Initiating the Oregon Wildlife Movement Strategy Melinda Trask

Initiating the Oregon Wildlife Movement Strategy Melinda Trask, ODOT Geo-Environmental Section, melinda. trask@odot. state. or. us ODOT Concerns: n n National & FHWA attention Lack of basic information on wildlife movement and problem areas Stale-mate with ODFW and USFWS over leadership Non-regulatory so needed obvious external support before seeking internal support Break-Through: n n CETAS ODFW Director's Letter Oregon Conservation Strategy First 2 Meetings between ODOT and ODFW, August & September 2006, developed the Wildlife Movement Strategy Working Group ODOT Wildlife Program_RTL_6 -2007

(we are here) ODOT Wildlife Program_RTL_6 -2007

Highway Animal-Vehicle Collisions n n n Types of data: crash records, dispatch/carcass reports, maintenance records, focused roadkill surveys, anecdotal reports. Crash records, National: 725, 000 -1, 500, 000 animal-vehicle collisions in the U. S. annually, over 200 human fatalities, over 29, 000 human injuries, & over $1 billion in property damage per year (2003 statistical summary). Crash records, Oregon: avg. 395 collisions/yr with wildlife, past 12 years. ¨ Less than 3% of all crash reports in Oregon. ¨ Approx. 1 to 2 deaths and 8 -10 serious injuries per year. Proportions of deer-vehicle crash records are much higher in the NE states. ¨ In 2003, the Northern Midwest states avg 12. 1% of all crashes involving collisions with deer (Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin). Crash records represent only a small portion of actual animal-vehicle collisions nationally (less than 10% of actual deer-vehicle collisions). Current GES project to map collision hot spots using carcass pick-up records. ODOT Wildlife Program_RTL_6 -2007

Road Kill ≠ (always) Wildlife Movement Area X ODOT Wildlife Program_RTL_6 -2007

ODOT Wildlife Collision Prevention Program n Addressing wildlife passage is supported by ODOT’s current mission and goals, and particularly within the values of safety, accountability, and environmental stewardship. n Current lack of information - we cannot adequately address the problem. ¨ ¨ ¨ n Do we have a significant statewide road kill problem or just some areas? Need to prioritize wildlife movement corridors and highway barrier problem areas to make science-based decisions and cost-effective, versus ad-hoc. ODOT Regions need better tools to adequately address wildlife passage concerns. Non-regulated but supported by FHWA, ODFW, USFWS, CETAS, nationwide attention. ODOT Wildlife Program_RTL_6 -2007

Recommendations for Transportation Projects n n n Evaluate wildlife passage conditions at early project scoping, when relevant. ¨ When is it relevant? "Easy" wildlife passage solutions ¨ Ideas? Wildlife fencing - restrict access or allow access? ? ¨ Constraints? ¨ Best types of fencing? Consider impacts of median barriers and guardrail. ¨ Solution more complicated. ODOT Bios, ODFW Liaisons, ODOT Designers need training on design considerations. ¨ Two-day workshop possibly combined with road ecology conference being proposed for Portland in May 2006. ¨ ODOT manual being developed for scoping, funding, and design considerations. ODOT Wildlife Program_RTL_6 -2007

Critter Crossings Linking Habitats and Reducing Roadkill http: //www. fhwa. dot. gov/environment/wildlifecrossings/intro. htm Keeping It Simple - Easy Ways to Help Wildlife Along Roads ODOT Wildlife Program_RTL_6 -2007

Examples of Wildlife Improvements Amphibian/reptile crossing Culverts high and wide enough for elk Wood toprail along barbed wire fence protects deer Bark mulch berm for stormwater treatment ODOT Wildlife Program_RTL_6 -2007

ODOT Wildlife Program_RTL_6 -2007

Summary n ODOT is Just beginning Tier 1. Need well-informed decisions! ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ To save $, best to provide wildlife crossings where needed and prioritize. We do not know yet the "state of the problem. " Crash data indicate low priority from a "safety" standpoint relative to other safety hazards (esp. human deaths and injuries). There may be localized hot spots that would be considered a safety hazard. Problem likely to increase as ADT, highway width, human population, deer populations grow. This is non-regulated and currently not well funded. Design solutions are for environmental, public interest, or safety reasons. ODOT Wildlife Program_RTL_6 -2007