“LETTER TO THE EDITOR : Death of moose should have been avoided. Please respect our wildlife.

”Having somehow found his way onto the second story of the parking structure across from the Steamboat Grand, [the moose] was surrounded and repeatedly pursued by people who ignored shouted instructions to stand clear, until he fell to his death.
...
When you panic them so that they jump off a second story onto the concrete below, they die, frightened and in pain. When you go home and tell your friends what you did on vacation, make sure to include that.””

“LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Trails are a want, habitat is a need

”As a professional wildlife biologist who worked for Colorado Parks and Wildlife from 1993-2019, with the last 13 years here in Steamboat I have seen many changes to wildlife populations, and most have not been good...

The Mad Rabbit Trails proposal would bisect large sections of national forest dramatically reducing its effective habitat value including the species rich Ferndale area. With already 500 miles of local trails do we really “need” more? Wildlife needs habitat to survive, trails are a human want, not a need.””

“LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Mad Rabbit project needs to be revised or nixed

”An even better solution would be to not build trails in elk calving areas in the first place. Routt County residents have overwhelmingly shown to favor conservation over recreation. The U.S. Forest Service should respect this local input and build trails where they will not have such a serious negative impact as does this proposal.””

“LETTER TO THE EDITOR: To balance conservation and recreation, Forest Service must follow the science

”In the most recent Routt County Master Plan Survey, 70% of residents agreed with the statement “it is important to balance recreation and conservation.” To be in favor of this balance does not imply opposition to biking, hiking or off-road vehicles. Rather, it is to stand in support of the rich abundance of wildlife and wild places we cherish and to understand that these precious resources are rapidly being exhausted.””

“LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Existing trails provide ample opportunities to enjoy Routt National Forest

”Everyone currently has the opportunity to find a trailhead to one of our forest trails, venture in, and to see what the forest has to offer...

If creating a new trail system across the mountains and forests have the purpose to attract more visitors and to develop a highway through nature just to have individuals say they have “done it” and check that box, at the expense of pristine quiet forest and its inhabitants, then shame on the human caretakers of our forest.””

“LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Routt County deserves better than Mad Rabbit

”It’s time to ask ourselves, “When is enough enough?”...

Once habitat is lost, it is never regained. It’s time to demand that the Forest Service use best available science to create a new plan that delivers both, recreation and conservation.””

“LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Mad Rabbit project comes with concerns

”We can either choose to work with nature or we can try to impose our will upon it, and the Steamboat I want to live in more closely resembles the former than the latter.””

“LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Mad Rabbit Trails Project threatens wildlife populations

”As a new father with a strong appreciation for the outdoors, I want my son and his children to be able to appreciate this amazing and wild biosphere as it exists now. Please reconsider this project entirely and preserve our delicate ecosystem for future generations.””

“KEEPING ROUTT WILD: WHEN IS ENOUGH ENOUGH?

”Indeed, how many trails do we have to build through elk calving areas before we say, enough is enough? How many roadless areas need to be shoveled and scraped before we say enough is enough? How much should we transform our wild areas into visitor-oriented amusement parks before we say enough is enough?

It will not serve the Yampa Valley well to fill our wildlands to their maximum human carrying capacity.”
”

“LETTER TO THE EDITOR: City should retract Mad Rabbit Trail Project

“Though I am an avid cyclist, hiker and outdoorsman, I have come to the conclusion that the creation of those trails presents a serious risk to wildlife habitat in Routt County, and specifically elk habitat.””

“LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Impact of Mad Rabbit trails concerning

”Many of the proposed trails will hurt wildlife, worsen traffic and parking congestion, adversely impact the economic health of the many Steamboat businesses that cater to wildlife enthusiasts and push deer and elk onto private ranches where they will eat hay, causing depredation.”

“...When I voted for the Trails Initiative I believed the money would be spent on improving expanding the Core Trail and other established biking/hiking trails, which would in effect give the bikers/hikers better and expanded opportunities. without encroaching in to most habitat outside the urban core/influence zone.”

“...I am concerned that current discussions do not align with the ‘compass points’ publicly documented. Plans that incorporate public funding must benefit the greater good. It is also critical that we need to carefully plan for being ‘visitor ready’ and absolutely ensure that our greatest assets are very carefully stewarded and protected. Any concern for wildlife habitat should be highly considered as well as the proposals should benefit the highest number of users.”

“...Equally disturbing are the reports of elk moving away from the Buffalo Pass area. The reports are multiple and credible. A reduction of habitat in the Routt National Forest directly affects the viable size of the resident elk herds, and places more pressure on nearby private lands as the elk migrate in response. Reducing wild habitat is the opposite of what we want to do.”