The Livermore Valley is a vast landscape of foothills, canyons and pastureland in north Larimer County. It’s home to 100,000 acres of conserved land that provide habitat and a migration corridor for wildlife, including big-game animals. And the busy U.S. Highway 287.
“You could say that highway 287 was kind of a ribbon of death for wildlife, because they all have to cross it on their traditional east-west seasonal movements,” said Rick Knight, professor emeritus at Colorado State University, teaching wildlife and environmental conservation.
Standing in the Stonewall Creek bed, which runs underneath the highway, Knight explained why U.S. 287 was dangerous in this spot…