Petition to Preserve and Protect Wildlife Diversity in Clarendon Hills

Front Range Community College is rapidly moving towards the construction of a parking lot on the north side of the irrigation ditch located in the empty field South of the College We are concerned about the impact this will have on our neighborhood wildlife, and more regionally, on the biodiversity of south Fort Collins wildlife.

The goal of this petition is to drive the parking lot as far north as possible and simultaneously preserve as much of the area in its natural state as possible.

A wildlife corridor is defined as an area of natural habitat that serves as a conduit for wildlife movement between known wildlife reservoirs that have been fragmented by human activities. We have a large wildlife reservoir just to the west of Shields in the Cathy Fromme Prairie. The wildlife is drawn into Clarendon Hills from the Cathy Fromme Prairie via Fossil Creek. They utilize the cover and food sources provided by the irrigation canal and detention ponds. Significant wildlife activity can be seen along the irrigation canal south of FRCC all the way to Ridgeview Park and beyond. Disruption of this corridor, or failure to preserve a wide swatch of natural landscape, will disrupt local wildlife movement, detract from the beauty of our neighborhood, and diminish the biodiversity of our wild visitors.

Clarendon Hills has many environmental experts and wildlife enthusiasts. From amateur birdwatchers and nature photographers to professional wildlife biologists, naturalists, and veterinarians; our neighborhood values these natural visitors. The sheer number of bird feeders, butterfly gardens, and wildlife-friendly yards reinforce this fact. We have reports of a very diverse and healthy wildlife population in this area.

We fear that the expansion of FRCC will greatly diminish, if not eliminate, this amazing biodiversity and quality of life in our neighborhood. This petition documents Clarendon Hills’ desire to preserve as much of the property south of FRCC in its natural state as possible and to protect and preserve the wildlife corridor.