GYC provides $100K for Wyoming wildlife crossing project

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition, with support from The Volgenau Foundation, has donated $100,000 to the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) for a wildlife crossing project north of La Barge in southwest Wyoming.

This funding will be used for the Dry Piney wildlife crossing project. The project calls for installing underpasses, fencing, and related improvements along a 28-mile stretch of US 189 between La Barge and Big Piney, Wyoming.

We believe entering into this agreement with WYDOT will further underscore GYC's strong commitment to improving wildlife habitat connectivity and showcase GYC’s leadership role in making tangible change on the ground for wildlife. The crossings and fencing will provide a safer means of travel for motorists while ensuring wildlife can continue to use historic migration routes.

“We want to thank the Greater Yellowstone Coalition for their generous donation,” said WYDOT Director K. Luke Reiner. “Dry Piney is one of our top priority projects. This project and others like it will help us with our vital mission of reducing crashes and improving highway safety for all.”

“Not only will this project save thousands of deer over its lifetime in the struggling Wyoming Range herd, it’s also going to keep families safe on this stretch of road by reducing collisions,” said Chris Colligan, Greater Yellowstone Coalition wildlife program coordinator. “The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is pleased to support this project by helping secure local match dollars that leverage state and federal funds.”

The Dry Piney project will help the Wyoming Range mule deer herd as well as pronghorn, elk, and moose movement. Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) estimates this section of highway is used by 3,000 mule deer, 300 to 500 pronghorn, 100 to 150 elk, and 50 to 100 moose, annually. Dry Piney is one area that WYDOT, WGFD, and other stakeholders have identified as needing mitigation work to reduce crashes.

“Projects like Dry Piney help us reduce wildlife-vehicle crashes in Wyoming,” said WYDOT Chief Engineer Shelby Carlson. “We’ve seen major improvements with the work done so far with other wildlife-vehicle collision mitigation projects. The Dry Piney project will provide safe passage for wildlife to cross under US 189 while traversing their historic migratory routes.”

Additionally, WYDOT received a $14.5 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant for the Dry Piney wildlife crossing project. The Wyoming Transportation Commission and the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission both contributed $1.25 million for a total of $2.5 million for Dry Piney.

The estimated total cost of the Dry Piney wildlife crossing project is approximately $18 million. If you would like to support wildlife crossing projects GYC is working on, click on the donation button below.

This project is just one of several recent wildlife crossing successes within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Thank you to The Volgenau Foundation for their ongoing support of our mission to protect the lands, water, and wildlife of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, now and for future generations. We applaud the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s leadership to make our roadways safer for our families as well as our wildlife, and are proud to assist with this important work.

- Mac Dukart, Communications and Engagement Associate