MANAGING DEVELOPMENT

FOR PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE

A Handbook for Habitat Protection by Local Governments







Clarion Associates of Colorado, LLC

and

Colorado Division of Wildlife

for

The Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund

"Early European colonists had an abundance of wildlife to serve subsistence needs. Seemingly endless flocks of ducks, geese, and swans; and abundance of wild turkeys, deer, and bison; green clouds of Carolina parakeets and millions of passenger pigeons; and a bounty of fish and shellfish. This abundance quickly established a viewpoint that the New World's wildlife resources were inexhaustible."

Milton Friend

in Inventory and Monitoring of Wildlife Habitat

National Biological Service











The precipitous fall of the wildlife populations was staggering. By the last decade of the 19th century all of the major game populations were in serious trouble. Fortunately, local citizens, who had a greater appreciation for the game as a food source, became outraged at the wasteful killing and became more protective of wildlife. Starting in the 1860s and 70s the Territorial Legislative Assemblies and later, the Colorado Legislature, passed a series of acts limiting the taking of game and other fish and wildlife and forbidding the wasting of meat. These acts helped to stem the slaughter, but for some species, it was too late.

Susan Horner

in Colorado Environmental Handbook

Colorado Environmental Coalition







Authors

Christopher J. Duerksen, Clarion Associates

N. Thompson Hobbs, Colorado Division of Wildlife

Donald L. Elliott, Clarion Associates

Erin Johnson, Clarion Associates

James R. Miller, Colorado Division of Wildlife







Cover Photo: R. Bruce Gill, Colorado Division of Wildlife





TABLE OF CONTENTS



I. INTRODUCTION


II. A PRACTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR MAKING HABITAT PROTECTION DECISIONS


III. LAYING A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR A WORKABLE LOCAL WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTION PROGRAM


IV. LINKING SPECIFIC PROBLEMS WITH APPROPRIATE TOOLS


V. CRAFTING AN EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM


VI. LEGAL ISSUES


VII. THE STATE ROLE IN WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTION


VIII. THE NATIONAL ROLE IN WILDLIFE HABITAT PROTECTION



APPENDIX A: Colorado Contacts

APPENDIX B: Bibliography of Sources

APPENDIX C: Co-author Organizations

APPENDIX D: Authors' Biographies







ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS





We hope that this handbook breaks new ground for wildlife habitat protection in Colorado. The authors have completed extensive research in the areas of wildlife biology and land use law in order to create an integrated approach to those two fields. In addition, we have tried to present the information in a concise, informative way that is easily understandable to citizens and appointed and elected officials. But we could not have done it alone. Along the way, we supplemented our original research with information gleaned from scores of books, booklets, articles, resource guides, newsletters, and publications. We would like to give recognition to several of those sources that were particularly helpful.

First, we drew from the thoughtful and detailed discussions about Colorado wildlife habitat protection contained in County Government and Wildlife Management: A Guide to Cooperative Habitat Development, edited by Linda Sikorowski and Steven J. Bissell and published by the Colorado Division of Wildlife in 1986. A second useful source was a previous study authored by Erin Johnson entitled "Wildlife Habitat Protection in Urban Areas: New Ideas for Land-use Planning", which was written during her association with Clarion Associates in 1994. Third, we made extensive use of information contained in Colorado Land Planning and Development Law, a resource guide to Colorado laws edited by Donald L. Elliott and printed by the Colorado Chapter of the American Planning Association in 1992. Finally, we relied on detailed information about vegetation protection contained in a Planning Advisory Service Report authored by Christopher J. Duerksen and Suzanne Richman titled Tree Preservation Ordinances, which was published by the American Planning Association in 1994. A full bibliography of sources for this handbook is contained in Appendix B.

In addition, several individuals assisted us by compiling information and by reviewing drafts and information along the way. We would like to extend particular thanks to Tina R. Axelrad, Susan M. Horner, David Theobald, David M. Armstrong, Patricia L. Kennedy, and Richard L. Knight.

We would also like to thank the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute and the Colorado Chapter of the American Planning Association for assisting us in publicizing the information contained in this handbook at several meetings and conferences.

Finally, we express our sincere appreciation to the Great Outdoor Colorado Trust Fund, which provided the funding that made the creation of this handbook possible.

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