May 20-25, 2007
"Bridging the Gaps, Naturally"

Coming Up Next: ICOET 2009 in Minnesota!

Abstracts: Wildlife & Terrestrial Ecosystems

Data Surveys & Decision Support Guidelines

North American Decision Guidelines for Mitigating Roads for Wildlife

• John Bissonette, Research Scientist/Leader, USGS Utah Cooperative Research Unit, Utah State University, College of Natural Resources, Logan, UT, Phone: 435-797-2511.
• Patricia Cramer, Research Associate, USGS Utah Cooperative Research Unit, Utah State University, Logan, UT, Phone: 435-797-1289.

Until recently, concerted and purposeful activity towards linking transportation and ecological services into a context-sensitive planning, construction, and monitoring process has not been attempted. We began a 3 year project in June 2004 funded by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (National Academy of Sciences and Engineering, Transportation Research Board) and titled NCHRP Project 25-27, Evaluation of the Use and Effectiveness of Wildlife Crossings. We consider landscape permeability the foundation for effective wildlife-road mitigation and the guiding principle for this work. Our primary purpose was to develop, to the extent that data are available, and as part of a web-based wildlife and roads resource, clearly written decision guidelines for:

1. The selection, configuration, and location of crossing types;
2. The monitoring and evaluation of crossing effectiveness; and
3. For maintenance.

The decision guidelines are based on the premise that understanding and establishing landscape permeability leads to effective landscape connectivity and the restoration of ecosystem integrity. At the same time, the guidelines must allow for efficient and cost-effective transportation infrastructure mitigation. In the decision guidelines, we describe seven steps that can be used to assist in effective wildlife mitigation, including:

1. Consideration of the ecological and safety needs for mitigation early in the planning process,
2. decisions regarding the types of structures needed based on species-specific requirements,
3. The placement of those structures, and
4. Their configuration on the landscape,
5. Information on monitoring and evaluating crossing effectiveness, and
6. The long term maintenance of those structures.
7. The final step is the compilation of end products that are summarized in a final plan for mitigation with references, diagrams, pictures, and website addresses for the user to take from the website and use for additional consultation.

The decision guidelines will be based on available data. It is clear that continued research efforts will be needed to fully develop aspects of the decision tool. The guidelines can be accessed at Wildlife and Roads. They are based on relevant research and effective mitigation practices from around the world, including 7 studies we conducted expressly for this project. The website includes descriptions of several methodologies that can be used to identify wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots, as well as suggestions for effective mitigation measures. The site also provides the ability to search databases for pertinent information. For example, the site includes an interactive map of wildlife passages across North America where, for example, the user can search by state and species and return a listing of pertinent references, a list of available pdf reports and papers accessible from the site, a listing of the wildlife crossings in that state, a listing of pertinent URL addresses that have wildlife-road related data, and a list of images with descriptions that can be freely downloaded. Alternatively, the user can search the entire database for a specific type of crossing and return all data across North America about that subject. The web site and decision guidelines will be continually developed and become a resource that provide practical information to help practitioners develop appropriate mitigation that will provide for effective landscape permeability for wildlife and safer roads for people.

Animal-Vehicle Collision Data Collection Throughout the United States and Canada

• Marcel Huijser, Research Ecologist, Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, Phone: 406-543-2377.
• Julie A. Fuller, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Bozeman, MT.
• Meredith E. Wagner, Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, Phone: 406-543-2377.
• Amanda Hardy, Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, Phone: 406-543-2377.
• Anthony P. Clevenger, Wildlife Biologist, Western Transportation Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, Phone: 403-760-1371.

Animal-vehicle collisions affect human safety, property and wildlife, and the number of animal-vehicle collisions has substantially increased across much of North America over the last decades. Systematically collected animal-vehicle collision data help estimate the magnitude of the problem and help record potential changes in animal-vehicle collisions over time. Such data also allow for the identification and prioritization of locations that may require mitigation. Furthermore, systematically collected animal-vehicle collision data allow for the evaluation of the effectiveness of mitigation measures in reducing the number of animal-vehicle collisions. In the United States and Canada, animal-vehicle collision data are typically collected and managed by transportation agencies, law enforcement agencies and/or natural resource management agencies. These activities result in two types of data: data from accident reports (AR data) and data based on animal carcass counts (AC data). Here we report on a survey that examined the extent to which AR and AC data are collected across the United States and Canada. While a substantial percentage of the DOTs and DNRs collect and manage AR and/or AC data, many of them do not. Furthermore, DOTs and DNRs that do collect or manage AR or AC data typically do this for different or only partly overlapping reasons. In addition, DOTs and DNRs use different reporting thresholds, have varying search and reporting effort, and only have partial overlap in the parameters recorded. These differences also occur between DOTs and between DNRs, and oftentimes one and the same organization collects inconsistent data as certain parameters may only be recorded ‘sometimes’. These differences and inconsistencies affect the comparability and ultimately the usefulness of the data. Before an AR or AC program is initiated or improved, it is important to illustrate the needs and benefits of such data collection. We list the most important needs and benefits and provide considerations for the initiation or improvement of AR and AC data collection programs.

Can Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions be Decreased by Increasing the Number of Wildlife Passages in Korea?

• TaeYoung Choi, Researcher, Environmental Planning Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea, Phone: 82-17-615-1277.
• Chong-Hwa Park, Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea.

The mitigation of fragmentation due to high density road network has been a hot topic among environmentalists and road construction engineers of South Korea. Over the last ten years 92 wildlife passages, 55 ecoducts and 37 wildlife underpasses, have been constructed on existing roads, and many more will be constructed in the future (Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, 2006). We are at an early stage of data collection on wildlife vehicle collision and the role of traditionally non-wildlife-engineered passages, such as underpasses including bridges, culverts, and human underpasses, for wildlife passages.

The objective of this study was to analyze the effectiveness of the number, size, and density of non-wildlife-engineered passages. This study employed three monitoring methods: wildlife vehicle collisions, the passages use ratio (Servheen, 2003) and radio telemetry. The effectiveness of such unintended wildlife passage was evaluated by using the relationship between monthly wildlife vehicle collision data, number of usable passages, use rate of passages, and passage density.

The number of usable passages represents all crossing structures after excluding those inundated circular culverts during summer season, since they are impassable for most wildlife species. The use rates of wildlife passages were collected from 14 underpasses. They were seven circular culverts, two box culverts, and four human underpasses, and were selected from 31 structures constructed on a 6.6km segment of a four-lane highway. The landscape of study area mainly consists of rice fields on an alluvial plane and scattered forest, and the road runs along the stream. Every passage has similar surroundings. Wildlife monitoring was carried out for 12 months, from Sept. 2005 to Aug. 2006; using camera traps (an average of 239 camera operating days). The number of recorded mammals was 2,593, consisting of 13 species. We also documented 93 mammal vehicle collisions comprising 12 species by monitoring the same road daily over a period of two years (Sept. 2004-Aug. 2006).

The results of our analysis are as follows. First, the use rate of passages and the number of mammal vehicle collisions showed a positive correlation (r=0.890). Second, the fluctuation of the number of usable passages and collisions had no correlation (r=0.402). Third, the density of passages and collisions had a very weak positive correlation. Fourth, the use rate of box-type passages did not increase when pipe-type culverts were blocked by water inundation. These results differed from following common expectations: higher numbers and use ratings of passages could cause less frequent collisions, high density areas of passage would cause fewer collisions, and the decreased number of passages would increase the use ratings of remaining passages. Fifth, most monitored mammal species with small-to-medium body sizes used all types of passage structures frequently, but water deer (Hydropotes inermis) rarely used these passage structures of under 0.7 on the openness index. Last, we found by radio telemetry that only one out of 13 radio-collared raccoon dogs was killed by vehicle `collision over a two-year period. However, a total of 12 raccoon dogs that had been killed by cars were found on the same road during the same period.

The results of our research can be summarized as follows. First, there were already enough usable passages for wildlife, in spite of seasonal blockage of some passages or the uneven spacing between passages. Second, there were many occurrences of wildlife vehicle collisions, but settlers showed relatively low collision ratio. Third, most collision victims might be wanderers or newcomers unfamiliar to existing passages or occupying settlers. Finally, water deer should be the target species for the construction of wildlife passages, and the size should be O.I of over 0.7. Vehicle collision of other mammal species can be reduced significantly by installing wildlife fences without worsening habitat fragmentation in the case of roads that have many non-wildlife-engineered passages.

Inventory and Typology of Fauna Passages on French Transport Structures

• Sabine Bielsa, Environmental Engineer, Technical Department for Transport, Road and Bridges Engineering and Road Safety (SETRA), Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure, Tourism and the Sea, Bagneux, Ile de France, Phone: 33-1-46-11-31-31.
• Christophe Pineau, Environmental Engineer, Technical Department for Transport, Road and Bridges Engineering and Road Safety (SETRA), Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure, Tourism and the Sea, Bagneux, Ile de France, Phone: 33-1-46-11-31-31.

French transport infrastructures network increased significantly since 1980s. The French roads network is one of the densest in the world, nearly 1 million kilometres long. Habitat fragmentation by transport infrastructure is recognised as one of the prime causes of eroding biodiversity in industrialized countries. Providing links between habitats can directly reduce fragmentation. Thus, fauna passages need to be built to mitigate the increasing negative barrier effect of infrastructures on wildlife and maintain connectivity.

In 2000, 400 crossing structures (fauna passages and others structures of permeability) were inventoried on French transport infrastructures. In 2006, more exhaustive surveys listed 399 structures only in Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardie regions, both described in the present paper. Therefore, a tool becomes necessary to evaluate the transparency for wildlife of the whole French transport infrastructures.

The main objective of the study is to carry out a database to inventory the structures of transparency, define their effectiveness as fauna passage and share comparable information amongst transport stakeholders. This project responds to one of the actions of the linear transport action plan adopted by France in November 2005, planned within the framework of the preservation of biodiversity (French strategy adopted in 2004). The aim is the implementation of appropriate measures for preservation of biodiversity during construction, maintenance and exploitation phases.

In this paper, we describe the first stage of work conducted to identify the number and type of fauna passages (viaduct, bridge, pipe conduit, mixed, specific, overpass, underpass, etc.) on the French transport network (roads, railways and waterways). First results concern a pilot area - Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardie regions - which presented the most exhaustive data. They show many difficulties related to data heterogeneity, to old and partial data, and to distinguish structures and integrate them in the typology. Moreover, this step had to be delayed because of new management organization of the national road network (decentralization and reorganization of public authorities in charge).

Once the geo-localised database is achieved, we will try to implement a monitoring system in the field to specify the effectiveness of different types of passages. In addition, comparison between crossing structures map, biological corridor maps at departmental and regional scale, and non-fragmented territory map (MEDD, 2007) will allow us to identify future fragmentation black spots.

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Herpetiles

Use of Existing Mitigation Measures by Amphibians, Reptiles, and Small- to Medium-Size Mammals in Hungary: Crossing Structures Can Function as Multiple Species-Oriented Measures

• Miklós Puky, Hungarian Danube Research Station of the Institute of Ecology and Botany of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Jávorka, Hungary, Phone: 00-36-27-345023.
• János Farkas, Dept. of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary, Phone: 00-36-1-2090550.
• Mária Tóth Ronkay, Dept. of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary, Phone: 00-36-1-2090550.

The effects of roads and railways on animals such as direct mortality caused by these infrastructure elements were recognised as early as the end of the ninetenth century. In the first half of the twentieth century further evidence gathered related to different vertebrate groups. Besides the increasing amount of information available on the environmental impact of roads and railways in the second half of the twentieth century, crossing structures, game bridges, amphibian tunnels and game passages were built as mitigation measures to provide corridors over or under roads and railways, especially in Europe. In most cases, however, they were aimed to help one animal group or species. With the development of an ecosystem-level approach, however, the investigation of the possible involvement of these constructions in helping non-target groups also started together with building green bridges. A further recognition of the special needs of certain species also led to the development of new structural elements, for example tunnels built within green bridges to help burrowing animals to cross.

Mitigation measures representing all animal crossing structures in Hungary were selected to study their use by amphibians, reptiles and small to medium-sized mammals. They included a toad tunnel system with eight tunnels and approximately five-hundred meter concrete fences along road 8518. and six tunnels under the bicycle road running along the same road stretch at Lake Ferto, one wet and two dry passages of one meter in diameter under the M1 motorway with 60 centimetre high concrete fences and two twelve meter wide game bridges with game fences over the same motorway. All sites are located in the same, Arrabonicum fauna district in the western part of Hungary. Due to differences in the studied animal groups a complex sampling methodology was applied. Besides site visits during the day to find the shed skins of reptiles, footprints of mammals on sand beds or their droppings in the passages, the mitigation measure use of amphibians was also investigated in night visits especially during the breeding season while mammals were also caught by baited traps and hair traps were also used. To check the efficiency of the toad tunnel system the frequency of amphibian road kills were also studied.

Amphibians were found both in the tunnel system and the wet passage under the road, but their presence was not proved either in the dry passages or on the game bridges. The tunnel system worked very efficiently, i.e. it lowered road kills by at least 90%, which can even be improved by maintenance. As a consequence, more amphibians died on the bicycle road and a side road nearby than on the main road. The mitigation measure use of reptiles was proved at all investigated sites even if none of the constructions were planned to provide corridors for that animal group. Grass snakes were found in toad tunnels and passages, sand lizards on game bridges. An important difference between them was that snakes moved through the tunnels while lizards lived on them and used game bridges as a habitat. Small mammals used all investigated measures, vole and mice species were trapped in all of them. What is more, they used tunnels as part of their habitats. Besides, shrews were present in toad tunnels as well the presence of foxes and martens was also indicated. However, their road kill was low in the section studied.

During the study period eight species of amphibians as well as mammals and two reptiles were proved to utilise the investigated crossing structures. Besides providing corridors, large constructions, such as game bridges also function as habitats e.g. for lizards. The use of large, mammal-oriented mitigation measures by amphibians and reptiles is needed to study further as well as efforts should be made to construct more passages or alter existing structures in the future to lower habitat fragmentation along transportation infrastructure.

Effectiveness of Amphibian Mitigation Measures Along a New Highway

• Jed Merrow, McFarland-Johnson, Inc., Concord, NH, Phone: 603-225-2978.

In 2004-2005, a new highway bypass was constructed through an area of predominantly upland forest with many vernal pools in southern New Hampshire. The highway is complete but is not yet open to traffic. Potential impacts to vernal pool amphibians (spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) and wood frogs (Rana sylvatica)) and their habitat include habitat loss, barriers to animal movements, potential mortality on roads, and changes in water quantity and quality in breeding pools. Measures to maintain viable vernal pool-breeding amphibian populations along the bypass were implemented and monitored. Effectiveness as used in this paper refers to the ability of the various mitigation measures to contribute to the overall goal of maintaining viable populations, as well as the ability of each measure to provide its specific functions. The mitigation measures and results of their effectiveness to date include:

• Bridges: Two bridges were constructed for general wildlife habitat connectivity.
• Wildlife crossing structure and diversion walls: A 1.2 m by 1.2 m (4’ by 4’), 17-m (55’) long concrete box culvert and diversion walls were installed. After three years of monitoring spring amphibian migrations, it appears the diversion wall is successfully diverting the few vernal pool-breeding amphibians that encounter it, but there is no evidence the crossing structure has been used.
• Seasonal pool construction: Two new pools were constructed in an effort to maintain viable amphibian habitat and populations on both sides of the new road. Post-construction monitoring shows the new pools are used by a relatively diverse community of amphibians (including spotted salamanders in one pool) and macroinvertebrates, although the pools’ long-term value to vernal pool amphibians is not yet certain.
• Drainage: Natural hillside drainage was maintained across the new roadway to maintain existing vernal pool hydrology to the extent feasible. Where possible, roadway drainage was routed to swales and detention basins that discharged outside of vernal pool watersheds. Based on two years of observations, vernal pools immediately adjacent to the roadway have been hydrologically altered, but other pools do not appear to have been affected by the changes.
• Habitat preservation: The land around the greatest concentration of existing vernal pools, all on one side of the new highway, was purchased to preserve habitat integrity. Six years of pre-construction and two years of post-construction monitoring show that spotted salamander breeding (as measured by egg mass counts) has not changed substantially compared to pre-construction levels. However, there is a great deal of variation in breeding activity from year to year and pool to pool, and longer-term monitoring may reveal different trends. Opening the highway to traffic may also affect populations.

Road Effects on a Population of Copperhead Snakes in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Kentucky

• Valorie Titus, Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, Phone: 607-232-0343.
• Dr. Ed Zimmerer, Department of Biological Sciences, Murray State University, Murray, KY.

With increasing human development encroaching on wild areas, an understanding of the interactions of wildlife in their natural surroundings is becoming imperative. Over the past few decades, a concern for the conservation of herpetofauna throughout the world has become prevalent. Lack of information on reptiles and amphibians have raised many questions on the effects of roads on their populations. In this study, snake movements on roads in a mostly natural area were examined. Individuals of the copperhead snake (Agkistrodon contortrix) were studied in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL) in Kentucky. LBL is a 170,000-acre federally protected area between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley in Western Kentucky and Tennessee. On a typical night of road cruising, over 60 percent of the snakes captured are copperheads in this area. Over two hundred individual copperheads, both alive and dead, were observed during this study from April 2002 through October 2003. Males and females exhibited different frequencies of movements, while juveniles exhibited different frequencies of movements when compared to adults. Road-crossing sites were not random, showing a preference toward less maintained roads with a denser canopy cover. Slightly more snakes were found dead on the road (DOR) than alive on the road (AOR). Significantly higher percentages of DOR were also observed on the highly traveled road as compared to the less maintained roads. Thus, a concern arose with the high numbers of road mortality observed because even though the snakes preferred to cross in areas of low traffic and more cover, significantly higher mortality was seen on the high speed and high traffic road. With LBL being a fairly undisturbed area, this poses a concern for the survivability of the copperhead, along with other wildlife, in more densely populated areas.

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Partnerships for Success

Measuring the Success of Wildlife Movement Across Highways and Linkage Efforts

• Christopher Servheen, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, Phone: 406-243-4903.
• Rebecca Shoemaker, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT
• Pat Basting, Montana Department of Transportation, Missoula, MT

Successful movement of wildlife across highways to effectively provide population-level wildlife linkage is usually viewed in one dimension - movement either exists or it does not. We believe that there are multiple ways to measure both the existence and value of such movement opportunities to better demonstrate success or failure of these efforts. The use of multiple methods to measure success will provide quantitative and qualitative values that can be used to better judge the effectiveness of wildlife movement across highways and to justify investment in the infrastructure to create such movement. Currently, many transportation agency administrators view investments in wildlife crossing infrastructure as outside their responsibility and as fiscal competition for highway projects of greater value to the traveling public. We believe this is a false paradigm that can be changed by enhanced measures of the values of wildlife highways crossing enhancement. Measures of success should include a wide range of factors that transcend wildlife issues. These factors should include biological impacts; economic impacts on highways, public lands, and private lands; public safety measures; social influences and acceptance; and political factors. Biological measures of success should include wildlife movement, gene flow measures, seasonal range access and dispersal opportunity, potential for re-occupancy of historic habitat, reduction in population isolation, effects on endangered species listing and management, and mortality reduction. Economic successes should include improved project planning efficiency, reductions in project time delays, reduced environmental review and court challenge costs, and improved land values adjacent to linkage areas due to healthy wildlife populations. Public safety measures should include road kill reduction, reduced probability of accidents and human injury, and improved speed limits. Social measures should include attitude surveys measuring public willingness to invest public funds to reduce wildlife collisions, public acceptance of the concept of linkage zones, and public awareness of the multiple benefits of wildlife population connectivity. Political measures should include measuring the knowledge and understanding of this issue by political interests, their willingness to appropriate funding for such projects, and legislation. We review the application of each of these measures of success to wildlife crossing enhancement and suggest a basic measurement approach to all wildlife crossing efforts. In the long term, successful wildlife linkage efforts associated with highways will require improved public understanding and support, improved agency willingness to accept wildlife crossings as part of their responsibility, and improved understanding of the multiple values and benefits that come from enhancing wildlife movement across highways.

Case Study: Harbor Boulevard Wildlife Underpass, Los Angeles County, CA

• Andrea Gullo, Puente Hills Landfill Native Habitat Preservation Authority (Habitat Authority), Whittier, CA, Phone: 562-945-9003.

The purpose of the Harbor Boulevard Wildlife Underpass is to secure the safe passage of wildlife and to strengthen the connectivity of wildlife habitat and movement along the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor open space area.

Wildlife in Metropolitan Los Angeles now have an underpass designed and built exclusively for their safe passage under a busy boulevard. The underpass supports the longevity of the Puente-Chino Hills Wildlife Corridor (Corridor). The Corridor contains some of the last remaining stands of several habitat types that are declining in the Los Angeles Basin. The 31-mile Corridor connects vast open space areas and provides a rare opportunity to preserve functional wildland in southern California. The Harbor Boulevard Wildlife Underpass is the linkage point within this Corridor for approximately 4,600 acres of publicly protected habitat to the west and about 14,000 acres of publicly protected habitat to the east. It strengthens the biodiversity of all lands to the west and adds to the richness in the east. Harbor Boulevard was constructed in 1990 with oversight to wildlife movement in the area. Wildlife populations west of Harbor, especially the bobcat population, would have become completely isolated, and possibly extirpated, if safe passage across Harbor Boulevard was not created. A wildlife movement study, completed in 1999, identified mammalian movement up to and across Harbor Boulevard at the project location. While the purpose of the study was not to count wildlife killed by vehicles, researchers compiled significant roadkill data for Harbor Boulevard. They recommended a specific location for a wildlife underpass to strengthen the connectivity of wildlife habitat and movement. Armed with this scientific data and with support from elected officials, public agencies and local nonprofit organizations, the Habitat Authority, a local government park agency, together with the County of Los Angeles and the California Department of Parks and Recreation took on this project. They pursued and were successful in obtaining grant funding for construction costs. The underpass was designed to accommodate large-to medium-sized mammals. California State University, Fullerton Foundation was hired to monitor wildlife before, during, and after construction. Just nine days after the grand opening celebration of the underpass, deer were photographed using the tunnel. Coyotes and deer appear to regularly use the underpass and bobcat have been detected using the tunnel as well. The underpass project is unique in that it is the first wildlife underpass built by the County of Los Angeles. It is a multi-agency collaborative project that took over nine years to come about. It is a goodwill project that acts as a habitat linkage designed to reduce the amount of vehicle-caused wildlife mortality, and the risk of accidents that could cause harm for motorists.

Under the Boardwalk: Case History -- St. John's Sideroad at the McKenzie Wetland, Aurora, Ontario, Canada

• Ian Buchanan, Regional Municipality of York, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, Phone: 905-830-4444.
• Dino Basso, P.Eng., Regional Municipality of York.

St. John’s Sideroad is a major east-west arterial under the jurisdiction of the Regional Municipality of York (York Region). It is located in the Town of Aurora, Ontario, Canada and lies within the watershed of the East Holland, Lake Simcoe basin. This unique project involved the widening and reconstruction of a two-kilometre section of St. John’s Sideroad between Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue.

As a result of increased traffic volumes due to highly active residential development in the area, the existing two-lane rural road section could not meet the needs of the growing population (Figure 1). In response to the proposed development growth in the Town, the Class Environmental Assessment study undertaken for the project identified that additional roadway capacity was needed, and recommended that this section of roadway be widened to a four-lane urban cross-section.

This project presented significant environmental challenges as St. John’s Sideroad runs through the McKenzie Wetland (also known as Aurora Wetland or McKenzie Marsh), an area designated as a Provincially Significant Wetland and an important environmental feature to the local community. The McKenzie Wetland is a permanent home to numerous fish and wildlife species. Recognizing a significant opportunity to both protect and enhance the wetland and its functions along with the roadway, York Region implemented a number of key design elements to limit intrusion in the marsh and restore many of the impaired functions of the wetland.

• Wetland area, function and attributes
• Fish and wildlife habitat and function
• Water quality and circulation

• Timber boardwalks, viewing areas, education and interpretive signage.
• Unique streetscaping elements including landscaping and decorative lighting.
• Bike paths throughout the length of the project, which linked the Town’s existing bicycle trail network to the McKenzie Wetland and its boardwalk.
• Widening the roadway to a fully illuminated four lane urban cross-section with curb and gutter, storm sewers, sidewalks on both sides and traffic signals at major intersections.
• Railway safety improvements that included profile revisions and new gates and signals at an existing at-grade commuter railway crossing.
• Extension of the East Holland River Culvert, a triple-cell culvert, with construction being staged to maintain stream flows without using dam-and-pump or flow bypass methods.
• Tunnel construction of the East Holland Sanitary Trunk Sewer using a tunnel boring machine with a connection to the Aurora Pumping Station.

Coordination of Agency and Citizen Involvement in Project Development and Monitoring for the I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project

• Jen Watkins, I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition, Seattle, WA, Phone: 206-675-9747.

Interstate 90 over the Cascades is significant barrier to over 250 species of wildlife, including cougar, elk, deer, mustelids (otters, fishers, badgers, etc.), amphibians and reptiles. In the vicinity of Snoqualmie Pass, urban development to the west and agriculture and resort development on the east has shrunk the forest connecting north and south Cascades to less than 64.6 kilometers wide.

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is proposing to expand a 24.15-kilometer stretch of Interstate 90 just east of Snoqualmie Pass through a particularly critical zone for north-south wildlife corridors. These corridors have been identified through numerous studies, and the state has made ecological connectivity a project goal, along with increasing capacity, straightening curves, and repaving. A preferred alternative design for this project was chosen in summer 2006 that includes numerous high quality crossing structures, and was endorsed by the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition.

The I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition is made up of over 40 local and national conservation organizations and has been working with WSDOT, other public officials, transportation interests, and the public to promote high quality wildlife crossing structures in this project while educating the public in our state about transportation and ecology issues. An additional role beyond advocacy and education that the coalition has engaged in during 2006 is citizen wildlife monitoring at the proposed crossing structure locations.

Good data is available to inform where to build crossing structures. WSDOT and the US Forest Service collaborated on a study entitled I-90 Snoqualmie Pass Wildlife Habitat Linkage Assessment (Singleton and Lehmkuhl, 2000) that used tracking and and road-kill counts to map existing crossing activity. Additional relevant information comes from analysis leading to the Snoqualmie Pass Adaptive Management Area Plan and I-90 Land Exchange (US Forest Service, 1997 and 1999) and Washington State Dept. of Fish and Wildlife studies of cougar movements using radio collars.

Recent land acquisitions and national forest management changes have dramatically improved the outlook for habitat quality near the project. In recent years, purchases, donations, and exchanges have brought more than 50,000 acres of land valued at $200 million into public ownership and protection. The Forest Service is committing to additional habitat restoration, such as road removal.

In light of these changes to the landscape and the large investment of the crossing structures, the coalition is acting to contribute to the data collection of current and future wildlife usage of habitat in the project vicinity. The coalition has sponsored two digital remote cameras that have been installed at proposed crossing structure locations to gather still photograph and video images of wildlife moving through the area. These cameras are maintained by coalition volunteer teams, and data is shared through the website. This winter the coalition has launched a partnership with the Wilderness Awareness School to begin snow tracking monitoring at selected proposed crossing structure locations to compliment our current remote camera program. Both of these programs have begun this year, and are intended for long term monitoring.

The coalition has grown out of a history of grassroots activism and collaboration around the Central Cascades region. Citizen involvement has played a critical role in the management policies of this area. The I-90 project will be a greater success due to the high level of attention, input, and assistance received from the public. Public involvement peaked in the spring of 2005 with the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement bringing in thousands of public comments. Involvement continues throughout the state through efforts of education such as our annual Bridging Futures contest, advocacy, and monitoring by the coalition.

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Multispecies Approaches

Habitat, Highway Features, and Animal-Vehicle Collision Locations as Indicators of Wildlife Crossing Hotspots

• Sarah Barnum, New Hampshire Audubon, Concord, NH, USA, Phone: 603-224-9909.
• Kurt Rinehart, Ichneumon Wildlife Services, Phone: 802-685-4845.
• Mark Elbroch, Ichneumon Wildlife Services, Phone: 802-685-4845.

Tracking techniques were used along US 2 and NH 115 in the towns of Jefferson and Randolph, NH to record geo-referenced wildlife highway-crossing data for GIS-based analysis. Over 7000 track sets from 22 species were recorded from December 2005 through May 2006. Moose, red fox, white-tailed deer, and coyotes left most tracks. A substantial number of fisher and bobcat were also recorded. This data set is unique in size and the number of carnivores recorded. Analyses completed for this report indicate that variations in landscape scale habitat composition in the study area were correlated with variations in wildlife crossing rates at the landscape scale. Different species also showed different affinities for the roadside at this scale. At the local scale, the rate of moose crossing was higher in locations with mixed forest cover types and where guardrails end, but not in locations with high moose/vehicle collision rates. Crossing by predators, excluding red fox, increased with the presence of coniferous cover types, and the rate of deer crossing increased with the presence of open cover types. Additional analyses at the roadside scale will be conducted and results will be available at a later date.

Utilizing a Multi-Technique, Multi-Taxa Approach to Monitoring Wildlife Passageways on the Bennington Bypass in Southern Vermont

• Mark Bellis, Graduate Program in Natural Resources Conservation, Univ. of Massachusetts at Amherst, Phone: 413-519-7908.
• Scott Jackson, Dept. of Natural Resources Conservation, Univ. of Massachusetts at Amherst, Phone: 413-545-4358.
• Curtice Griffin, Dept. of Natural Resources Conservation, Univ. of Massachusetts at Amherst, Phone: 413-545-2640.
• Paige Warren, Dept. of Natural Resources Conservation, Univ. of Massachusetts at Amherst, Phone: 413-545-0061.
• Alan Thompson, Northern Stewards, Waterbury, VT, Phone: 802-244-8131.

Roadways affect wildlife habitat disproportionate to the area of land they occupy while impacting wildlife directly through direct loss of habitat, road mortality and disruption of movement. Roadways indirectly impact wildlife by isolating populations and disrupting gene flow and metapopulation dynamics. A variety of strategies have been used with mixed success to mitigate the impacts of transportation systems on wildlife. Underpasses are commonly used to facilitate movement of wildlife across roadways in Europe, Australia, Canada and the U.S.

Through 2005, 460 terrestrial and 300 aquatic crossing structures have been identified throughout the United States but only a small portion of these crossings have monitoring incorporated into their project design. Most monitoring is limited to usage of the passage structures with little data collected on movement through the adjacent landscape. Monitoring of the passage structures helps determine wildlife use of the structures but is limited in the ability to determine landscape level impacts.

A variety of techniques are utilized in monitoring passageway effectiveness, primarily camera traps and track beds. Building on prior studies, the Bennington Bypass project takes a broad, multi–taxa approach to monitoring crossing structures on a newly constructed highway in southern Vermont. We are utilizing a variety of techniques to assess movements of an array of species at the passage structure and in the surrounding landscape.

Techniques utilized in our study include: small mammal trapping, track beds/plates, remote camera sensing, snowtracking, road kill surveys, roadside track beds, amphibian recording devices, snake pit tagging and observational studies. We are also using this broad approach to monitoring as an opportunity to test and refine many of the techniques used in the study. By monitoring a wide variety of animal movements rather than focusing exclusively on wildlife use of the passages, we expect to more accurately assess the effectiveness of the mitigation structures. We anticipate that the results from this work will assist in developing monitoring protocols for future studies in Vermont and throughout the United States.

Ecological Effects of Road Infrastructure on Herpetofauna: Understanding Biology and Increasing Communication are Critical for Wildlife Conservation

• Kimberly Andrews, Univ. of Georgia, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL), Aiken, SC, Phone: 803-725-0422.

Roads are the ultimate manifestation of urbanization, providing essential connectivity within and between rural and heavily populated areas. The ecological impacts roads have on herpetofauna across temporal and spatial scales are profound, beginning during the early stages of construction and progressing through to completion and daily use. Herpetofauna have the potential to be negatively influenced from roads as a consequence of urbanization, either directly from on-road mortality or indirectly as a result of a variety of ecological impacts and enabled human accessibility. The quantity and the potential severity of indirect impacts of roads and urban development on amphibians and reptiles far exceed those incurred from direct mortality of wildlife although our understanding of these indirect consequences is premature. As the amount of research on the impacts of roads on reptiles and amphibians increases, scientists find themselves at a stage where determining the appropriate management and conservation direction is critical. While many road impacts have long-term effects, researchers are hampered by the inevitable time constraints imposed by funding agencies and, in the instance of many reptiles, the human life span in relation to their study organism. These complications are subsequently confounded by the necessity to prioritize research. Having science-based conservation decisions answer all questions on all species in all locations over a variety of spatio-temporal scales would be ideal, but is not achievable. The difficulty of long-term complex studies can be mitigated by performing shorter-term or smaller studies that elucidate general trends while specifying areas of research prioritization. Further, an examination of basic biological parameters of organisms can direct areas of susceptibility to road effects that assist in prioritization of research topics and focal species. This synthesis is indicative of the research mileage that can be covered when using multiple studies to assess an ecological issue. Lastly, while some on-road mortality can be minimized in some instances for some species with road crossings, the mitigation of indirect effects such as pollution cannot be accomplished with these measures. In light of the many indirect effects that have been identified and the many more that remain to be documented, proactive transportation planning, public education, and communication among the professional sectors of society are the most effective way to minimize and mitigate road impacts and the only effective mechanism for avoidance of road impacts.

Surveying and Modeling Road Kill

• Shyh-Chyang Lin, Dept. of Construction Engineering, National Kinmen Institute of Technology, Kinmen, Taiwan, Cell Phone: 0919786750.

Transportation is the backbone of developing regional economies and the evolution of our civilization. Well planned road systems are essential to connect dispersed communities or cities. However, roads are one of the major destructive forces to regional ecosystems and the natural environment. The effects of roads on their adjacent ecosystems may include road kills, habitat fragmentation, barrier effect to animal movement, road edge effects, introduction of exotic species, pollution and noise, change of micro-climate, etc. This study undertakes a comprehensive survey of road kills in Kinmen (Taiwan) and analyzes their causes. The road crossing behaviors of animals have been utilized in deriving survival probability by employing Traffic Flow Theory. Two models, Traffic Flow Model and Linear Model, have been proposed in this study and comparisons of survey results and the models are also carried out. Comparing the survey results and predictions of models, both models yield similar results for moderate traffic flow and provide excellent agreement in predicting frequency of road kill of birds and small mammals. It is found that traffic volume, adjacent landscape and road condition are the major factors in road kills. Higher traffic volume near animals' habitats always augments the probability of road kill, however roadside trees, adjacent landscapes, and road longitudinal slope may also affect the probability of successful crossing by small animals, especially birds. The barrier effect of roadside trees forces birds to fly between tree trunks and enter onto a collision course with oncoming vehicles, so that dense roadside trees may lead to higher bird casualties. On the other hand, roads with abrupt turns or steep longitudinal slopes may block the view of small animals and may be a significant factor in increasing the probability of being run over by vehicles. Based upon the findings of this study, some mitigation measures to lower road kill probability are proposed and the recommendations based upon this research could be applied in future road planning and design.

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