Mark Norman, WA State Department of Transportation. Mark V. Norman is the Biology Team Lead for the WSDOT South Central Region, and manages restoration and wildlife monitoring on the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project. He's worked as an environmental professional in CO, VA, AK, and WA, and holds a MS from WSU and a BS from Calvin University. Mark currently lives in Yakima, WA with his wife, April, and three sons (two in high school and one in diapers).
Kris Ernest, Central Washington University
Jason Irwin, Central Washington University
Paul James, Central Washington University
Patty Garvey-Darda, US Forest Service
Josh Zylstra, Jacobs
Overview
The Interstate 90 (I-90) Snoqualmie Pass East Project will ultimately improve a 15-mile stretch of I-90 in the Central Cascades, addressing safety and capacity needs, and reconnecting habitats bisected by the highway. As of Spring 2021, the Washington State Department of Transportation has constructed the first half of the project, including 11 wildlife crossing structures, wildlife exclusion fencing, and 30 acres of restored habitats.
Join us on a project tour behind the wildlife fence as we get an eagle’s eye view of the corridor, scamper with otters through the crossing structures, and browse the newly planted restoration sites with massive elk. We will review some early results from a thermal-camera monitoring system, and our partners from Central Washington University will also share their experiences monitoring the smaller critters sometimes overlooked by projects of this scale.
Following the pre-recorded video, we will hold a live Q&A from the I-90 Wildlife Overcrossing – if we can figure out how to make it work.
Topic Area: Mitigation / restoration
Keywords: Cascades, I-90, connectivity, WVCs, partnerships, restoration