Aspen Times: Study highlights recreational trail impacts to wildlife habitat
This graphic illustrates how the human form, scent and behaviors on hiking, biking and motorized trails can have more of an impact on elk activity and wildlife avoidance than vehicles on paved roads.
Keep Routt Wild/Courtesy image
It's worth posting this again, since there is talk of not just a 60-80 acre “large-scale recreation destination” bike park, but a busy "recreation hub" with crisscrossing trails at Hughes that would fragment the land, and further stress the Foothills ecosystem at and near Hughes.
From the Article:
— “This study gives insight into the recreational impacts that may be contributing to the decline and can serve as a valuable tool to avoid it in the future,” Desjardin said. “The area supports a great deal of recreation, hosting the Steamboat ski area, the Continental Divide Trail, an extensive trail network near Buffalo Pass and numerous other non-motorized and motorized trails.”
— “We are using elk as a proxy species for the observation and protection of a wide range of species and habitat,” Thrasher said.
— The maps showed that a majority of these areas could be disturbed by human recreation. The study showed a handful of undisturbed habitat islands, each separated significantly by areas of human disturbance, which leads to habitat fragmentation and interferes with the natural movement and migration of elk, Desjardin said.
—The analysis consisted of superimposing “disturbance bands” on roads and trails showing the distance from trails that elk would stay away to avoid different types of recreational users. This avoidance leads to elk abandoning habitat. The full study, including informational maps, can be found on the Keep Routt Wild website under the “Experts & Studies” tab and then “Wildlife Studies.”
https://www.aspentimes.com/news/study-highlights-recreational-trail-impacts-to-wildlife-habitat/
