Wildlife vehicle collisions (WVCs) widely impact human safety, wildlife health, and the economy. They also graphically illustrate how roads act as barriers to intact landscapes, which wildlife must cross when attempting to reach breeding and feeding grounds, or access quality habitat. In the US, more than 365 million animals are killed, 29,000 humans injured, and $8.4 billion in damages incurred each year.
Wildlife crossing infrastructure has been shown to help mitigate collisions and protect wildlife. Yet transportation departments often lack the funds, human resources, and momentum required to collect the comprehensive WVC data that can improve spatial models required to confidently predict viable wildlife crossings. With the global scope and severity of WVC impacts, data regarding this issue remain largely unavailable or insufficient. This limited understanding has inhibited the effective design and placement of road projects, such as overpasses and speed restrictions, to successfully mitigate such impacts. To fill this gap, Adventure Scientists, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping partners with otherwise unobtainable data, partnered with state agencies to collect critical data across Montana.
In this presentation, we will discuss how an initial global effort guided the development of a Montana-focused project. This Intermountain state, with the nation’s second highest WVC rate, abundant wildlife, and intact bioregions, offers a prime opportunity to enhance the quality and availability of data. Additionally, Montana is an ecoregional crossroads: the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE), Northern Great Plains (NGP), and High Divide all converge here. Roadway barriers to connectivity affect several crucial migratory species, such as pronghorn and elk, as well as federally- and state-protected species. Adventure Scientists recruited, trained, and managed volunteer cyclists to survey Montana’s state highways for roadkill and wildlife sightings near roadsides. These data were gathered systematically four times per year, offering a baseline to identify and prioritize the location and type of WVC mitigation infrastructure. Additionally, offering valuable information on protected species. We will describe our current progress, and lessons learned in implementing this state-wide project. In addition, we will highlight how partnerships and robust volunteer-collected data are crucial within this Montana-based project to influence decision-making and improve wildlife connectivity.