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
Issue link: http://conservationnw.uberflip.com/i/122699
Roads and wildlife Jay Kehne Outreach associate, jay@conservationnw.org Collisions cost us dearly Safe passage on Hwy 97 Every year, 300,000 collisions are reported between large animals (mostly deer) and cars and trucks on US highways. Likely another 700,00 animals are hit and either leave the roadside or are mortally wounded in accidents that go unreported. One million animals per year—gone. Bringing it closer to home, about 3,740 deer and 100 elk carcasses are removed from Washington highways each year. These are just the deer and elk that Creating safe passage in the Okanogan will help prevent road-killed deer and danger to motorists. Photo Jay Kehne Citizens for a safer Hwy 97 Enthusiasm is growing for a project to build an underpass to provide safe passage for mule deer and people on Hwy 97. More than 30 people turned out for a get-together held at the Tonasket Cultural Center in April. The group has decided to form a smaller steering committee to flesh out concepts for the larger group and look at the pros & cons of alternatives that local landowners suggested at the meeting. They also hope to meet quarterly and develop a simple website to share information. Interested? Call Jay at 509.470.1767. 10 remain on the highway after the collision, resulting in hazards to drivers until they are removed by highway staff. Another two to four times that many animals manage to leap or limp off the road to later die from their injuries in nearby fields or forests. In one of Washington's top ten highway locations for vehicle-wildlife collisions, a 10-mile stretch of Highway 97 between Riverside and Tonasket, more than 400 deer are estimated to die each year after being hit by vehicles. In a mere 1.5 mile length of this highway, about 73 deer are hit and killed per year. When added up, the costs associated with each vehicle-deer collision are phenomenal. Including vehicle repair costs, human injuries, towing fees, carcass removal and disposal, accident investigation, and the monetary value of the deer, each collision is estimated at $7,180. That's more than $500,000 of economic and social losses in just 1.5 miles in just one small location in Washington alone. On average, 85% of deer-vehicle collisions can be prevented by fencing and undercrossings. Just such a project is being proposed by a grassroots effort centered in the small town of Tonasket. Here, local citizens are hoping to bring necessary funds to the region to build an underpass, and associated wildlife fencing (to direct animals toward the underpass), cattle guards, "jumpouts" (escape ramps), end fence boulder barriers, and foot-gates to stop these accidents on the most critical 1.5 miles of high collision roadway along state Highway 97. Entire construction costs for this project could be offset by reduced collision costs and the value of deer saved in as little as two to three years. To get this done, local people will need to work with highway engineers, biologists, and landowners create an ecologically effective and economically efficient wildlife crossing structure while Current area and imagined underpass for Hwy 97 at a key wildlife crossing near Riverside. Jones and Jones Landscape Architecture, Inc maintaining the local inherent values of the highway to the community. Highway 97 is part of the Okanogan Trails Scenic Byway and is recognized for outstanding scenic, historic, cultural, natural, and recreational values. Mangled deer carcasses, bent fenders, and shaken or injured passengers are not a part of most people's expected journey on a Scenic Byway. If this crossing can be funded, built, and proves successful, additional phases for the remaining 8.5 miles of this dangerous stretch of road could be analyzed and promoted. Highways often result in unintended effects on wildlife and people. Roads divide and fragment habitat and create serious safety hazards from collisions or near collisions with large animals. A 2007 executive order from the Washington State Department of Transportation directs regional and statewide longrange transportation plans to identify opportunities to restore and connect natural wildlife habitat currently broken by roads. It looks like one of those opportunities may just be opening up in north-central Washington. Spring-Summer 2012www.conservationnw.org