Safe Passage

The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project

I-40

Wildlife Conservation Spotlight: UT researcher Kristin Botzet contributes valuable data to bear movements in Pigeon River Gorge

By Kimberly Smith
EBCI Citizen, Southern Appalachian Representative for The Wilderness Society and Safe Passage Outreach Committee member

In March, we celebrated Women’s Herstory Month and recognized the invaluable contributions of women in the field of science and conservation. As a member of the Safe Passage Outreach Committee and a graduate of the University of Tennessee Knoxville (UTK), I am excited to shine the spotlight on a remarkable woman, Kristin Botzet, a UTK MS candidate, whose groundbreaking research is shaping the future of wildlife conservation in the Safe Passage I-40 Pigeon River Gorge project area and throughout the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

As we know, the Pigeon River Gorge is a critical corridor for wildlife and human movement. Here, Kristin and her team researched bear movement patterns. “While conducting my graduate research assessing the movements and outcomes of relocated black bears, I observed a remarkable occurrence,” she said. “One of the bears managed to navigate across I-40 an astounding seven times in a single month. Anyone familiar with the area, and that route knows what a feat that is; many bears don’t share that kind of luck.” Their findings are not only shedding light on the behavior of these iconic creatures but also informing conservation efforts to protect their habitat.

Beyond research, Kristin is passionate about engaging local communities and raising awareness about wildlife conservation. She gives presentations on bear biology and wildlife career opportunities to school groups at the Tremont Institute in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Through outreach activities and educational programs, she aims to inspire a new generation of conservationists. Safe Passage’s collaboration with grassroots organizations and Indigenous communities further amplifies their impact, fostering a deeper connection between people and nature. By being stewards of the land, we become the voices for those without words, the advocates for ancient trails, animals, plants and waters. Safe passage isn’t just about roads for two-legged; it’s about access for all, ensuring all creatures on this land and in these waters can journey unimpeded, that their habitats are intact, and their futures intertwine with ours.

Adult bears that become accustomed to foraging for human food or garbage may grow bold or persistent, prompting park rangers to capture and relocate them outside the park, hoping to help mitigate any potential human–bear conflicts. 

But what happens to bears after they are relocated? 

Recently, a research team from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville (including graduate student lead researcher Kristin Botzet) set out to answer that very question — and they found that these bears often die within a few months of being moved. Many are struck by vehicles while attempting to cross roadways, including I-40, as they try to make their way back to the park.

University of Tennessee researcher and graduate student Kristin Botzet with an immobilized 393-pound male black bear, known as UT11 in the study.

Kristin’s journey into wildlife research is a testament to the power of passion and perseverance. Inspired by her childhood love for the outdoors, she embarked on a quest to explore her curiosity of animal movement patterns. “I have always been intrigued by the natural world, but in ways beyond thinking animals were cute and cuddly,” she said. “My childhood was devoured by endless hours playing ‘Zoo Tycoon’ and studying my grandpa’s animal encyclopedia. I even repeatedly rented the same ‘Really Wild Animals’ VHS tapes.” From her early days exploring nature to her current role as a M.S. candidate, Kristin has overcome challenges and blazed a trail for women in science. “Today, my 8-year-old self would be very proud. She answered the famous ‘What do you want to be when you grow up’ question in my third grade yearbook with ‘wildlife biologist,’ and here I am.”

As Kristin continues her research journey, her vision for the future is clear: to bridge the gap between science and advocacy. “I hope that my work inspires not only women but anyone who has a spark of interest in the field of natural resources and ecology,” she said. “The field of wildlife research is small, but critical, especially today. We need more people willing to contribute to meaningful change, and frankly, it’s a career path often overlooked because it really isn’t talked about in our primary education system.” With Safe Passage’s support, she hopes to translate her findings into actionable solutions, advocating for wildlife conservation at the local, state, and national levels. Together, we are building a more sustainable future for wildlife and humanity alike.

Habituation at Harmon Den: Next steps for wildlife after crossing construction

After crossings are constructed, how soon can you expect wildlife to adapt to use new, safer passages?

Though infrastructure has been installed at the Harmon Den bridge in North Carolina (pictured above), more still must be done to attract wildlife to use the safer crossing. 

Progress is being made at the Harmon Den bridge in North Carolina, where our partners at the N.C. Department of Transportation recently constructed infrastructure for wildlife. Since then, we’ve begun some early monitoring of how wildlife are interacting with the new crossings, which include wildlife-friendly benches and cattle guards and will, in the future, include fencing.

Of course, it may take some time for wildlife to habituate to this improved crossing opportunity in the landscape, especially while vegetation in the area is still recovering from the recent construction. To improve success, it’s important that creekside vegetation — like fast-growing tulip popular, black birch, and red maple — continues to reestablish, as it will provide important cover and protection for traveling wildlife. Consideration should also be given, however, to restricting tractor trailer parking along the on- and off-ramps, which — because engines are often left running — creates noise and garbage (including human waste) that may potentially deter wildlife movement toward the new crossings. Another opportunity to encourage wildlife to use the crossings would be to clean up the crushed concrete spill that occurred during bridge construction along the bank of Cold Springs Creek.

Finally, it is important to note that although the opportunistic wildlife improvements at Harmon Den are important for wildlife connectivity and reducing vehicle collisions long-term, there are limitations to combined human–wildlife structures when compared to standalone structures for wildlife only. The Safe Passage Fund Coalition has made several research-based recommendations for standalone wildlife structures north and south of Harmon Den.

— Steve Goodman, Safe Passage Co-Research Lead

Day versus night view from the wildlife crossing at Harmon Den. Trucks parking on the on- and off-ramps can discourage wildlife from making the safe trip under the highway.

North Carolina House includes $5 million for wildlife crossings in 2023/2024 budget

Safe Passage Fund Coalition encourages state senate to appropriate full amount

The Safe Passage Fund Coalition applauds the North Carolina House of Representatives for appropriating $5 million in funding for infrastructure to help reduce wildlife–vehicle collisions across the state. This infrastructure — which includes overpasses, underpasses and fencing along roads and highways — is critical in increasing safety along roadways for wildlife and humans alike. 

“We are so grateful that the House has prioritized funding to reduce wildlife–vehicle collisions on Interstate 40 near the Smokies and elsewhere around North Carolina,” said Jeff Hunter, Southern Appalachian director of National Parks Conservation Association, a Safe Passage Fund Coalition member. “This is a win-win for wildlife and the motoring public. We encourage the Senate to appropriate $5 million in their budget to help leverage federal dollars to address this issue statewide.” 

According to the North Carolina Department of Transportation, 20,331 wildlife–vehicle collisions were reported across the state in 2019, and 18,607 such collisions were reported in 2020 — a decrease the NCDOT largely attributes to reduced travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2021 release from the department additionally estimated that 7% of all reported vehicle crashes in the state involve animal strikes, with almost half occurring in the twilight hours or at night, between October and December. 

Safe Passage urges our North Carolina supporters to contact their state senator today to encourage them to request $5 million in the budget for wildlife crossings.

CONTACT YOUR SENATOR

“North Carolina’s funding to support wildlife safe passage across roads will help provide habitat connectivity essential for the persistence of healthy North Carolina wildlife populations, especially in the face of environmental changes that are increasingly transforming and fragmenting landscapes,” said Liz Hillard, Safe Passage co-research lead and senior wildlife biologist at Wildlands Network, a member of the coalition.  

All appropriated funds will help leverage unprecedented federal resources and could help complete projects currently underway. In the Pigeon River Gorge, one such project, along I-40 at Exit 7 near Harmon Den, has seen progress recently with the installation of wildlife benches and cattle guards to deter wildlife from making dangerous crossings into traffic. But critically important fencing to funnel wildlife under the highway has not yet been installed due to lack of funding.

Earlier this year, members of the Safe Passage Fund Coalition issued an action alert to their supporters to urge N.C. Governor Roy Cooper to allocate funding to protect wildlife from roadway collisions, citing President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which included $350 million for wildlife crossing construction over and under roadways. 

“Protecting wildlife from roadway collisions is critical for infrastructure, the safety of motorists, natural ecosystems, and maintaining a positive image for North Carolina,” said Tim Gestwicki, CEO of North Carolina Wildlife Federation and chair of Safe Passage Fund Coalition’s Steering Committee. “As roadway construction creates new barriers to long-established wildlife corridors, inevitably animals are increasingly encountering humans and their vehicles. These encounters result in animal and human injuries and fatalities, as well as increased costs for motorists and insurers, and litter our highways with decaying carcasses. Safe Passage Fund Coalition members encourage, and in fact urge North Carolina to join other states across the country to take proactive steps to reduce these wildlife–vehicle collisions.”

Research results unveiled for Safe Passage project area, providing framework for wildlife–vehicle collision prevention

The burden imposed by I-40 on wildlife habitat connectivity and transportation safety makes the Pigeon River Gorge a national priority site for wildlife–vehicle collision mitigation.

On June 29, two partners of the Safe Passage Fund Coalition — Wildlands Network and the National Parks Conservation Association — released their official report, Road Ecology Research and Mitigation Strategies to Improve Wildlife Connectivity and Human Safety along I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge.

The much-anticipated report details the findings of more than three years of roadside research in the I-40 Pigeon River Gorge project area combined with analysis of 20 years of historical data. The study was one of largest road ecology research projects ever completed in the eastern United States.

The report was authored by a team of cooperating researchers and scientists:

  • Liz Hillard – Ph.D., Senior Wildlife Biologist, Wildlands Network
  • Steve Goodman – Conservation Biologist, National Parks Conservation Association
  • Ron Sutherland – Ph.D., Chief Scientist, Wildlands Network
  • Jeff Hunter – Southeast Regional Program Manager, National Parks Conservation Association

Based on the research findings, the report provides 20 detailed mitigation recommendations for improvements to existing structures or creation of new structures throughout the Gorge, and calls for installation of a system of strategically placed wildlife fencing. Additionally, through consensus, the report’s authors provide seven “top priority” recommendations, including key opportunities to construct wildlife overpasses and install larger culverts under the highway.

Click here to read the executive summary of the report, and click here to read the report in full.

READ THE SUMMARY

The research provides the framework for mitigation strategies to both improve existing structures and construct new wildlife-specific structures to reduce wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVCs) and increase wildlife habitat connectivity.

Science Blog: Not just about the bears – Researchers consider mesocarnivore needs in Safe Passage study

By Steve Goodman, Volgenau Wildlife Research Fellow with National Parks Conservation Association & Co-research Lead for the Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Connectivity Study

Though the target species of our Safe Passage research are black bear, elk and white-tailed deer — selected because they are relatively easy to monitor and are of the highest concern from a driver safety perspective — they’re not the only animals we’ve studied through this project.

We’ve also collected data on mesocarnivores, which are small to mid-sized mammals whose diets are mostly comprised of other animals, and we are assessing their needs for safe passage under Interstate 40 as well. Mesocarnivores in our study area include bobcats, coyotes, gray foxes, long-tailed weasels, otters, raccoons, red foxes and Eastern spotted skunks.

While improving safe passage for larger mammals should, in general, benefit smaller critters too, several mesocarnivores have very specific requirements that we also must consider when planning new structures or improving existing ones.

We also always work on increasing our understanding of the needs of even smaller animals — like frogs, salamanders and snakes — but that is for a future blog.

Through wildlife camera research in the Pigeon River Gorge, Safe Passage researchers have observed these mesocarnivore species (and more), just within the forested I-40 right-of-way.

In the News: Smoky Mountain Living interviews Safe Passage’s Jeff Hunter

In February 2022, Smoky Mountain Living magazine published “A Conversation With the Smokies’ Wildlife Crossing Guard,” an interview with Safe Passage facilitator and National Parks Conservation Association senior program manager Jeff Hunter.

In the article, Hunter spoke with reporter Holly Kays on wildlife crossings in the Smokies, as well as the work of Safe Passage: The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project.

“Interstate 40 opened in the gorge in 1968, and at that time the bear population was probably a quarter of what it is today — if not less — and there were no elk on the landscape,” Hunter said in the interview. “Today we have a growing bear population and a growing elk population that’s on both sides of the highway.”

Hunter went on to describe the increase in mortality rates along this stretch of interstate, as well as the work being done to mitigate this increase, then added: “The park is big, but wildlife doesn’t recognize the boundaries. So we have to work outside the boundaries if we’re going to make an impact.”

To read the full interview in Smoky Mountain Living, click here.