For generations, the San Luis Valley has astounded both locals and visitors with its abundant wildlife and unrivaled scenery. From the San Juans to the Great Sand Dunes, there is perhaps no better place to witness the raw beauty of our state. Thousands of sandhill cranes come to the valley every spring on their migration. Like many bird species, they migrate over thousands of miles from Mexico to the northern tundra of Canada. The cranes visit the San Luis Valley in February and March before travelling onward to Nebraska or Yellowstone National Park.
Their beauty and gracefulness is such a natural spectacle that for nearly four decades bird watchers and outdoor enthusiasts have flocked to our valley’s annual Monte Vista Crane Festival. However, despite that love and the general appreciation most of us have for nature, wildlife -- and our winged friends in particular -- has never been more imperiled than today. Since 1970, we’ve lost one-quarter of all birds in North America. That’s approximately 3 billion less birds in the sky than 50 years ago. Part of this problem comes from the ruin of wild spaces. In Colorado alone, we’ve lost more than a half-a-million acres to development. This land use is suffocating biodiversity on land and in the air.
Thankfully, there is a plan that can protect an abundance and diversity of species: We need to protect 30 percent of the world’s land and water by the end of the decade. Sure, reaching this goal by 2030, which is colloquially known as “30 by 30”, is ambitious, but it’s also attainable if we start taking immediate steps now. Fortunately, U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and Tom Udall have already stepped forward as major supporters of the plan.
At present, Colorado - despite being roughly one-third public land - has just an estimated 10 percent, or roughly 6 million acres of its total land adequately protected. This means that we have to protect another 14 million acres to reach 30 percent by 2030. For the San Luis Valley, that should include protecting and expanding wilderness or creating other special designations for our valley’s public lands.
That said, developing protected areas is only one of the many ways we reach our target. Private landowners can also play a major role in conservation by ensuring safe migration corridors for birds and mammals. A federal bill called the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act would establish a wildlife movements grant program to encourage the movement of wildlife across their habitats.
In our region, these habitat areas that connect larger protected areas to each other can play a meaningful role in keeping herds of elk and bighorn sheep healthy and prosperous. When land is broken up into disconnected pockets of nature, it leads to disease and a limited gene pool, making these species more vulnerable.
The San Luis Valley has long served as a wildlife migration corridor and we should incentivize landowners in the valley to continue to prioritize that important role. We know how to do this. When it comes to local wildlife corridors that could serve as perfect candidates for protection, many were already identified during the Rio Grande National Forest Planning process. They include: Antora Meadows, Elkhorn, Saguache Creek, Pole Creek, Sheep Mountain, Snowshoe Mountain, Wason Park, the North Fork of Rock Creek, Lake Fork, Wannamaker/Deep Creek, Summit Peak, Adams Fork/Three Forks and Elk Creek, which is next to the South San Juan Wilderness. The Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act provides in depth information on the importance of wildlife corridors in the US.
In addition, approximately 47,000 acres in the lower reaches of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains have been recommended as lands that could help contribute to the 30 percent total.
