As part of the continuing celebration of the 50th anniversary of the federal Wilderness Act, a veteran Colorado biologist will talk about the importance of wilderness to wildlife populations in the Rockies at Fort Lewis College.
Scott Wait, senior terrestrial biologist for the southwest region of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, will make a presentation at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 28, at the lyceum at the Center for Southwest Studies on the Fort Lewis College campus.
"Wilderness is incredibly important for wildlife populations," Wait said. "It provides a significant refuge and allows animals to live with a minimal amount of human disturbance."
Colorado's southwest corner holds the largest concentration of wilderness areas in the state. These areas include: Weminuche, Lizard Head, South San Juan, Sangre de Cristo, Fossil Ridge, Uncompahgre, Raggeds, La Garita, Powderhorn, West Elk, and Escalante-Dominguez Canyon.
Wait has worked for more than 30 years as a wildlife biologist in Colorado. Originally from Missouri, he earned his undergraduate degree in wildlife biology from the University of Wyoming in 1980.
