Overpasses and underpasses, like the one pictured above have been shown to reduce vehicle-wildlife collisions near wildlife corridors.
by Sophie Tsairis
In its inaugural year, the Wildlife Crossings Pilot
Program, a component of the Bipartisan
Infrastructure Law passed by Congress in 2021, funded 19 projects in 17 states to help safeguard motorists
and improve habitat connectivity for wildlife.
The program will fund another $145 million in projects for
fiscal year 2024-2025, and is accepting applications over the next few weeks.
Of the $110 million funding granted in 2023, Montana
received $9 million. The bulk of that allocation was awarded to the
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and their proposal to reduce
grizzly-motorist collisions by constructing a wildlife overpass on a stretch of
Highway 93 that runs through the Flathead Indian Reservation within the Ninepipe National Wildlife Management Area.
The CSKT, in collaboration with the Montana Department
of Transportation, are currently planning and designing the new overpass, with
construction is likely to begin in 2025.
In December 2023, FHWA announced $110 million in grants for 19 wildlife crossing projects in 17 states, including four Indian tribes. Map courtesy U.S. DOT
While loss of life is a primary concern, Congress cited
that the 1 million vehicle collisions per year cost the nation around $8
billion annually. A winter 2023 Mountain
Journal review of journalist and author Ben Goldfarb’s
book, Crossings:
How Road Ecology is Shaping
the Future of Our Planet, reflected
on the impacts roadways have in the GYE and beyond, where in some areas
accidents are on the rise.
According to a January 2023 feasibility study, the Northern
Continental Divide Ecosystem saw 61 vehicle-caused grizzly bear mortalities between
2004 and 2019. Mortalities have increased significantly within that region
since 2010, and from 1990 to 2019 the number of grizzly mortalities or
incidents that occurred per mile of road on U.S. 93 was roughly 10 times higher
within the Evaro to Polson corridor compared to other highways in the NCDE.
Kari Kingery, wildlife biologist and program manager
for the CSKT Wildlife Management Program, told Mountain Journal that the
specific location of the proposed overpass, between Evaro and Polson, is
essential for grizzly bear habitat connectivity and that there is significant
intact wetland habitat on either side of the highway.
While loss of life is a primary concern, Congress cited that the 1 million vehicle collisions per year cost the nation around $8 billion annually.
Kingery said not all wildlife crossing structures
accommodate female grizzlies with cubs, so working with the Montana Department
of Transportation is important. “Because the tribes have procured the funding
for this segment of the project, we are better able to ensure that adequate
structures and fencing measures are met,” she said.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation,
Wyoming’s Transportation Department also received $24.4 million to build an
overpass, underpasses, and high-barrier fencing along Highway 189.
“These roadway safety investments will ensure
that motorists and wildlife get to their destinations safely and are a win-win
for safety and the environment,” Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt
wrote in a statement.
The Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program
is accepting applications for fiscal year 2024-2025 through
Sept. 4, 2024.
Mountain Journal is a nonprofit, public-interest journalism organization dedicated to covering the wildlife and wild lands of Greater Yellowstone. We take pride in our work, yet to keep bold, independent journalism free, we need your support. Please donate here. Thank you.
About Sophie Tsairis
Sophie Tsairis is a freelance writer based in Bozeman, Montana. She earned a master's degree in environmental journalism from the University of Montana in 2017.
