Conservation Northwest

Conservation Northwest updates Jay Kehne Okanogan outreach associate, jay@conservationnw.org Okanogan mule deer death trap A fix worth supporting Thousands of mule deer, big horn sheep, bears, cougars, moose, and other wildlife travel the Okanogan Valley. They journey between open lands—both public and private— to access good quality browse and habitat on either side of the valley. One of the places wildlife most often cross is along a 11.7-mile stretch of Highway 97 from Riverside to Janis Bridge. In this narrow corridor, the combination of people driving and wildlife migrating results in an epidemic of road kill. On average, 350 deer are killed each year by vehicle collisions along this 11.7 mile stretch of Highway 97. Until removed by Washington State Department of Transportation staff, roughly one third of road-killed deer carcasses remain on the highway as hazards to drivers. Many other animals, from coyotes to elk, are also hit by vehicles along this route. On one full moon evening last August, four deer-vehicle collisions occurred in a single hour with one vehicle needing to be towed away. It's not a pretty sight when you add it all up: Unnecessary loss of countless wildlife lives, millions of dollars of vehicle damage and raised insurance rates, personal injuries, taxpayer dollars used for state patrol and sheriff 's officers responding to accidents, plus the mental anguish of drivers involved. The estimated average societal cost is $7,180 for each vehicle-deer collision. What can be done? Underpass wildlife crossing structures are immensely useful. Crossings constructed under highways help wildlife safely cross under roads, preventing, on average, 85% of all deer-vehicle collisions. They are particularly effective when combined with fencing and other aids that funnel Gaining ground for mule deer at safepassage97.org OR Dept Fish and Wildlife wildlife to the underpass. (Reference: Utah State University Report UT-12.07, May 2012) The transportation agency is proposing to improve the Riverside–Janis Bridge section by 2019 by adding up to five underpasses, augmented as needed by fencing, cattle guards, or gates, several deer "jump-outs," and "foot-gates." A citizens group has identified a northern segment (from mile post 305 to 311.7) and a southern segment (mile post 300 to 305) as logical phases to the project. They've posted a website, safepassage97.org, to promote the issue and the solutions. If enough positive local community support can be generated, it is hoped funds (total cost of the project is estimated at $10 million) can be located to begin construction earlier than 2019 and stop this terrible waste sooner. When 350 accidents at $7,180 per accident are added up, savings could amount to over $2 million per year if the safe passage project were completed. The value of deer saved and collisions reduced could offset construction costs in as little as five years. The cost of stopping just one human death or injury from wildlife collisions is priceless. A practical tool: carcass pick-up program Crews sent from the Washington State Department of Transportation clear deer and other wildlife carcasses from highways and dispose of them locally in an open pit nearby. The carcass disposal site draws predators, such as coyotes, bears, bald eagles, even wolves, to places they shouldn't be. What can be done about these carcass dump sites? Blackfoot Challenge members tour a carcass compost facility in Montana. © Jay Kehne Keeping the Northwest wild casses, helping ranchers avoid predator problems and highways avoid more accidents and road kill. An oncall backhoe-dump truck operator responds to calls from ranchers needing a carcass pick-up. Ranchers and conservation organizations near Missoula, Montana, have teamed up with state agencies to convert an existing highway dump site into a simple but effective compost facility. The site is protected with an electric fence and takes in not only road-killed wildlife but livestock car- The Blackfoot Challenge, a non-profit organization, lists the carcass pick-up program as a key factor in their success in keeping predator-livestock problems to a minimum. Spring-Summer 2013 13

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