Safe Passage

The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project

wildlife crossings

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.”

Documentary produced by Wildlands Network, NPCA to be featured at Boone Docs film fest

“The Search for Safe Passage,” a short film produced by Wildlands Network and National Parks Conservation Association, is set to make its big screen debut at the Boone Docs Film Festival, held in Boone, North Carolina, on Saturday, Feb. 25. The film, which features interviews with Safe Passage Fund Coalition members Dr. Liz Hillard of Wildlands Network and Jeff Hunter of NCPA, highlights the organizations’ work and research in the Pigeon River Gorge over the last several years.

Organized by the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, Boone Docs showcases short-form documentary films that celebrate life in and around Appalachia. Each of the selected documentaries range from four to 24 minutes in duration, with “The Search for Safe Passage” coming in at 8 minutes in length.

A synopsis for “The Search for Safe Passage” describes the highway through the Pigeon River Gorge as “treacherous” for those “on four wheels or four legs” alike. “Here, Interstate 40 winds through the steep, forested terrain of the Great Smoky Mountains, allowing cars to drive east to west but preventing wildlife from moving north to south,” the description continues.

The film’s screening at the festival will be followed by a short Q&A session with Hunter, the Southern Appalachian director of National Parks Conservation Association, and Hillard, senior wildlife biologist at Wildlands Network.

Boone Docs Film Festival will be held from 2-6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, 559 West King St., Boone, North Carolina.

To watch “The Search for Safe Passage,” click here.

NCDOT calls for public comment on 10-year project plan

Now through Friday, Oct. 28, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is accepting public input on its transportation plan for 2024-2033.

The plan, known officially as the State Transportation Improvement Program, is updated approximately every two years and identifies the construction funding and schedule for projects statewide over a 10-year period.

NCDOT uses this public commentary to determine needs and interest levels for prioritizing projects across the state.

The Safe Passage Fund Coalition asks that supporters consider submitting comments that advocate for wildlife crossing projects in Haywood County, along the Pigeon River Gorge.

Suggested comment topics include:

  • Proven solutions to prevent wildlife–vehicle collisions include: improving existing structures like culverts and bridges that wildlife use to cross busy roads, or building new wildlife overpasses and underpasses so wildlife do not have to cross at road grade. Wildlife crossing structures have been shown to reduce motorist collisions involving wildlife by up to 97%.

  • Consider adding wildlife-friendly infrastructure in design and planning for bridge improvements already planned by NCDOT.

  • Construct large-mammal underpasses to reduce dangerous collisions with species such as white-tailed deer.

  • Construct small-mammal, reptile, and amphibian underpasses to significantly reduce roadkill.

  • Wildlife–vehicle collision-related costs add up to roughly $12 billion in the U.S. annually. The cost of a deer–vehicle collision averages around $6,000. Wildlife crossings can be costly upfront, but quickly pay for themselves by reducing the economic effects of collision emergency response, damages and repairs, medical bills, and reduced ecotourism dollars from wildlife viewing or hunting.

  • Every 26 seconds (or less) a driver hits an animal in the United States, making highways one of the greatest barriers to wildlife movement.

  • In addition to killing 1-2 million large animals every year, these collisions cause 200 human fatalities and more than 26,000 injuries nationwide.

  • Road mortality is a serious threat to 21 endangered and threatened species in the U.S.

  • The U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed by Congress in late 2021, includes $350 million for wildlife crossing infrastructure projects through a competitive grant program. With smart investment and continued public support, North Carolina can make its roads safer for people and wildlife alike.

Please consider filling out NCDOT’s survey and voicing your support for wildlife-friendly infrastructure in upcoming projects to improve safety for wildlife and motorists alike. All comments must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 28.

SUBMIT MY COMMENTS TO NCDOT

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.

Fletcher students, Safe Passage partners met with N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper June 2 to advocate for wildlife crossings in the state

On June 2, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper met with student supporters, representatives, and partners of the Safe Passage Fund Coalition in a roundtable discussion about the importance of wildlife crossings in the state. 

Three fifth grade students from FernLeaf Community Charter School in Fletcher delivered letters to the governor advocating for wildlife safety along North Carolina’s highways.

Held at the Western Office of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the meeting was also attended by representatives from National Parks Conservation Association, The Wilderness Society, Defenders of Wildlife, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Great Smoky Mountains Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, The Conservation Fund, N.C. Wildlife Federation and Wildlands Network — as well as N.C. Wildlife Resources Commissioner Brad Stanback, Secretary Reid Wilson of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and other key figures in the wildlife-crossing work.

Safe Passage facilitator Jeff Hunter began the meeting by introducing the coalition and its mission, then turned the spotlight over to the group’s scientists and researchers, who presented the data that’s been collected and explained how that data will be used to drive decisions about future wildlife crossing locations. 

From left to right: Hugh Irwin of The Wilderness Society; Bill Holman of The Conservation Fund; Brad Stanback of N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission; Christine Laporte of Wildlands Network; Tanya Prater from FernLeaf Community Charter School faculty; Ben Prater of Defenders of Wildlife; Nikki Robinson of Wildlands Network; Alexis Hinchliffe of FernLeaf Community Charter School faculty; Joy Mast, Elsa Rule and Cailee Montague, students of FernLeaf Community Charter School; Governor Roy Cooper; Hanni Muerdter of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy; Liz Hillard of Wildlands Network; Jeff Hunter of National Parks Conservation Association; Secretary Reid Wilson of N.C. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources; Aurora “Rory” Wynne, intern of National Parks Conservation Association; Manley Fuller of N.C. Wildlife Federation; Steven Dobey of Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation; Emma DuFort of Great Smoky Mountains Association; Steve Goodman of National Parks Conservation Association. Photos by Jerry Greer, courtesy National Parks Conservation Association.

The three students then presented letters from their class, which were drafted during a project-based learning module about the impact of roadways on wildlife and how wildlife crossings can keep both people and animals safe. Over the course of the lesson module, hosted by Defenders of Wildlife and the Safe Passage Fund Coalition, students spent time reading “A Search for Safe Passage,” published by Great Smoky Mountains Association, and enjoyed a field trip to the Pigeon River Gorge to see firsthand how the Safe Passage Fund Coalition is working to make this section of Interstate 40 safer. 

“‘A Search for Safe Passage’ was written to engage the next generation — those who may inherit this work in the next 15-20 years — in environmental advocacy.”

— Emma DuFort, illustrator of “A Search for Safe Passage,” who spoke about the book and its message for young people at the June 2 meeting

They also learned the basics of advocacy and how to use social media to share important messages with the world. As part of their advocacy efforts, many of the students wrote letters to the governor asking for support for wildlife crossings locally and across North Carolina.

Following this presentation, the group continued engaging Gov. Cooper in thoughtful discussion, exploring the science behind wildlife crossings and examining the potential for crossings in the state. The group also emphasized that North Carolina could become a leader for this type of work in the Eastern United States, elevating the state’s profile on a national level by improving safety for travelers through progressive, science-driven crossing designs — and the governor voiced his enthusiastic support.

The students present their letters, and those from classmates, to Gov. Cooper.
NPCA’s Steve Goodman emphasizes to Gov. Cooper the evidence-based approach to this work.
NPCA’s Jeff Hunter greets FernLeaf Charter school students and faculty.
N.C. Wildlife Resources Commissioner Brad Stanback speaks to Gov. Cooper about Safe Passage: The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project.

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.