. This prioritization was based on the risk of WVC and the need for mule deer and elk to cross highways during their migration.

Eastern Slope and Plains Wildlife Prioritization Study

The research team identified, mapped, and prioritized highway segments across Colorado’s Eastern Slope and Plains. This prioritization was based on the risk of WVC and the need for mule deer and elk to cross highways during their migration.

Transport Ecology

A globally-relevant on-line resource providing open access information to improve the ecological outcomes of transportation and linear infrastructure projects. This new information hub contains summaries of peer-reviewed research, best practice notes and case studies from around the world. The content is provided by experienced researchers and practitioners from all continents, and targets the needs of planners, engineers, ecologists, consultants, funders, researchers, regulators, builders, managers and the general community.

CDOT Data

The Colorado Department of Transportation maintains wildlife-vehicle collision data hosted on their website and updated on a regular basis.

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