Colorado 83 south of Franktown is one of the prettiest stretches of road in Colorado. It meanders across the high plains with beautiful views of Pike's Peak and the Front Range, of river valleys and grasslands. Its wildlife population includes deer, antelope, coyotes, foxes, owls, hawks and eagles. Nowadays, it is under siege from development. And the wild animals are suffering.

Driving home from Colorado Springs recently, I saw a herd of antelope racing up and down the side of the Highway 83, frantic to get across a fence that blocked them from safety. They had always been able to move freely onto the wide open prairie before, but a few days earlier, a developer had put up a fence that was impassable to them. His brand new sign announced 35 acre rural homesites.

As more and more of us want to live in the country, we are creating hardships that will drive away the wildlife we love to see. The very popular 35 acre subdivisions often mean fences where none existed before, small parcels of grassland grazed to the bare ground by a couple of horses, and dogs running free, terrorizing the deer and antelope that used to find refuge there. Some neatniks even mow their entire 35 acres, eliminating the protection for small animals that, in turn, provided food for the hawks and eagles that used to soar overhead.

We talk a lot about containing sprawl, urban boundaries, transit and such. And I heartily believe in the importance of these efforts. Nonetheless, Coloradans will continue to want their own piece of paradise (and, I confess, I'm one of those who have lived and loved a rural existence for most of my life). Given this reality, we need to manage the impacts of rural growth as well as those of sprawling suburbs.

Ever since I watched the terrified herd of antelope, I've been increasingly aware of the barriers we unwittingly create. It doesn't need to be this way. We can be more thoughtful about how we live in the country and how we protect the habitat of wildlife that used to enjoy our new pastures. In fact, many of Colorado's land trusts are pioneering the way to better utilization of "country" land.

Some developers of 35 acre subdivisions are clustering houses on one part of a parcel of land, leaving a large block of open space owned in common by the homeowners. This provides big stretches of undeveloped land for wildlife. Conservation easements are protecting prime ranchlands from development, giving economic gain to the rancher and continued agricultural use and open space for the benefit of all of us.

In a traditional 35 acre subdivision, developers and landowners can choose to build fences that deer, antelope and elk can jump over or scramble through-instead of the white plastic barriers that seem to creep across so much of our landscape. If homeowners will confine their dogs to a small part of their land, wildlife will not be scared off. And, we should encourage habitat, grasslands and native shrubs for small mammals so that raptors will continue to thrive.

Finally, we can change the out-of-date law that exempts developments with lot sizes of 35 acres or more from any county zoning or regulation. The current law simply means that a developer can do anything he wants, no matter how adverse the impacts on the rest of us or on the wildlife that live here. But-for that to happen, we Coloradans will have to push our elected officials to be stewards of our land, our wildlife and our environment. And we who live in rural areas must lead the way with common sense use of the land we share with our wild friends.

For those of you who contacted me about my column two weeks ago on help for dyslexic kids, my friend, Nanci Bell, would be happy to talk to you. Her company is Lindemood-Bell, 416 Higuera St., San Luis Obispo, CA 93401. Phone numbers are 800/233-2008 or 805/541-3836.