September 2022 - 2

FROM THE
DIRECTOR
The view from the road
By Brian Nesvik
I
've put a lot of miles on my rig - GF01 -
this summer traveling around our great
state. Driving is part of what many of us do
in Wyoming - for work and for fun. Ten years
ago when I would drive the same stretches of
highways they looked a lot different. In this case,
the change is good because it's clear there have
been many improvements for wildlife-roadway
safety and habitat connectivity.
Bettering the ways big game like moose, elk, deer and pronghorn
cross roads and access habitat has been a major undertaking for the
Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Wyoming Department
of Transportation. With projects ranging from improving fencing and
mowing the right-of-ways, to large-scale construction projects for
over and underpasses, we're making a difference. Local communities,
conservation organizations and private landowners are supporting
this work with donations. In addition, by purchasing the Wyoming
Wildlife Conservation license plates and heeding crucial wildlife
crossing warnings drivers are making a difference.
In spring 2022 Game and Fish and WYDOT broke ground on the
first of nine highway underpasses in western Wyoming that will reduce
the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions in an important wintering
area for one of the premier mule deer herds in the West. This section
of U.S. Highway 189 has one of the highest wildlife-vehicle collision
rates in Wyoming. This highway goes through the Lower Green River
Valley, which serves as crucial winter range for deer from the Wyoming
Range herd. WYDOT numbers show from 2018-2020 an average
of 68 animal carcasses were picked up by maintenance crews and we
know that's only a fraction of animals that are killed each year on
this stretch of highway.
The Dry Piney project between LaBarge and Big Piney will include
nine underpasses and 16.7 miles of 8-foot-high fencing on both sides
of the highway to encourage big game, primarily mule deer and some
pronghorn, to use the underpasses. The cost of the project will be
$15.1 million, supported by a federal BUILD grant, Wyoming Game
and Fish Commission and Wyoming Transportation Commission.
2 | September 2022
Other supporters include the public, Sublette County, conservation
organizations, Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resources Trust fund,
private donors and landowners. Construction is slated to be complete
by October of next year.
A similar project is underway to prevent wildlife collisions on I-25
between Kaycee and Buffalo which runs through important big game
habitat. I remember traveling this stretch as a kid. I saw dozens of
carcasses and our family was thankful to avoid many near-crashes.
The plan is to build 30 miles of high fence to channel big game into
existing underpasses and keep them off the highway. The WYldlife
Fund and the Muley Fanatics Foundation have taken a significant
leadership role in raising money for this project and it will begin in
the coming months.
The next three highway projects we're focused on are:
1. The Halleck Ridge project along Interstate 80 between
Arlington and Fort Steele. I-80 is a substantial barrier to wildlife
movements, especially for mule deer and pronghorn. Halleck
Ridge is one of four projects planned along the Wyoming
portion of the interstate, all crucial to reestablishing connectivity
for big game movements and access to quality habitat.
2. The Dubois wildlife crossing project, located on U.S.26/287.
WYDOT crash and wildlife-vehicle collision data from
2010-2018 shows this stretch of highway consistently has the
highest frequency of vehicle collisions every year. Identified
solutions will save pronghorn, mule deer and bighorn sheep.
3. The Kemmerer wildlife crossing project planned on U.S.
Highway 189. Wildlife-vehicle collisions in this stretch
impact the Wyoming Range deer herd. The average number
of collisions is 80 per year, but that number is known to be
under-reported. Vehicle traffic is anticipated to greatly increase
in coming years, moving this project into a top priority.
Although expensive, these infrastructure investments make a true
and clear impact for Wyoming's wildlife and connect crucial habitats.
Underpasses and overpasses are proven to reduce wildlife-vehicle
collisions, increasing motorist safety and preserve the wildlife resource.
Another project on U.S. Highway 191 near Pinedale with underpasses,
fencing and two overpasses entirely eliminated pronghorn collisions
after three years, and mule deer collisions dropped by 79 percent.
Wildlife crossings are solutions that have proven to work.
Stay updated on our progress with these top priorities on the Game
and Fish website. None of this work would be possible without your
ongoing support.
https://wgfd.wyo.gov/wildlife-in-wyoming/migration/wildlife-crossing
September 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2022
