Meetings Set on Projects to Reduce Wildlife Collisions

Anyone who frequents the highways and byways of Idaho has seen some of the familiar sights known to dot Idaho's roadside - gorgeous scenery, pretty towns, and picturesque farms. But, undoubtedly, they also have seen the carcasses of dead deer and other wildlife - victims of collisions with vehicles. To learn what is being done to help wildlife and motorists, the public is encouraged to attend upcoming presentations by the Road Mortality Working Groups of southeast Idaho. One presentation will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, in the North Fork Room of ISU's Pond Student Union Building in Pocatello. The other has been scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at the National Oregon-California Trail Center in Montpelier. Both presentations are free. Idaho Department of Fish and Game was recently awarded federal funding by the Idaho Transportation Department for two statewide projects, sharing the goal of making Idaho's roads safer for drivers and wildlife. Greg Burak, senior research biologist with Fish and Game headquarters in Boise, will present the objectives of these projects at the upcoming meetings. One project will result in the development of a statewide map of important "wildlife linkage" areas in relation to Idaho's highways and roads, with the goal of making highways safer for wildlife and people. Wildlife linkage areas provide security and cover during certain seasons and an important link between larger habitat blocks. Burak's important first step in identifying linkage areas will enable transportation officials, land managers, and other interested parties to make informed planning decisions about future highway projects that take into account the needs of wildlife, while decreasing the risks of wildlife-vehicle collisions. The other project involves developing a statewide online wildlife-vehicle collision database to document and monitor wildlife related collisions. This database would help provide a better understanding of the scope of this issue statewide. For more information about the presentations or how to join one of the Road Mortality Working Groups in southeast Idaho, please contact Jennifer Jackson at the Fish and Game office in Pocatello at 208-232-4703 or by e-mail at jjackson@idfg.idaho.gov.