• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Safe Passage

Safe Passage

The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project

  • Understand the Issue
    • Animal Mortality
    • Human Safety
    • Research
    • Wildlife Crossings
  • About This Project
    • The Coalition
    • Meet the Animals
    • I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Project Area
    • Key Partner Contacts
    • Resources
    • News
  • Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Sign Up for eNews
    • Take the Pledge
    • Educate Your Group
    • Upcoming Events
    • Contact Us

wildlife crossings

I-40 rebuild offers rare opportunity for wildlife conservation

February 19, 2025

Please note: Since this story published in November 2024, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein announced that two lanes of Interstate 40 through the Pigeon River Gorge are expected to re-open March 1, 2025.

Featured in (from left) Asheville Citizen Times, Smoky Mountain Living magazine, Smoky Mountain News, and Knoxville News Sentinel.

By Holly Kays
When the Safe Passage coalition started working in 2017 to make Interstate 40 a safer place for people and wildlife through the Pigeon River Gorge, nobody knew that, in a few short years, entire sections of the critical roadway would vanish in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The scale of Helene’s damage was unfathomable, with 106 people confirmed dead in North Carolina alone and survivors left to contend with tens of billions of dollars in damages to property and infrastructure. The region is in mourning—but the rebuilding process may offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity to save the lives of future travelers.

“If we want to look for silver linings, I think there is a chance that we could use this long pause in traffic on I-40 to create some win-wins for wildlife, driver safety, and flood resilience along the road,” said Ron Sutherland, chief scientist for coalition partner Wildlands Network.

The 28-mile stretch of I-40 that passes through the Pigeon River Gorge bisects a rugged landscape that falls mostly within the Pisgah National Forest, Cherokee National Forest, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s one of the most biodiverse places on the planet, and before Helene, the road handled about 26,500 vehicles every day—a formidable barrier to natural wildlife movement across the landscape. Between 2018 and 2020, researchers Liz Hillard of Wildlands Network and Steve Goodman of National Parks Conservation Association analyzed 304 collisions between vehicles and large animals like bear, deer, and elk. Nationwide, wildlife–vehicle collisions kill more than 200 people annually and cost over $10 billion, according to a 2023 report from the Federal Highway Administration.

Through collaboration with government agencies and efforts to secure funding for wildlife crossings, Safe Passage has been working toward infrastructure solutions that would prevent such crashes from happening. Thanks to the group’s partnership with the NC Department of Transportation, the designs for five I-40 bridges up for replacement were amended to include wildlife-friendly modifications, and the agency was poised to use a $2 million wildlife-crossing allotment from the NC General Assembly to install fencing and evaluate Wildlands Network’s and NPCA’s research-based proposals for improving connectivity in the gorge.

Then Helene struck.

The hurricane hit the Gulf Coast as a Category 4 storm and then moved north, dropping record-setting amounts of rain on communities across Southern Appalachia. A gauge on the Pigeon River just below the power plant at Waterville, located along the I-40 corridor, jumped from its normal level of four feet up to nearly 22 feet before the river tore the gauge out around 10 a.m. September 27, as the worst of the flooding unfolded. Three of the five bridge replacements were completed, or nearly so, when the hurricane arrived, and they came through mostly unscathed. However, other areas of the road incurred catastrophic damage. Eastbound lanes in the four-mile stretch between the Tennessee–North Carolina state line and North Carolina mile marker 4, where both east- and westbound lanes of traffic disappear into a tunnel, bore the brunt of the destruction. In some places, the shoulder is gone. In others, one lane crumbled, and in some, both lanes are missing. The road saw significant damage on the Tennessee side of the state line too, with the eastbound lanes damaged in multiple locations from mile 446 to the state line at mile 451.

“Because of the alignment of the river versus the road coming in from an angle, the water got in behind walls,” explained Wanda Payne, Division 14 engineer for NCDOT. “And so once it got behind those walls, it just ate out the dirt. It’s like ‘between a rock and a hard place,’ except our hard place wasn’t as hard as we thought it was, so the rock won.”

In the most-affected areas of I-40, entire lanes of highway were carried away, as was the soil on which they once rested. Photo provided by NCDOT.

The highway between Maggie Valley and the state line has been closed since the storm as NCDOT develops plans for both emergency stabilization and long-term repair, while the adjoining five miles in Tennessee are open only as a two-lane road for local, noncommercial traffic. As of February 10, there were still 172 road closures in effect across North Carolina, with roughly 8,000 sites damaged, including at least 140 bridges in need of replacement. NCDOT continues to chip away at this massive to do list.

“I definitely sympathize with the DOT, because they’re in a position where they feel like they need to be racing ahead to get all these things put back in place, but at the same time, I hope that the public can see the opportunity here,” said Sutherland. “We can make it so that the next time a big storm like Helene comes through, our infrastructure actually survives.”

For this, Sutherland sees Vermont as a role model. Hurricane Irene inflicted massive damage on the state in 2011, and afterward Vermont invested nearly $230 million in 130 infrastructure projects designed to withstand similar weather events in the future. The state saw another round of major flooding in 2023, and those sites were either undamaged or minimally impacted.

Any bridge or culvert that can survive a storm like Helene will need to be “absurdly big and strong,” Sutherland said, ensuring space to install culverts or underpasses large enough for bear, deer, and other animals. Wildlands Network recently completed an analysis of North Carolina bridges damaged by Helene that prioritizes their importance for wildlife connectivity.

Two bobcats climb into a culvert that runs under I-40. They will use the pipe to reach the other side of the highway without crossing traffic. Photo provided by National Parks Conservation Association, Wildlands Network.

“If we’re able to put in better bridges that are more floodproof and stronger and bigger on even a quarter or half of those sites,” Sutherland said, “that’s going to have huge benefits for wildlife.”

But it’s a time-sensitive issue. The DOT is working to restore the state’s transportation infrastructure as quickly as possible, an undertaking expected to be extremely expensive, even without considering wildlife crossings. The Safe Passage group is working hard to offer planners its input and help secure funding for installations that could benefit wildlife for generations to come.

“If we miss this opportunity, then Hurricane Helene could have the counterintuitive result of foreclosing on the likelihood for wildlife improvements at hundreds of sites over the next 50 years,” Sutherland said. “Who will want to tear out shiny new bridges and culverts?”

NCDOT structures destroyed by Helene had an average age of 60, meaning that many of them would have been up for replacement in the coming years. Losing the opportunity to improve their utility for wildlife post-Helene would be a “serious setback,” Sutherland said.

The Pigeon River Gorge continues to be a top priority for Safe Passage. The area damaged by Helene includes four sites in Tennessee and three in North Carolina that the research from Wildlands Network and NPCA flagged for wildlife-crossing concerns. In any highway project, rerouting traffic comprises a significant percentage of the budget—but if wildlife-crossing structures could be dropped in while the road is still closed, these improvements could be made with less hassle or expense than will likely be possible again anytime soon.

Safe Passage’s earlier efforts to coordinate with transportation planners have paved the way to make such an outcome more likely than it would have been prior to the group’s formation—Payne said that NCDOT’s plans will address wildlife concerns mentioned in the report. But what that repair might look like is still an open question. In many places, the entire bedrock on which the road rested is gone. NCDOT may decide against rebuilding I-40 exactly as it was before.

Due to potential difficulty in securing reimbursement from the Federal Highway Administration, it’s unlikely NDOT will choose to reroute the entire corridor. However, realignment within the most-affected area is a possibility, as are walls, viaducts, and bridges. The NCDOT awarded Wright Brothers Construction an $8.5 million contract to perform temporary emergency repairs on the road and had expected to open the westbound lanes for two-way traffic by New Year’s Day. However, that timeline was delayed when a large chunk of concrete fell from one of the eastbound lanes, NCDOT announced December 20. The road is now expected to accommodate two-way traffic starting March 1, with a speed limit of 40 miles per hour.   Tennessee is working to reopen all lanes of I-40 in its jurisdiction by the end of the year, and NCDOT expects to do so by October 2026. It has hired Ames Construction as contractor, RK&K as designer, and HNTB as project manager. Payne wants all three parties to meet with Safe Passage early in the process to discuss how wildlife crossings should factor into the design.

Filed Under: Blog, News Tagged With: a search for safe passage, great smoky mountains national park, I-40, Interstate 40, NCDOT, north carolina, pigeon river gorge, safe passage, smokies safe passage, wildlife crossings, Word from the Smokies

Rebuild stronger infrastructure now so NC can save later, featured in Raleigh News & Observer

October 6, 2024

By Ron Southerland

The Pigeon River damaged or destroyed the eastbound lanes of Interstate 40 in several places after the remnants of Hurricane Helene dropped historic amounts of rain on Western North Carolina. This photo was taken about four miles from the Tennessee line. Photo courtesy of NCDOT.

When Vermont was hit by Hurricane Irene in 2011, its infrastructure was shattered, just as ours in North Carolina is now. Someone up there had the wisdom to make sure every culvert, bridge and building that was destroyed was replaced by a version that was bigger, stronger and more resilient to flooding. I suggest North Carolina take the same approach, with substantial support from the federal government and our own General Assembly. It may be expensive up front but provides significant savings and much faster recovery from storms down the road.

Read the full Raleigh News & Observer feature here.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: a search for safe passage, great smoky mountains national park, helene, hurricane, hurricanehelene, I-40, Interstate 40, NCDOT, north carolina, pigeon river gorge, safe passage, smokies safe passage, tennessee, wildlife crossings

Creating Safe Passage, featured in Blue Ridge Outdoors

October 5, 2024

By Holly Kays

Photo by Michele Sons.

Extensive efforts to add highway wildlife crossings near the Smokies aim to protect animals and people

Editor’s Note: This story was published in the October issue of Blue Ridge Outdoors before Hurricane Helene devastated portions of western North Carolina and surrounding areas. Due to extensive flood damage on Interstates 40 and 26, the Safe Passage Fund Coalition is adapting its ongoing work to include assessing the affects of the storm to recently installed crossing improvements and working to collaborate with environmental and government partners to prioritize animal and human safety as these highways are being repaired and rebuilt.

By 10 p.m., interstate 40 was dark and deserted as North Carolina State Representative Sarah Crawford and her husband Dan cruised east past Morganton, N.C. They were eager to reach their hotel for some rest between the wedding they’d just attended and the comedy show and baseball game planned for the next day. 

Then the car stopped “like we had hit a brick wall,” said Sarah Crawford, a Wake County representative in the North Carolina General Assembly. 

In fact, they’d hit a 200-pound bear. Every air bag deployed, the front fender crumpled, and the car was left motionless in the dark—on a road where most people drive 70 miles per hour or more. Though the couple managed to escape mostly unscathed, the car was totaled, and the bear was dead.

It was a “pretty scary incident” that sent Crawford “down a rabbit hole” searching for information about how to make roads safer for both human travelers and native wildlife. That journey led her directly to the Safe Passage coalition, a group of people and organizations that has been working since 2017 to make wildlife crossings safer not only in its focus area of the Pigeon River Gorge, but also in hotspots across North Carolina and Tennessee. 

“We at Safe Passage often use the tagline, ‘what’s good for wildlife is good for people,’” said Tim Gestwicki, the coalition’s steering committee chair and CEO of the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. “And clearly, if they run into a large animal, the danger is there for people too. So it’s a perfect nexus of people and wildlife safety.”

Photo courtesy of NPCA/Wildlands Network.

Over the years, Safe Passage has become an increasingly organized collaborative of dedicated partners involved in everything from transportation planning to educational outreach and lobbying efforts—work that is predicated on foundational research it conducted starting in 2018. Coalition partners Wildlands Network and National Parks Conservation Association hired researchers Liz Hillard and Steve Goodman to tackle the project, and the pair placed 120 cameras along the 28-mile Pigeon River Gorge corridor. This stretch of Interstate 40 straddles the North Carolina-Tennessee line, bisecting a rugged landscape that falls mostly within either the Pisgah National Forest, Cherokee National Forest, or Great Smoky Mountains National Park. 

View the full Blue Ridge Outdoors feature here.

Filed Under: News Tagged With: a search for safe passage, great smoky mountains national park, helene, hurricanehelene, I-40, Interstate 40, NCDOT, north carolina, pigeon river gorge, safe passage, smokies safe passage, tennessee, wildlife crossings

NC Residents: Urgent action is needed for wildlife!

April 26, 2024

.tb-container .tb-container-inner{width:100%;margin:0 auto} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-container.tb-container[data-toolset-blocks-container="7c1adad75245d2fc4ab97fdf9242e900"] { background: rgba( 154, 214, 199, 0.23 );padding: 25px 80px 25px 80px;margin-right: 80px;margin-left: 80px; } .tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em} .tb-button[data-toolset-blocks-button="9dd23169e55155c6dd43fddde7c9a6cb"] { text-align: center; } .tb-button[data-toolset-blocks-button="9dd23169e55155c6dd43fddde7c9a6cb"] .tb-button__link { background-color: rgba( 250, 209, 25, 1 );color: rgba( 51, 51, 51, 1 );color: rgba( 51, 51, 51, 1 ); } .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.5fr) minmax(0, 0.5fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em} .tb-button[data-toolset-blocks-button="a9b65eac37de9796186fb691086797cf"] { text-align: center; } .tb-button[data-toolset-blocks-button="a9b65eac37de9796186fb691086797cf"] .tb-button__link { background-color: rgba( 242, 194, 19, 1 );color: rgba( 51, 51, 51, 1 );color: rgba( 51, 51, 51, 1 ); } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="e863d66eac949908a5c6c8d2fd31320c"] { display: flex; } @media only screen and (max-width: 961px) { .tb-container .tb-container-inner{width:100%;margin:0 auto}.tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em}.tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.5fr) minmax(0, 0.5fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em}.wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="e863d66eac949908a5c6c8d2fd31320c"] { display: flex; }  } @media only screen and (max-width: 599px) { .tb-container .tb-container-inner{width:100%;margin:0 auto}.tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em}.tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"]  > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(1n+1) { grid-column: 1 } .tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em}.wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="e863d66eac949908a5c6c8d2fd31320c"] { display: flex; }  } 

The North Carolina General Assembly opens this week, and the Safe Passage Coalition is asking legislators to set aside funds for wildlife crossings across the state. 

We need your help!

North Carolina residents, please contact your representatives today and urge them to support $10 million for targeted funding for wildlife crossings in the state budget this year. A sample below can aid in messaging. 

If you don’t know who your N.C. representatives are or how to reach them, please visit ncleg.gov/findyourlegislators.

Read on for more details on this effort. 

Thank you for speaking up for wildlife! 

— Your friends at Safe Passage Coalition 



FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVE


Dear Representative/Senator ______,

I am a constituent of yours from [CITY], North Carolina, and I am urging you to support $10 million in targeted state funding for wildlife crossings. Wildlife and motorists across our state need added protections on roadways; according to State Farm, North Carolina is a high-risk state for animal-vehicle collisions, coming in at 16th in the nation. Estimates show that these collisions cost N.C. a total of $400-$500 million per year.

Wildlife crossings can take various forms based on location, from simple fencing around underpasses and culverts to overpasses spanning the roadway. Properly designed wildlife crossings pay for themselves in costs saved for emergency and medical assistance, property damage, and value of animals lost.

Please support targeted state funding to improve motorist safety, reduce collision costs, and protect valued natural resources.

Thank you, 

[YOUR NAME]

COPY SAMPLE TEXT TO AN EMAIL*

*When using the email template from this link, remember to add in your representative’s email address and name, as well as your own town or city. 
Click here to find your legislator’s contact information.


Why support funding for wildlife crossings in North Carolina?

NC Fact Sheet 2024Download

Filed Under: News Tagged With: action alert, north carolina, north carolina general assembly, safe passage, state funding, wildlife crossing pilot program, wildlife crossings

An interview with filmmaker Ted Grudowski, director of ‘Cascade Crossroads’ documentary

September 29, 2023

.tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em} .tb-button[data-toolset-blocks-button="b189544c2a25ec1c704a075b2d3771bc"] { text-align: center; } .tb-button[data-toolset-blocks-button="b189544c2a25ec1c704a075b2d3771bc"] .tb-button__link { background-color: rgba( 254, 207, 0, 1 );color: rgba( 51, 51, 51, 1 );color: rgba( 51, 51, 51, 1 ); } .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="e53009867c4b0411e6ab2cbb106f87d2"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.72fr) minmax(0, 0.28fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="e53009867c4b0411e6ab2cbb106f87d2"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="e53009867c4b0411e6ab2cbb106f87d2"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="3034fbe886c11054e95b46b09d3e4112"] { display: flex; } .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.5fr) minmax(0, 0.5fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } @media only screen and (max-width: 961px) { .tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em}.tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="e53009867c4b0411e6ab2cbb106f87d2"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.5fr) minmax(0, 0.5fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="e53009867c4b0411e6ab2cbb106f87d2"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="e53009867c4b0411e6ab2cbb106f87d2"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="3034fbe886c11054e95b46b09d3e4112"] { display: flex; } .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.5fr) minmax(0, 0.5fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 }  } @media only screen and (max-width: 599px) { .tb-button{color:#f1f1f1}.tb-button--left{text-align:left}.tb-button--center{text-align:center}.tb-button--right{text-align:right}.tb-button__link{color:inherit;cursor:pointer;display:inline-block;line-height:100%;text-decoration:none !important;text-align:center;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__link:hover,.tb-button__link:focus,.tb-button__link:visited{color:inherit}.tb-button__link:hover .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:focus .tb-button__content,.tb-button__link:visited .tb-button__content{font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;letter-spacing:inherit;text-decoration:inherit;text-shadow:inherit;text-transform:inherit}.tb-button__content{vertical-align:middle;transition:all 0.3s ease}.tb-button__icon{transition:all 0.3s ease;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;font-style:normal !important}.tb-button__icon::before{content:attr(data-font-code);font-weight:normal !important}.tb-button__link{background-color:#444;border-radius:0.3em;font-size:1.3em;margin-bottom:0.76em;padding:0.55em 1.5em 0.55em}.tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="e53009867c4b0411e6ab2cbb106f87d2"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="e53009867c4b0411e6ab2cbb106f87d2"]  > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(1n+1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="3034fbe886c11054e95b46b09d3e4112"] { display: flex; } .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="3d9c399fe625e1b972f817a0680229f6"]  > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(1n+1) { grid-column: 1 }  } 

By Frances Figart

Safe Passage is excited to host Ted Grudowski, whose films about road ecology in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State will be featured at The Crossing, a short-film screening coming to Asheville’s Pléb Urban Winery in the River Arts District on Thursday, October 26.

Released in January 2018, Cascade Crossroads is a 30-minute documentary film about building bridges, both literal and metaphorical. The setting is Interstate 90 just east of Snoqualmie Pass in Washington’s Cascade Mountains. This location is the intersection of a major east-west transportation corridor and a crucial north-south wildlife migration pathway. The film chronicles a monumental project combining conservation, collaboration, and innovation that eventually led to the construction of one of North America’s largest wildlife crossing projects in conjunction with major infrastructure improvements for motorists.

Cascades Crossroads won two Telly awards in 2018, gold in the nonprofit category and bronze in the nature/wildlife category. The follow-up film, Critter Crossings in the Cascades, was also well received. I asked Ted to tell us more about how he got into making movies that highlight the kind of change we want to see in the Pigeon River Gorge, East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, and throughout Southern Appalachia.

Filmmaker Ted Grudowski directed “Cascade Crossroads” and “Critter Crossings in the Cascades,” two of the films Safe Passage Fund Coalition is screening at its Oct. 26 event, The Crossing.

Q: How did you first become interested in and start a career in filmmaking? 

A: It was partly a career path that was heading in that direction and partly stumbling into it. I studied photography while attending Southern Illinois University but after graduating the internet and digital media were beginning to rise. I went from photography, to multimedia, to creating short videos for an internet audience, but the lure of making something more substantial drew me to storytelling and making short documentary films.

Q: Do you recall any early experiences that made you aware of road ecology as an issue? 

A: I didn’t learn about the current concept of road ecology until I began making videos about it, but I sure remember seeing a lot of roadkill on the sides of roads growing up in the Midwest. In the spring there were always dead skunks everywhere! It seemed that there were more dead than alive.

Q: The I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project and the related wildlife crossings and roadway improvements have been called a win-win for people and animals that offers a new model for major infrastructure projects bisecting wild places. How did you get involved with the I-90 project? 

A: My first exposure to the project came through Conservation Northwest, a regional conservation nonprofit in the Pacific Northwest, who did a lot of public advocacy for the wildlife crossings as well as working to restore and acquire lands adjacent to the interstate. While the US Forest Service owned much of that land, there was still much of it owned by timber companies and other private landowners due to the legacy of checkerboard ownership from when railroads were being built across the western U.S. in the 19th century. The checkerboard legacy actually can be traced back to Abraham Lincoln!


RESERVE TICKETS TO ‘THE CROSSING’


I did a short video with my colleague Kris Browne around 2015 for Conservation Northwest highlighting their remote camera program in the forests of the Cascade Mountains in Washington. That program contributed to the realization that there was a major wildlife highway running north and south through the Cascades that was bisected by I-90. Shortly thereafter, the coalition of nonprofits and other groups was coming to an end because the decision to incorporate the wildlife passages into the highway improvements was already made and the first leg of funding secured. They wanted to document the story of how unlikely partnerships were made in order to get the passages and road improvements to happen, and so I was approached about making Cascade Crossroads.

Q: What was your process like working on Cascade Crossroads? 

A: Our production team, which included Kris Browne and Sandy Asher in addition to me, had many years of storytelling experience stemming from our time working together on a small-business news series for MSN.com, as well as Kris and Sandy’s experience working on afternoon news programs on local Seattle television. They have a great knack for finding a concise story within a very big picture, and I loved taking the framework they made and adding the visual and audio elements to create something informative but that still makes you feel all the feels. 

But when we started the film there was more than a dozen years of the story already in the past, so we relied heavily on media contributed by Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition and many more groups and individuals to tell the story. We were also very fortunate in having both Patty Garvey-Darda of the USFS and Brian White of WSDOT as our principal interviews because they are not only heroes in the story, but they are also very passionate, articulate, and great storytellers.

Q: Is there a particular moment when you saw the project was coming together and that felt like an “aha” moment for you? 

A: When we made the first short video in 2015, I didn’t really grasp the depth and breadth of how incredible and unlikely it was to build the wildlife passages, as well as the implications of re-connecting the north and south Cascades with its animal highways and ecosystems. Initially we were eager for a chance to create a longer story than we usually had the opportunity to tell, but after we began doing the background research, we all realized that there was something much bigger here unfolding, and that was very exciting.

Q: How was it different doing the follow-up film, Critter Crossings in the Cascades? 

A: Making Critter Crossings was very much like doing a victory lap in a sequel, because the successful results and improvements were already tangible, so it was a chance to show the world that this project was worth all the effort to make it happen. Cascade Crossroads had been very well received in film festivals and other public screenings, as well as winning some awards, so we knew that the public had an appetite for successful stories about helping wildlife. Plus, it gave us an opportunity to share the story and its success from the WSDOT perspective, because after all they were the ones who had to create the plan for building it all, turn that plan into reality and to demonstrate to the public that this was the right thing to do. 

And, oh how right it was! How often do civil engineers get to be heroes? There have been literally thousands of animal crossings since the passages were completed and the guide fencing installed, with some unexpected animals using the passages—not just elk, deer, cougars, bears and endangered aquatic species, but a badger and a moose as well.

Q: Wildlife crossings have become a much bigger topic in the news since you made the first film. Why do you think that is, and where do you think the US is headed in the future in terms of road ecology? 

A: People love animals, people love wildlife, and people love good news about people doing good things. It’s a counterpoint to all the bad news we are bombarded with about how people are doing things detrimental to our natural world, and everyone has seen dead animals by the roadside or even had a collision with an animal with their own car. The success of it all is quantifiable and undeniable. I hope it leads to a greater awareness of the natural world around us and our effect on it, and I hope it leads to accommodating wildlife becoming part of the vocabulary of all infrastructure in the United States.

Q: Cascade Crossroads aims to not only share the unique story of I-90 but also inspire action in other landscapes facing similar tensions between wildlife and roadways—like our Safe Passage project in the Pigeon River Gorge. Why are you excited about The Crossing and coming to Western North Carolina to be with the Safe Passage stakeholders for this event? 

A: I’m very excited because I get to come bringing good news and encouragement for your wildlife passages. I love seeing road ecology ideas taking root on that side of the country, and I’m excited to see what success stories you will write. The excitement of your community to provide and care for your own wildlife is infectious!

Filed Under: News Tagged With: cascades crossroads, documentaries, films, the crossing, wildlife crossings

Why focus on the Pigeon River Gorge?

August 14, 2023

.tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="d354d74e8c77a2e0bfbee23777f0f827"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.54fr) minmax(0, 0.46fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="d354d74e8c77a2e0bfbee23777f0f827"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="d354d74e8c77a2e0bfbee23777f0f827"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.25fr) minmax(0, 0.25fr) minmax(0, 0.25fr) minmax(0, 0.25fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(4n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(4n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(4n + 3) { grid-column: 3 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(4n + 4) { grid-column: 4 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="3034fbe886c11054e95b46b09d3e4112"] { display: flex; } @media only screen and (max-width: 961px) { .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="d354d74e8c77a2e0bfbee23777f0f827"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.5fr) minmax(0, 0.5fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="d354d74e8c77a2e0bfbee23777f0f827"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="d354d74e8c77a2e0bfbee23777f0f827"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(2n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 0.3333fr) minmax(0, 0.3333fr) minmax(0, 0.3333fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(3n + 1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(3n + 2) { grid-column: 2 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"] > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(3n + 3) { grid-column: 3 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="3034fbe886c11054e95b46b09d3e4112"] { display: flex; }  } @media only screen and (max-width: 599px) { .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="d354d74e8c77a2e0bfbee23777f0f827"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="d354d74e8c77a2e0bfbee23777f0f827"]  > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(1n+1) { grid-column: 1 } .tb-grid,.tb-grid>.block-editor-inner-blocks>.block-editor-block-list__layout{display:grid;grid-row-gap:25px;grid-column-gap:25px}.tb-grid-item{background:#d38a03;padding:30px}.tb-grid-column{flex-wrap:wrap}.tb-grid-column>*{width:100%}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-top{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-start}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-center{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:center}.tb-grid-column.tb-grid-align-bottom{width:100%;display:flex;align-content:flex-end} .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"] { grid-template-columns: minmax(0, 1fr);grid-auto-flow: row } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid.tb-grid[data-toolset-blocks-grid="a43f402def3d7de50a541554cde7b91e"]  > .tb-grid-column:nth-of-type(1n+1) { grid-column: 1 } .wp-block-toolset-blocks-grid-column.tb-grid-column[data-toolset-blocks-grid-column="3034fbe886c11054e95b46b09d3e4112"] { display: flex; }  } 

Aerial photos of I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge by SouthWings.


By Steve Goodman, Safe Passage Co-Research Lead and Conservation Biologist for National Parks Conservation Association

Safe Passage is on a mission to improve wildlife’s ability to safely cross I-40 in the Pigeon River Gorge, resulting in improved public safety.

But, from a large landscape perspective, why have we chosen to expend valuable conservation and transportation resources here? And why now?

First, looking at a map of protected lands across the U.S., there is much less protected land in the East, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding national forest lands make up a substantial portion of it (Figure 1).

Furthermore, we’re right in the heart of The Nature Conservancy’s resilient and connected network designed to sustain biodiversity under a changing climate (Figure 2). This habitat corridor is critical for the long-term flow of regional plants and animals, yet I-40 has become a major barrier to wildlife movement. Researchers have estimated that in the Eastern U.S., only 2% of natural land areas retain enough connectivity to adequately allow plants and animals to track climate change. By adding wildlife corridors, we have an opportunity to increase that percentage tenfold.

Most compelling in a visual sense, however, is the now-famous Migrations in Motion map (Figure 3), produced by The Nature Conservancy. Based on modeling of the climactic needs of individual species, this animated map illustrates predicted movement routes of around 3,000 mammal, bird and amphibian taxa under current climate change projections, many of which are expected to track through the spine of the Southern Appalachians, including the Pigeon River Gorge.

Figure 1 – (Click to enlarge)
Figure 2 – (Click to enlarge)
Figure 3 – (Click to visit animated map)

Filed Under: News Tagged With: climate change, great smoky mountains national park, pigeon river gorge, wildlife corridors, wildlife crossings

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Go to Next Page »

Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved. · Privacy Policy