Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) has drafted a Trails Taskforce on planning trails with wildlife in mind. The draft handbook is now available for public review and a public comment period will be open until April 18.
According to the 2019 statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, 92 percent of residents took part in at least one outdoor activity every few weeks with many engaging in several activities a week. Using trails is the most popular outdoor activity with an estimated 400 million days spent by Coloradoans on trails every year. These uses have impacts on wildlife and their habitat.
Photo image behind the Colorado Parks and Wildlife logo courtesy of Rio Blanco Herald Times
According to CPW estimates, the U.S. population is expected to increase by an estimated 36 percent to eight billion people over the next three decades. Public land managers must prepare for both more people wanting to enjoy these outdoor spaces and the subsequent increased impact on the environment.
In 2020, CPW convened a Task Force made up of 20 representatives from CPW, federal, and local agency partners across the state. In addition, the Task Force worked to include voices and perspectives from a diverse array of stakeholders in conservation and recreation. A technical advisory team contributed extensively to the scientific aspects of the document. This updated document attempts to address the practical challenges facing trail and wildlife advocates in serving both conservation and recreational needs and values.
The 2021 version of Planning Trails with Wildlife in Mind updates the best practices and science for Colorado’s land managers, trail advocates, and conservationists engaged in trail planning. This guide focuses extensively on collaborative approaches to problem-solving.
CPW says that it believes that when trail users, conservation advocates, government agencies, and other community partners sit at the table together, they achieve outcomes that transcend the sum of their parts while maintaining respect for the values of all involved.
To read the full draft, click here.
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