Karval, a town too small for a gas station, is preparing for its annual Mountain Plover Festival this week. That has ranchers and conservationists reflecting on a partnership that saved a buff-colored bird nearly designated endangered, and that spurred tourism on the Colorado plains.
The Denver Post reported Monday that over a decade ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wanted to put the mountain plover on the endangered species list. Landowners agreed to let biologists flag nests so farmers and ranchers wouldn't run over them while cultivating fields.
After scientists determined the plover population had stabilized and the government decided not to list it, Karval began to see the bird as an economic opportunity. Now birders come from afar for the three-day festival, which this year starts Friday.
