Vail Town Council votes to partner with state on bighorn sheep habitat project
Rick Spitzer/Courtesy photo
The Vail Town Council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday night authorizing a partnership with Colorado Parks and Wildlife to improve bighorn sheep habitat in East Vail.
The agreement supports the Booth Creek Fuels Reduction Project, a multi-year effort to restore and enhance more than 3,600 acres of habitat while reducing wildfire risk and protecting water resources in the Upper Gore Creek watershed.
The area has been identified as a critical winter range for Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, a herd that has declined significantly — from about 125 animals in the 1990s to just 41 in 2019. The project aims to reverse that trend through habitat restoration, improved movement corridors, and increased visibility for predator detection.
Work will include a combination of hand thinning, mechanical treatments, and prescribed fire across roughly 3,000 acres, along with additional targeted habitat improvements.
Funding totals nearly $400,000, including $300,000 from the state’s Auction Raffle Program secured by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and $100,000 committed by the town.
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Project work is expected to begin in May 2026 and conclude by June 2027, divided into nine treatment units.
