The Road Ahead: Celebrating Solutions and Next Steps for Improved Safety and Wildlife Connectivity in Montana's Paradise Valley
Fifteen years ago, I was driving on Highway 89 outside Gardiner, Montana with my boyfriend at the time. We had just soaked in the Boiling River hot springs in Yellowstone and were feeling rejuvenated and relaxed. The sun had set, a blizzard began to roll in, and that relaxed feeling soon dissipated as we realized how much wildlife was on the highway and how poor the visibility was. As we cautiously approached Yankee Jim Canyon, a lady with her high beams on was driving toward us. We slowed down and struggled to see much of anything beyond 10 feet then… BAM! We hit a bison. The animal sandwiched the hood into the cab, broke the windshield, and, not surprisingly, totaled my Jeep Cherokee. Thankfully we both walked away without any injuries, but I cannot say the same for that poor bison.
A bison walks down the road. (Photo Jacob W. Frank/NPS)
I never would have guessed I would find myself living 50 miles north of Gardiner all these years later. I drive this same memorable stretch of highway regularly – now with my head on a swivel – and have learned that many locals avoid traveling on Highway 89 at dusk and dawn altogether. A whopping 50 percent of all vehicle collisions along this route involve wildlife, which means it is shocking to meet a local who has not hit a critter or had a traumatic near miss.
I also never would have imagined I would find myself working for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, where a large part of my job is dedicated to helping implement wildlife crossing structures across Montana. I am proud to represent GYC on the Yellowstone Safe Passages (YSP) coalition, an amazing group of local organizations (Center for Large Landscape Conservation, National Parks Conservation Association, and Park County Environmental Council) and community partners focused on reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and improving wildlife connectivity along Highway 89 between Livingston and Gardiner, Montana – which includes that spot where I hit the bison years ago.
Yellowstone Safe Passages is celebrating a milestone in our work toward making Highway 89 safer for people and wildlife. On March 11, 2024, we released the US 89 Wildlife & Transportation Assessment to the public. The assessment offers proven solutions for seven areas with the highest rates of wildlife-vehicle collisions and detailed explanations why those sites were identified.
Included in the assessment is collar data, wildlife habitat data, fisheries and hydrology data, collision data, and YSP’s weekly systematic surveys recording roadkill and live wildlife near or crossing the highway. Observational data is also included in this report from citizen science data and mapping workshops. This data matters because it informs the best options for on-the-ground solutions.
The technical advisory team and YSP conducting site visits in Montana’s Paradise Valley. (Photo GYC/Blakeley Adkins)
This process – and the subsequent assessment – are so valuable because when overpasses and underpasses are used in combination with fencing to funnel wildlife and are constructed in the proper locations (hotspots for wildlife-vehicle collisions and migration corridors), wildlife-vehicle collisions decrease by up to 97 percent.
While YSP has made this first exciting step toward on-the-ground projects becoming a reality, we still have a long road ahead.
Wildlife crossings do not get constructed overnight. Since its inception in 2020, YSP has been building and gaining the trust of the community – an essential aspect of this work that is ever-evolving.
Building crossing structures and exclusionary fencing (8-foot-tall, impassable fence used to funnel wildlife toward crossings in either direction) requires land security such as conservation easements with supportive landowners, or going through the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process on federal land. These commitments and procedures can take anywhere between a few months and a few years to complete. Acquiring funding can also take months to years depending on the source, dollar amount, and process needed to obtain it.
Engineering feasibility studies, a fundamental step needed to break ground, can take a year or more to complete. After that, design and construction take multiple years. From there, post-construction monitoring is critical to determine how successful the project is.
An example of an overpass – Trappers Point wildlife crossing – complete with exclusionary fencing in Wyoming. (Photo Mark Gocke)
This process may seem overwhelming, and it is true that Montana is way behind when compared to our friends in Wyoming, but do not be discouraged. Right now, there are more opportunities for implementing wildlife crossings than ever before. People across the country, and the world, are aware of their benefits and wholeheartedly support them. Agencies and organizations are working together to support local efforts, push projects forward, and apply for various sources of federal and private funding.
There is currently substantial funding available for this work across the country – another reason to celebrate. So, although this work may take longer than expected, it is well worth the effort and long-term benefits for wildlife and people. And I’m excited to share that YSP is well on their way down the road to solutions.
Whether you live here in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem or love to visit, we can all be involved in wildlife crossing work. You can:
Educate yourself by digging into the resources below and beyond.
Educate others on why wildlife crossings are so important.
Tell the decision makers in your community that you support this work.
Reach out to local groups involved in this work and ask how you can support them.
Consider donating to GYC; gifts from supporters like you make this work possible.
Here are a few resources I recommend. And if you would like to read the assessment, you can do so here.
Resources to Learn More
Yellowstone Safe Passages website
Ologies podcast episode on road ecology
If you live in or around Paradise Valley, YSP is hosting community meetings to review the assessment findings, answer questions, and address concerns in March and April. We’d love to have you join us!
3/28 | 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. — Chico Hot Springs, Knowles Room
4/1 | 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. — Gardiner Community Center
4/4 | 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. — Livingston Fairgrounds Exhibit Building
There’s more in store for YSP in 2024 as we move toward solutions for Highway 89. To stay up to date with YSP and GYC’s wildlife crossing work, sign up to receive our emails.
—Blakeley Adkins, The Volgenau Foundation Wildlife Conservation Associate
