Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 68.19
Liaison Ian Johnson
Submission Date July 14, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Colorado College
OP-10: Biodiversity

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 2.00 / 2.00 George Eckhardt
Campus Planner
Facilities Services
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance?:
Yes

A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:

The Colorado College main campus in Colorado Springs, CO, straddling both sides of Monument Valley Park and the Monument Creek/Fountain Creek Watershed, which contains wetlands under the authority of the Army Corps of Engineers.

Colorado College's Campus at Baca is located on approximately 300 acres near the town of Crestone, Colorado, along the west side of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Its buildings are situated primarily adjacent to the South Crestone Creek drainage. Several different vegetation zones exist within these 300 acres, including a narrowleaf cottonwood/rocky mountain juniper riparian zone, a shrub/grassland zone, and a pinyon/juniper/ponderosa zone. Within each zone there are different fire regimes, elemental balances, and biodiversities. The college developed a land management plan designed to be adaptive in nature, and reflect sensitivity to each zone.


Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes

Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Yes

The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or environmentally sensitive areas (including most recent year assessed) and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:

The Colorado College main campus in Colorado Springs, CO, straddling both sides of Monument Valley Park and the Monument Creek/Fountain Creek Watershed, which contains wetlands under the authority of the Army Corps of Engineers.


A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:

The Baca Campus Land Management Report discusses the South Crestone Creek Riparian Corridor especially in regards to fire mitigation and invasive species.


A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:

The Baca Campus Land Management Report recommended a land management plan which includes removing hazardous fuels (fire mitigation) including standing dead trees, protecting habitats, planting native seedlings, establishing and studying native plant plots, prescribed burning, and photo-monitoring.


The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

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