Conservation Northwest

CNW-spring-summer-2012

Conservation Northwest protects and connects old-growth forests and other wild areas from the Washington Coast to the British Columbia Rockies, vital to a healthy future for us, our children, and wildlife. Since 1989, Conservation Northwest has worke

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Roads and wildlife in Washington. I had pictured our wild places being not only roadless themselves, but large enough that one could get lost in them for days, far removed from any roads or signs of our current lives. Not so. I'm a woman of moderate athleticism, and 13.7 miles is something I could walk in a day in decent terrain. Even in tough terrain, that small mileage doesn't scare me off from attempting to reach the end of the trail over time. Yet the picture of the wild I'd created was certainly more than a mere 13.7 miles from a road. Think about how that distance looks for the species we work to protect and connect: A gray wolf, black bear, or elk can run 13.7 miles in half an hour. In our culture, we have romanticized roads as our gateway to that important somewhere. In Washington that "somewhere" is often defined as our majestic wild places. In our naïve enthusiasm to access all those somewheres, we end up destroying them. That is a trend we must reverse. To actually protect and connect wild places here, we must restore them and increase their size. We must aim to increase the distance of the farthest point from a road to a number that matches our imagination when we think of the wild. At the least we need space enough that respects the need for solitude that the The furthest point from a road that one can get in Washington is a mere 13.7 miles. How do we make that match our dreams of wildness? wildlife we seek to protect need to live. 13.7 is a number that is easily changed as we alter our existing road system, and within months to a year could be something that inches closer to the mileage we imagine of the wild. Connecting the dots This year, Conservation Northwest is bringing a renewed spirit to our work in policy and on the ground to address the issue of connected wildlife and roads. We'll work with communities to ensure we find a balance in the desire for access to our special places with the biological need to decrease our existing road systems. Support us in our national forest program work to implement national policies to reduce and restore our road system. Donate to our road restoration projects that directly translate to miles decommissioned on the ground, and volunteer to help document the condition and extent of our existing road system. Engage with us as we create safer highways for motorists and wildlife by providing passage under or over roadways. Support us as we take part in scientific collaborations such as the Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity WorkKeeping the Northwest wild Family of river otters using existing I-90 culvert Good gains 1. Design for 15 miles of the I-90 Project includes 24 crossing structures for wildlife to move safely under or over the freeway. This year, savings from already completed construction was dedicated to designing the next phase, including the Rock Knob wildlife overpass, a first for Washington state! (See page 6 ) 2.In 2004, The Cascades Conservation Partnership protected 45,000 acres of habitat connecting the Alpine Lakes Wilderness to Mt. Rainier. Now we are reducing high road densities in the Cascades near I-90. We've raised private funds to close 8.5 miles of roads to better connect natural habitat. We are working with the Forest Service to restore hundreds of additional miles—meaning our work has only begun. 3.We are engaging local communities and working with the Washington State Department of Transportation to find safe passage for people and wildlife on Highway 97 just north of Riverside in the Okanogan Valley. This stretch of highway is one of the most dangerous locations in the state for vehicle-animal collisions, particularly deer. (See page 10) Continued next page ing Group to understand the extent and impact of roads on wildlife. Help us in British Columbia's Cascades as we look to bring lessons learned south of the border to address higher road densities where many rare species, including grizzly bears, still live. The challenge is huge, it is measured in miles, but it is one that we have the tools to overcome. We cannot do this work alone: it takes everyone, traveling this new path together. Spring-Summer 2012 5

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