Coal Creek Canyon Community Blog

FALL BRINGS GREATER RISK TO COLORADO MOTORISTS AND WILDLIFE

As November begins and daylight saving time ends (November 2), Colorado motorists face a higher risk of being involved in a wildlife-related accident.

According to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), November sees more car accidents involving wildlife than any other month.

“Fall is a particularly dangerous season for motorists and wildlife,” said Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) Hunter Education Coordinator Mark Cousins.  “Many people are now commuting at dusk when visibility is poor and when many of our big game animals are most active. Deer are extremely vulnerable to being struck this time of year because this is their peak mating season. They are more mobile, easily distracted and more likely to be crossing roadways.”

From 1993 through 2005, 31,824 wildlife/vehicle collisions were reported on Colorado’s roads. According to CDOT records, motor vehicle accidents involving wildlife rank as the third leading cause for crashes behind speeding and inattentive driving. These statistics include severe property damage, injuries and fatalities.

Wildlife-related accidents can happen anywhere in Colorado, however, drivers should be especially cautious when traveling through the following “high-risk” areas:

I-70 (Floyd Hill, Mt. Vernon Canyon and Eagle)

US 285 (Morrison)

Highway 160 (Durango to Pagosa Springs and Durango to Mancos)

Highway 550 (north of Durango and from Montrose to Ouray)

I-25 (Castle Rock to Larkspur)

Highway 82 (Glenwood Springs to Marble)

Highway 36 (Boulder to Lyons)

Highway 93 (Golden to Boulder)

While some collisions may be unavoidable, motorists can reduce the likelihood of an accident by taking the following precautions:

Slow Down!  Driving more slowly increases reaction time and reduces the chance of a collision.

Stay Alert while driving at dusk and dawn.  This is when many of Colorado’s wildlife are the most active and are likely to be crossing roadways.

Scan Ahead and watch for movement along roadsides.  When driving at night, watch for shining eyes in  headlights. Always look and be prepared for more than one animal.

Obey traffic signs and watch for wildlife warning signs.

Drivers who are involved in a wildlife/vehicle collision should report the accident to the Colorado State Patrol by calling *CSP (star key and 277).  The location of the crash and the type of wildlife hit will be recorded for state records.

For more information about Division of Wildlife go to: http://wildlife.state.co.us.

The elk seems to be avoiding some weather down at the bottom of the canyon. Enjoy them, and the colors.

In August and September the canyon was teeming with generosity as canyon businesses and families participated in and donated to two separate Walks to Cure Diabetes.   On August 29th the students at the Coal Creek Canyon K-8 school took advantage of a beautiful, sunny day to make two laps around the school ecology site on a Kids Walk for the Cure.  Before walking the students heard from canyon resident and parent, Matt O’Donnell, about what diabetes is and what it is like to live with type 1 diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes.  They learned that type 1 diabetes is currently an incurable disease that requires diabetics to test their blood sugar 4-12 times a day, and regularly inject insulin into their bodies in order to live.  Close to 100 students participated in the walk, and many also helped raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) by selling paper sneakers to families, friends, and canyon businesses.  Their efforts resulted in over $800 being raised, and over 800 paper sneakers papering the walls of the school!

On Sunday, September 14th many canyon residents and businesses again came together to support “Ellie’s Quest for the Cure” at the annual Rocky Mountain Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk to Cure Diabetes.  Ellie White, a canyon resident who has type 1 diabetes organized a team of walkers to celebrate her 7th birthday at the 2.5 mile walk at Elitch Gardens in Denver. Ellie’s team of over 100 walkers created a sea of black t-shirts emblazoned with Ellie’s birthday theme of living “happily ever after” by finding a cure for diabetes.  Ellie’s team raised over $4,000 to contribute to the $1,000,000 goal for the walk.

There are many people and organizations to thank for their generosity in both of these efforts to help find a cure for type 1 diabetes.  Among them are:

Ellie’s “Quest for the Cure” t-shirt sponsors:
United Power
Rocky Mountain School of Dance
Sportline
Motherhood Transitions
Ellie’s Closet

Ellie’s “Quest for the Cure” team birthday breakfast:
Mimi’s Café at Flatirons Crossing

Sneaker Supporters:
Canyon Liquors
Wondervu Café
Kirby and Thomas Leonard at Front Range Mountain Property
Kathy Keating at Mock Realty
Carl’s Corner
Revelle Real Estate
Kwik Mart
Wee Creekers
Rocky Mountain Hair
Eldora Lodge
Byers & Sellers Mountain Properties

Please join us in thanking these organizations and all of the people who helped in this effort to find a cure for diabetes.  If you have questions about diabetes or the JDRF, please contact Beth White at 303-642-1608.

For more photos see: http://flickr.com/photos/adam_jack/sets/72157607931978468/ and  http://www.flickr.com/groups/coalcreekcanyoncolorado/

Yesterday I attended a presentation on Mountain Pine Beetle by Professor Jeff Mitton at CU. I learned a lot, here is some information I found interesting:

• The forestry service predicts that in 5 years all mature lodgepole (i.e. greater than 8inches in diameter) in Colorado will be dead. (Smaller lodgepole are attacked, but perhaps will not be killed.)
• Prof. Mitton believes that the beetles are not exactly migrating, more the conditions that causes beetle populations to become at epidemic level are moving. The beetles are already here.
• Global warming is likely significant in the epidemic (as is overgrowth of trees due to fire suppression and such) but more because trees are drier and have less access to water than due to less cold winters.
• Such MBP epidemics usually start after a drought, and end due to wetter summers. This epidemic is already 4 times larger than any other recorded outbreak, with no sign of it stopping.
• The battle between tree and beetles is typically over in one day. If the tree has sufficient water balance (resin pressure) to expel the beetles it’ll live, if not it’s fate is sealed that day. (In short: giving the tree water after seeing the bore holes is not going to help.)
• A well watered tree can fend off 2000 beetles, whereas a dry one might succumb to just tens.
• Beetles initially call in other beetles for help on a target tree (using pheromones.) When a tree has lost the battle the beetles sense this and deter other beetles (again using pheromones.) The beetles that were coming, but arrive too late, then pick on neighbor trees. Hence the initial pock marks in the forest as trees die in groups.
• If there are (say) 2000 beetles are taking out one tree, then a year goes by with only tree dead & the offspring need to share that tree. If however it took only 20 beetles a tree, then 100 trees are killed, and the offspring feast/prosper in emptier trees. Clearly the spread increases…
• Bigger trees are killed in preference to smaller tree because it allows for more ’space’ under the bark for a beetle gallery. Nothing was mentioned about freezing under the bark.
• Limber pine are being attacked also (perhaps preferentially) but not so the Ponderosa Pine. Inexplicably there is no past evidence that this epidemic will spill over to that species even if/when their Lodgepole food source run out.
• Woodpecker, Nuthatch and a few bugs predate on MPB. Unfortunately, clearly insufficiently.
• If the MPB didn’t carry “Blue Stain Fungus” they’d not be anywhere near as capable of killing trees.
• Exit holes (clean, beetle diameter, no resin) mean the larvae has matured and moved on.
• There are 3-5 times more trees in Boulder county than when settlers first moved here; i.e. each trees has to share it’s water supply significantly.
• Green trees are most flamable, even red (dead) trees hold less resin; less hydrocarbons. Dead/needle-less grey trees even less flammable.

The talk was “the beetles are coming”, and little (if anything) seems able to stop them.