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Get involved with wildlife discussion and Vail’s Open Lands Plan (letter)

To the editor: Two letters to you by longtime Vail locals Dave Gorsuch and Patti Langmaid (“Applauding recent wilderness act” and “Wilderness and wildlife,” Wednesday, Jan. 31) were spot on and timely.

Both reference, among other things, the significant loss of wildlife habitat in and around Vail. The recent Wildlife Forum sponsored by the town of Vail and Vail Symposium on Jan. 18, 2018, had sobering and alarming scientific study information as it relates to wildlife habitat loss and fragmentation.

These wildlife considerations are also very timely for the town of Vail as it continues to update the Open Lands Plan — in fact, the town of Vail hosted the forum as a result of public outcry that more wildlife considerations were needed in the update. At this point, it remains unclear what the town intends to do to further address the concerns raised at the wildlife forum.



At the forum, Bill Andree, of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, referenced an interesting article in Outside magazine that argues that “place” now should be considered a priority over any human recreational want or need. It can be found by Googling “The new golden rule of playing outside: Place first.”

The town of Vail should also be giving this serious consideration, as it will soon be making decisions on open space, wildlife habitat impacts, new trails, etc. Those decisions should logically follow efforts the town and numerous other entities are making in Vail’s pursuit of international recognition for “sustainability.”

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Please take the time to watch the Wildlife Forum if you weren’t in attendance. Find it at http://www.highfivemedia.org/show/wildlife-forum, and then get involved if you care about what’s left of wildlife habitat in our region.

Tom Vucich

Vail


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