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A mountain biker gets in her last switchback of the season at Twin Buttes last week. Starting Dec. 1, the upper reaches of the Twin Buttes trail system, as well as several other popular trail areas, are closed to the public to protect wintering wildlife./ Photo by Missy Votel
Don’t be ‘that guy’ Being one with nature is cool, but not a good reason to violate closures by Jonathan Romeo
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h, December. Holiday cheer, spending time with loved ones and the start of people making really, really bad decisions about being in areas closed to protect wildlife. Every year, select public lands around Durango critical for wildlife to survive the winter are closed from Dec. 1- April 15. And every year, people walk or bike around closure signs, barricades and locked gates and then give outlandish excuses when caught, from “being one with nature” to thinking closures don’t apply when it’s sunny out. “While we know these areas are popular with trail users, data shows it is also necessary to close them to human activity during the winter months for the sake of wildlife,” Colorado Parks and Wildlife assistant wildlife manager Steve McClung said in a statement. “There are plenty of other trails in our area for people to recreate on during the winter months, and we ask the community to respect these closures.” Habitat loss, drought, disease – it’s hard for big game these days. Studies from CPW in recent years show elk and deer populations have been stagnating or declining in Southwest Colorado, with little signs of improvement.
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An egregious example of failing to heed wildlife closures./ Photo courtesy of BLM As a result, CPW and the Bureau of Land Management close off a few areas in lower elevations where big game can find refuge during the winter months. These areas include Animas City Mountain, Grandview Ridge, Big Canyon, Twin Buttes, and Perins Peak and Bodo wildlife areas, among others. The closures are especially important as more and more studies show just how much impact all forms of recreation – and yes, even dogs – have on wildlife. When big game are startled and run off, they not only expend crucial calories but also elevate their
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heart rates and lose time they could be spending foraging or resting. There’s even more risk to pregnant animals, who are particularly sensitive to disturbances and need all their strength to give birth in the spring. A 2021 study published in Nature Conservation found large mammals traveled more than a half-mile at the sight of a human. “Outdoor recreation is increasingly recognized for its deleterious effects on wildlife,” the study determined. And, with outdoor recreation growing, researchers said it was important to create refuges and buffer zones. Despite the closures, every year turns up a few bad apples. Even though the BLM has just two law enforcement officers covering more than 600,000 acres in Southwest Colorado, several people are issued citations each winter. The offense carries a fine up to $250. In the 2020-21 season, the BLM issued 11 violations and 10 warnings. CPW issues about 12-18 citations a year at Bodo and at least six a year at Perins Peak. Tyler Fouss, BLM law enforcement manager, said people are violating closures every day, as evidenced by footprints and bike tracks on the trail. The BLM tries to monitor patterns to catch people at the right time and place, but that’s no easy task with such a massive coverage area and so few of-
