Bozeman Pass Post-Fencing Wildlife Monitoring

The Bozeman Pass transportation corridor between Bozeman and Livingston, Montana, includes Interstate 90 (I-90), frontage roads, and a railroad. The highway was a suspected barrier and hazard to animal movement in the Bozeman Pass area, which is considered a corridor for wildlife moving north and south between the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and other habitat. In 2007, wildlife connectivity measures were incorporated into the reconstruction of a Montana Rail Link (MRL) bridge. These measures included wildlife exclusion fencing along approximately one mile of I-90, four jump-outs, cattle guards, and landscape design modifications. Data on wildlife crossings and animal–vehicle collisions (AVCs) were collected before and after construction to evaluate the effectiveness of the mitigation measures in reducing AVCs and allowing for animal movements under the highway. Ungulate–vehicle collisions (UVCs) decreased significantly inside the fenced roadway post-installation. There has not been a significant increase in UVC rates at either the fence ends or in the study area as a whole. Track-bed and remote camera data indicate increased wildlife movement under the MRL bridge and through culverts. An analysis of road kill density before and after fencing suggests that one road kill hotspot was been mitigated but that others remain. Suggestions for further mitigation as well as modifications to the jumpouts and fence ends are presented. Because the mitigation measures were added to a structure replacement project and largely made use of existing landscape features, the cost of the project was lower than direct installation of new mitigation measures. In three years post-fencing, the reduction in UVCs has resulted in savings that are greater than the cost of installation. Incorporating wildlife connectivity measures into scheduled road projects early in the planning stages can be a cost-effective way to reduce AVCs and preserve healthy wildlife populations

• Record URL:
  http://www.mdt.mt.gov/other/research/external/docs/research_proj/boz_wildlife/final_report_jan11.pdf
• Record URL:
  http://www.mdt.mt.gov/research/projects/env/boz_wildlife.shtml
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Western Transportation Institute

  Montana State University, Bozeman
  P.O. Box 174250
  Bozeman, MT  United States  59717-4250

  Craighead Institute

  201 S Wallace Avenue, Suite B2D
  Bozeman, MT  United States  59715

  Montana Department of Transportation

  2701 Prospect Avenue
  P.O. Box 201001
  Helena, MT  United States  59620-1001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Craighead, Lance
  • Craighead, April
  • Oechsli, Lauren
  • Kociolek, Angela
• Publication Date: 2010-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Edition: Final Research Report
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 42p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Animal vehicle crashes; Before and after studies; Cameras; Cost effectiveness; Culverts; Habitat (Ecology); High risk locations; Highway bridges; Monitoring; Road kill; Ungulates; Wildlife crossings
• Identifier Terms: Interstate 90
• Uncontrolled Terms: Wildlife fencing
• Geographic Terms: Bozeman (Montana)
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01335486
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/MT-10-006/8173
• Contract Numbers: MDT Project # 8173; MSU Index # 426899
• Files: TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 15 2011 12:16PM