Defenders of Wildlife Blog

New technology was unveiled yesterday with hopes of decreasing the number of Florida panthers killed while crossing the state’s fast-moving highways. The Florida Department of Transportation announced the completed installation of a Remote Animal Detection System (RADS) along a deadly stretch of US-41 in the state’s Big Cypress National Preserve near Turner River.

Big Cypress National Preserve is a stronghold for the Florida panther. But the roads that cross the preserve also make it a very dangerous place for the endangered cats, and the Turner River area is especially deadly for breeding females and their kittens. The RADS system uses solar powered sensors to detect when large animals, like panthers, are close to the road. The system then advises drivers to slow down with bright, flashing LED lights on six warning signs placed along the road.

Although the RADS system has been used in western states, primarily for larger mammals such as elk, this is the first time the tool is being used as a way to save panthers. The system will be monitored to determine whether it is effective in detecting big cats and can be used in other parts of the state.

Defenders of Wildlife partnered with the US Fish & Wildlife Service to obtain grant funding for this job. We will continue to work for long-term solutions,  such as increased awareness and law enforcement in the panther zones, to make this deadly stretch of road safer for wildlife and people.

Learn more:

See other ways we’re working to help the panther population rebound in the Sunshine State.

One of the last emails Dave ever sent landed in my inbox on Friday afternoon. While most of us at Defenders had already headed home for the long holiday weekend, Dave was still thinking up new and better ways to protect the critters he cared so much about. He had compiled a list of conservation successes for 2011 for his beloved “meso-carnivores”—wolverines, lynx, fishers—and mentioned wanting to do a similar recap for each quarter of 2012.

That’s just the kind of guy he was. For two decades, Dave was deeply dedicated to protecting the wild animals and wild places that make the Northern Rockies so special. Whether he was tromping through the backcountry with “citizen scientists” in search of wolverine tracks, or defending critical lynx habitat from oil and gas drilling, he was always focused on a mission much larger than himself. And he did it with a warm smile, infectious laughter and an uplifting spirit that made us all want to cheer for the underdogs he was working hard to save.

Here’s a look at just some of the great work that Dave was involved with over the past year:

We here at Defenders will miss Dave very much, but we take some solace knowing that he died doing what he loved to do most: savoring the rugged wilderness under a beautiful Montana sky with his beloved wife.

Dave, your life was an inspiration for us all. Rest in peace, dear friend.

Readers: If you have any thoughts or memories to share, please feel free to add a comment below. You can also make a donation in Dave’s honor by visiting www.defenders.org/dgmemorial.

Watch Out for Wildlife Awareness Week may be officially over, but the effort to make roads in America safer for wildlife and people is only ramping up. This year, tens of thousands of Americans contacted their governors to officially proclaim Watch Out for Wildlife Awareness Week in their states—and 25 governors across the country responded to the call!  This response reflects just how many of us have been affected by wildlife-vehicle collisions. In fact, of the nearly 1,200 responders to a recent Facebook poll, 90 percent have either been in an accident involving wildlife or know someone who has.

But while not all wildlife-vehicle collisions can be prevented, there are many things drivers can do to reduce their chances of hitting an animal. Here are some basics:

1. Drive slow and steady, and be alert to wildlife around you.
2. Keep it clean and clear. Keep your windshield and headlights clean. Dim your interior dash lights and keep your dashboard clear of objects that will obstruct your view or cause a glare on the inside of your windshield and reduce visibility.
3. Don’t litter. Even if that apple core IS biodegradable, it is also a tasty treat for a wild animal who will be attracted to the roadside where they are more likely to be hit.
4. Don’t rely on deer whistles.  We always have people suggest using deer whistles and swear by them. Unfortunately, no studies show they work.
5. Speak up! If you drive through a roadkill zone where you frequently see several dead animals, write to your transportation agency and express your concerns. Ask what they are doing to reduce the impacts of roads on wildlife.

Defenders is committed to making our roads safer for wildlife and people. Whether building tunnels for endangered salamanders in Vermont to keeping moose away from cars in Alaska, we will continue to work to make sure wherever the destination, the journey is a safe one.

Learn more:

Read more about Defenders’ Habitats and Highways campaign, and what you can do to help prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions. 

For the past 11.5 years, I’ve been the director of Defenders’ Habitat and Highways program. Friends and family would tell you that I routinely brag about having the coolest job in the world and one of my favorite pastimes is talking to people about it. Sure, roadkill doesn’t make for the best dinner conversation, but it never ceases to amaze me how much people love to talk about it. When I tell people what I do, they always say the same two things:

1. “I always see so many dead (insert wildlife species here) when I’m driving along (insert their local highway here).”
2. “I hate seeing so much roadkill and wish there was something I could do about it.”

But now they can!  Across the country, citizen-based wildlife observation efforts are underway to minimize the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions. One project, I-90 Wildlife Watch, invites motorists to report wildlife sightings along Interstate 90 (I-90) in the Snoqualmie Pass region of Washington. Plans are in the works to widen the highway, which intersects the Cascade Mountains, a critical link in the north-south movement of wildlife. To ensure animals will still be able to move through the area, wildlife crossings will be built under and over the new, wider highway. And what better way to find out where to put those crossings than to ask the people who drive the road every day?

So I-90 Wildlife Watch asks motorists to report their wildlife sightings while traveling I-90 through Snoqualmie Pass. Participants can go to a website, click on “Report a Wildlife Sighting” and answer a few brief questions about what they saw and where. The information gathered from the citizen reports will help determine locations for more than a dozen wildlife crossings along the 15-mile stretch of highway.

Citizen Byron Langley has been submitting wildlife reports since May and now keeps a notepad with him to note relevant details when he can. “I saw this option to volunteer as an easy thing to do to help contribute to a better environment for traffic and animals,” Langley said. “It’s rewarding and fun and helps support the animals.”

Here are just a few more examples of citizens playing a key role in keeping our roads safe for people and wildlife:

California Roadkill Observation System
Colorado I-70 Wildlife Watch
Idaho Fish and Wildlife Information System
Maine’s Wildlife Road Watch
Linking Landscapes for Massachusetts Wildlife
Alberta, Canada’s Road Watch in Crowsnest Pass

Tell us your story:

Do you see wildlife on your daily commute?  What animals do you see and where?  Send your stories (and photos!) to Highways@defenders.org. Your story might be featured in Friday’s blog post!

WOW Week update:

This week, even more governors have officially proclaimed “Watch Out for Wildlife Awareness Week,” taking the number up to 25! Has your governor joined the effort to make our roads safer? Find out here. 

Although deer continue to be the number one victim of wildlife-vehicle collisions, accidents on the road impact a wide range of animals. In a 2007 study on wildlife-vehicle collisions, the Western Transportation Institute compiled a list of 21 federally listed threatened and endangered species in the United States for which direct road mortality is among the major threats to the survival. That list not only included mammals like the San Joaquin kit fox, Canada lynx and Florida panther, but even reptiles like the American crocodile and birds like the Florida scrub jay. Watch our video to see the full range of listed species.

Sadly, those are only the animals that are affected by direct collisions with vehicles. If the study had included other impacts of roads and associated development, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, that list would have been much, much longer.

Florida panther: Poster child for the road to extinction?

With only an estimated 100 to 160 remaining in the wild, Florida panthers are one of the most endangered mammals in the world. Meant to range over large areas in search of food and mates, these cats are forced to crisscross the Sunshine State’s dangerous highways all too often. As a result, collisions with vehicles take a terrible toll on panthers—16 were killed on Florida roads in 2010, and a record-breaking 17 in 2009.

Fortunately, progress is being made to protect these big cats. Next week, builders will break ground on a Remote Animal Detection System (RADS) in Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve. The preserve is a stronghold for the Florida panther, with the Turner River area specifically providing prime panther habitat. But the roads that cross the preserve also make it a very dangerous place for the endangered cats, especially breeding females and their kittens. By detecting large animals like panthers on the Turner River area of US 41 and alerting drivers of their presence, the system is intended to cut down on the amount of cats killed on the road.

Defenders is hopeful that the RADS project will raise awareness about the need to drive carefully and watch out for wildlife in Big Cypress National Preserve. We will continue to work for long-term solutions to make this deadly stretch of road safer for wildlife and people, from increased awareness and law enforcement in the panther zone to exploring the possibility of safe passage under and over busy roads.

If you’ve ever been in a wildlife-vehicle collision, you know they not only put a dent in your fender, they can put a big dent in your wallet. A recent study calculated the average total costs associated with collisions with three species: $6,617 per collision for deer, $17,483 for elk and $30,760 for moose. OUCH! The insurance industry estimates that Americans spend over $1 billion dollars per year in property damage due to wildlife-vehicle collisions.

But did you know you pay for accidents with wildlife, even if you’ve never been in one? Wildlife-vehicle collisions consume resources from law enforcement, emergency services, road maintenance crews and wildlife management personnel – so we ALL pay for them (even if you don’t own a car!). The best estimate of the total annual costs to society associated with wildlife-vehicle collisions is nearly $8.4 billion.

With our country’s current recession, we can’t afford to throw money away. We also need to create jobs. So I’m proposing a Recession Roadkill Stimulus program. It’s a two pronged plan to save money, save lives and save wildlife.

First, what if we could keep that $8.4 billion per year in American pockets? Even one unfortunate run-in with a deer not only costs working Americans thousands in repairs and medical costs, but could leave them without their only means of transportation to their job. By reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, we decrease the financial burden on the hundreds of thousands of families every year.

Second, in order to keep wildlife and cars from crossing paths, we need to build wildlife crossings that allow animals to pass safely under or over roads. They can move around to find food, mates and shelter without having to step onto the pavement. And what does the planning, designing, building and installing these structures mean? Jobs!

In his State of the Union address, President Obama said to rebuild America, we need to put “more Americans to work repairing crumbling roads and bridges.” His 2009 American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided $26.6 billion for transportation projects. What if we had spent just 2 percent of that on reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions? That’s $532 million – more than $10 million per state. According to a recent study, every $10 million committed to ARRA highway projects produced 24,000 job hours. Not too shabby!

Stay tuned:

Congress is expected to work on a new highway bill over the next few months. Defenders and our partners will be asking for provisions to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and we will need them to hear your voices loud and clear. Together, we can put a dent in wildlife-vehicle collisions.