Colorado
© Mike Norton (Colorado)

Habitat Connectivity

In an effort to focus conservation efforts on areas of Colorado that provide important connectivity functions for native wildlife, the Southern Rockies Ecosystem Project (now part of Rocky Mountain Wild), partnered with the Colorado Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, The Nature Conservancy, and Colorado State University on the "Linking Colorado's Landscapes" project.  

Stable wildlife populations require healthy and connected ecosystems. Some species migrate seasonally, others require large territories to hunt, and many – especially predator species – need to be able to move across great distances to maintain the genetic diversity that is key to their survival.

Habitat fragmentation is recognized as a primary cause of the decline of species worldwide. Roads and highways,  in particular, fragment habitat, and create barriers to wildlife movement, and often result in animal-vehicle collisions.  Global climate change will alter ecosystems and force wildlife to shift their range, underscoring the need for wildlife to move across the landscape.

The goal of our Habitat Connectivity Campaign is to address habitat fragmentation by protecting key remaining habitat and restoring linkages between core habitat areas. The program complements our other campaigns to protect at-risk species and habitats in the Greater Southern Rockies, and integrates a landscape-level component into our work, creating a comprehensive conservation program that addresses species’ needs at the local, regional, and landscape scales.

Read more about Rocky Mountain Wild's Habitat Connectivity initiatives here.

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