In today's TheDish..
Animal Skyway, Ctd.
OCT 27 2014 @ 8:14AM
from Orion Magazine
Audio Slide Show:
http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2014/10/27/giving-the-wild-the-right-of-way/
Andrew D. Blechman notes a collaboration between the Montana Department of Transportation and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes that “led to the creation of the most progressive and extensive wildlife-oriented road design program in the country”:
The 56-mile segment of Highway 93 now contains 41 fish and wildlife underpasses and overpasses, as well as other protective measures to avoid fatalities. As creatures become accustomed to the crossings, usage is increasing—at last count, the number was in the tens of thousands. Motion cameras have captured does teaching their young to run back and forth through the crossings, much like human mothers teach their children to safely cross a street.
Wildlife crossing structures are such a smart idea that it’s difficult to understand why they’re still a rarity in this country. But by insisting on rebuilding highway infrastructure to address the needs of wildlife, the Salish and Kootenai tribes have led the way toward a greater sensitivity to fragmented habitats. Highway departments around the country are now studying their example.
Also here -
http://dish.andrewsullivan.com/2013/08/15/animal-skyways/
(article with video, v.good)
