Welcome to the December 2021 Keep Routt Wild Newsletter!

This edition of the Keep Routt Wild Newsletter highlights Colorado Gives Day, the latest news on the Mad Rabbit Trails Project, and some interesting recent articles.

To find out more about Keep Routt Wild, go to our website, or follow our nearly daily postings on Facebook. There we play dual roles, as a celebrant of local wildlife and as a conservation watchdog. You can support Keep Routt Wild by donating online or by check here. 

Colorado Gives Day - Great Results

We are very grateful and humbled by the generous donations from across the community this Colorado Gives Day, December 7. We exceeded our expectations. Thank you all!

We have great plans for 2022: More outreach, education, habitat analysis, and continual engagement with public land managers so our wildlife and wild places can be protected for future generations. As we’ve pointed out, we have no paid staff and rely on a team of volunteers. A donation to Keep Routt Wild delivers an outstanding conservation value per donated dollar. If you missed it, there is still time to donate before the end of the year. You may donate appreciated stock, directly by check, or directly on-line to Keep Routt Wild. Complete details may be found on our Donation page at

https://www.keeprouttwild.com/donate

What we’ve been reading and watching

Our View: Don’t kick the can down the Core Trail. “The community’s wishes are clear, and city and county leaders should pursue this project with the intention of finishing it as soon as possible.” We agree with this Steamboat Pilot editorial. Expanding the Core Trail should be the #1 trail priority of the city and county, and certainly much higher than building trails in wildlife habitat near Rabbit Ears Pass. Read the entire editorial here:

https://www.steamboatpilot.com/opinion/our-view/our-view-dont-kick-the-can-down-the-core-trail/

Trails vs. Elk: “They’re Just Dying Off”

“Wildlife habitat in Colorado is being significantly impacted by the proliferation of mechanized (i.e., mountain bike) and motorized (ATV/OHV) trails on public lands."

"In a single decade, half of Eagle County’s elk population vanished. From Vail Pass to Glenwood Canyon—since 2007’s count by CPW, who use helicopters to check herd sizes in the winter—the numbers were down 50 percent."

The decline of elk and mule deer in Eagle County should serve as a precautionary tale, not an instruction manual. You can read the entire article here.

https://www.backcountryhunters.org/trails_vs_elk_they_re_just_dying_off

SEASONS GREETING FROM ALL OF US AT KEEP ROUTT WILD

No matter how you celebrate the holidays, we wish you health and happiness this holiday season and for the coming year.

If you would like to support Keep Routt Wild and its efforts to save Routt County’s wildlife and wild spaces, please donate at the link below.

For more information please visit our website, Facebook page and Instagram feed. Our Facebook page has nearly daily updates on news related to wildlife and conservation.