[Update:  A vehicle-bear crash occured a day after this story.]

Colorado recently passed a law to establish wildlife crossing zones, getting an assist from The Defenders of Wildlife. It reminded me of some work going on here in Washington State, and that some groups are working to ensure that wildlife crossings remain eligible for federal funding.

Why should we care about wildlife crossing zones? Because there are an estimated 725,000 and 1.5 million wildlife-vehicle collisions in the United States annually, resulting in over 200 human deaths and costs of over $8 billion, according to the Defenders of Wildlife. And because wildlife need to move across the landscape and highway corridors for seasonal migration, access to food and to establish new territories as the young mature. Given those issues, Congress and federal agencies have taken an interest in wildlife crossings and corridors.

Those issues have created some interesting coalitions among State DOTs and animal/environmental advocacy groups, to figure out how to make highways safer for both people and animals. A frequent solution is a wildlife crossing, a specially designed underpass or overpass.

In Washington State perhaps the most notable partnership is the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition, which works closely with WSDOT on the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project. Large areas of protected state, federal, and conservation lands north and south of I-90 support a broad range of habitats and a diverse array of plants and wildlife that have been separated by the highway. The project has been designed to reestablish connections between wetlands and other high quality habitats, as well as restore channel migration and floodplain functions. These efforts have led to support from over 40 local and national environmental organizations" for the project.

In Colorado, the Wildlife Crossing Zones Traffic Safety Bill (H.B. 1238) allows the Colorado Department of Transportation, in consultation with the Colorado State Patrol and Division of Wildlife, to post signs that establish reduced speed limits and increased traffic penalties within the wildlife crossing zones. Monique DiGiorgio, conservation strategist for Western Environmental Law Center, called the Colorado measure a model for the nation.

Arizona, however recently canceled a couple of wildlife crossing projects, and some studies, due to financial challenges.

In Congress the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act of 2010 (HR 5101) has been introduced. It would establish a National Fish and Wildlife Habitat and Corridors Information Program for several purposes, including "supporting states and Indian tribes in the development of a geographic information system database of fish and wildlife habitat and corridors that would inform planning and development decisions."

Washington is the host for the 2011 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET). Conducted every two years, "ICOET is designed to address the broad range of ecological issues related to surface transportation development, providing the most current research information and best practices in the areas of wildlife, fisheries, wetlands, water quality, overall ecosystems management, and related policy issues."