FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2009
Contacts:
Bethany Gravell / Paige Bonaker, Center for Native Ecosystems, 303-546-0214
Monique DiGiorgio, Western Environmental Law Center, 406-451-0051
Kim Vacariu, Wildlands Network, 575-557-0155
Caitlin Balch-Burnett, Defenders of Wildlife, 303-825-0918
West Vail Pass Chosen as Site for International Wildlife
Crossing Design Competition
Competition will focus attention on area already identified as a priority
crossing spot for lynx, other wildlife
Denver – West Vail Pass has been selected as the site for an international competition
among teams of architects, engineers, planners and others to design a wildlife crossing
structure over Interstate 70.
Vail Pass was chosen from among twenty two candidate locations for ARC, the North
American Wildlife Crossing Structure Design Competition. The competition, convened
by a partnership of the Western Transportation Institute and other organizations in
coordination with Colorado Department of Transportation, will focus national and
international attention on a site long acknowledged as one of the most important and
impacted wildlife corridors along I-70.
A wide array of species have been documented crossing or attempting to cross the
interstate at Vail Pass. Two of the fourteen lynx killed on roads since 1999, when
Colorado began reintroducing the native cats, were killed on Vail Pass. In 2005,
Congress approved funding for preliminary studies of the Vail Pass site to support the
eventual design of a wildlife bridge.
“Vail Pass is an important highway crossing site for so many creatures,” said Bethany
Gravell, Executive Director at Center for Native Ecosystems and a representative of the
Colorado Safe Passage Coalition. “Everything from elk and mule deer to endangered
species like lynx use this vital movement corridor through our mountains. This design
competition focuses on the right location, for the right reasons. This competition will help
more people understand the importance of wildlife crossing structures within our
highway system.”
“Anyone who has driven over Vail Pass can see it is an important connection between the
mountain habitats on either side,” said Caitlin Balch-Burnett, Colorado Outreach
Representative for Defenders of Wildlife. “Ensuring wildlife can safely cross roads and
highways is crucial to keeping wildlife populations healthy into the future. They are part
of the natural heritage and an important draw for tourism dollars. Colorado will serve as
an example for the rest of the country by creating an innovatively designed wildlife
bridge in this prime location.”
The competition will draw on data collected over the past several years by Colorado Safe
Passage Coalition member organizations through a citizen science program that used
motion-triggered cameras to record wildlife activity adjacent to the roadway. The
competition will also rely on site-specific information from the Colorado Department of
Transportation about the topography and construction requirements for the location.
“Highway crossings for wildlife can have so many benefits—improved driver safety,
fewer animal deaths, healthier wildlife populations, which also means healthier
landscapes,” said Monique DiGiorgio, Conservation Strategist for the Western
Environmental Law Center. “Colorado needs to take its commitment to safety for drivers
and wildlife to the next level, and Vail Pass is the right place to do it. We believe this
competition will be good for Colorado’s mountains and wildlife and will make our state a
leader in terms of promoting innovative and practical solutions for wildlife crossings.”
“The completion of a wildlife bridge at West Vail Pass will reconnect one of North
America’s most endangered wildlife linkages and represents one more stepping stone
toward realization of our goal to create a continental wildway along the Spine of the
Continent, from Alaska to Mexico,” said Kim Vacariu, Western Director for the
Wildlands Network.
The Colorado Safe Passage Coalition includes Western Environmental Law Center,
Center for Native Ecosystems, Colorado Wild, San Juan Citizens Alliance, Defenders of
Wildlife, and Wildlands Network. The coalition seeks to improve both wildlife health
and public safety by facilitating wildlife crossing of roads, highways, and other barriers.
###