Handbook for Design and Evaluation of Wildlife Crossing Structures in North America

This handbook provides technical guidelines for the planning, design and evaluation of wildlife crossing structures and their associated measures (fencing, gates) that facilitate the safe movement of wildlife across roads and increase motorist safety. It has been prepared for transportation, natural resource and land management agencies responsible for planning, designing and implementing measures for mitigating the impacts of roads on wildlife populations. Stakeholder and other groups involved in mitigation planning will also find the handbook useful in their discussions with agencies. The handbook describes how to increase the effectiveness of established designs and recommends ways to design for particular species and species groups in different landscapes. The guidelines can be used for wildlife crossings on new or existing highways, highway expansions (e.g., two-lane to four-lane) and bridge reconstruction projects. The response of particular wildlife species to these measures may vary across North America. Therefore, the design guidelines are intended to be generalized and a starting point for the future development of more regionalized, landscape-specific guidelines based on an adaptive management process. The handbook is the product of an extensive collection and synthesis of current literature, knowledge, and science-based data with regard to the current practices in wildlife crossing mitigation. The handbook provides a sound scientific basis for effective planning, policy and implementation of mitigation aimed at reducing habitat fragmentation and mortality effects of roads on wildlife populations. Recommended designs once implemented and their performance evaluated through monitoring will serve to advance our understanding of the utility of different wildlife crossing designs across North America.

• Record URL:
  http://www.westerntransportationinstitute.org/documents/reports/425259_Final_Report.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Western Transportation Institute

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

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Clevenger, Tony
  • Huijser, Marcel P
• Publication Date: 2009

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Glossary; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 212p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Guidelines; Habitat (Ecology); Handbooks; Highway safety; Planning and design; Wildlife crossings
• Geographic Terms: North America
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; I15: Environment; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01153628
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 1 2010 9:31AM