Working towards safe roads for people and wildlife in Montana

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is working in a statewide coalition of non-profit organizations, scientists, and citizens called Montanans for Safe Wildlife Passage (MSWP). The group works to advance innovative solutions that make Montana roads safer for people and wildlife. MSWP is a voice for all who care about safe roads and healthy wildlife. Check out the coalition’s new website here.

Wide-open spaces and abundant wildlife make Montana special. But if you drive on roads where wildlife abounds, you know the potential hazards. According to a recent report by State Farm Insurance, Montana is second in the nation for wildlife-vehicle collisions. More than 17,000 claims involving an animal collision were filed with the agency in a year. These collisions often result in dead wildlife. Sometimes traffic volumes are high enough that roads can even prevent wildlife from moving to meet their basic needs.

The good news is there are solutions like overpasses and underpasses that have proven effective at improving both human safety and the ability of wildlife to move across landscapes. GYC is committed to working with other organizations and citizens to advance wildlife crossing projects throughout Greater Yellowstone. Be sure to visit MSWP’s website to learn more and find out how to support this important effort in Montana!

—Brooke Shifrin, Senior Wildlife Program Associate

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is the land of 30+ Indigenous Tribes who maintain current and ancestral connections to the lands, waters, wildlife, plants, and more.