In an effort to minimize wildlife vehicle collisions, Colorado residents turned to vertical posts for the rescue.
KUNC NPR News, based in Colorado, reported that four wildlife crossings were built by college students underneath the U.S. Highway 287 in Larimer County. Vertical posts, or fencing, create barriers that guide animals toward safe crossing points like underpasses or overpasses, to keep them away from roadways.
The Livermore Valley in Larimer County is home to 100,000 acres of protected land. A major migration corridor for wildlife, the 30-mile stretch of Highway 287 to the Wyoming border has been a giant gamble for motorists and animals alike.
Retired Colorado State University professor Rick Knight was quoted, saying, "You could say that highway 287 was kind of a ribbon of death for wildlife, because they all have to cross it on their traditional east-west seasonal movements."
Prior to this development, wildlife was forced to cross the highway because natural underpasses were fenced off by the landowning ranchers. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT) safety assessment study in 2023, over 100 vehicle crashes in this area from 2017 to 2021 were caused by wildlife — probably more considering these types of crashes are often not reported.
While none of these accidents resulted in human fatalities, regional planning and environmental program manager with CDOT, Jim Eusson, said over 150 animals were killed by collisions in the last eight years.
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The need for safe crossing became paramount. With permission from the ranchers, friendly wildlife crossings were built using wooden vertical posts set apart by widths that would allow wild animals through while holding cattle and other livestock back. A smaller project in comparison to others, each crossing costs less than $500 and takes a day to build.
The Stonewall Creek crossing cameras have captured bears, mountain lions and cubs, elk, deer, and other animals using the corridor for travel.
"All they're doing is making motorists a lot safer, because wildlife have an alternative," Daniel wrote.
Heather Dannahower, a Front Range Community College faculty member in the forestry, wildlife, and natural resources program, founded the project with Knight. The co-creators started recruiting students from their prospective institutions to help build the crossings in 2021.
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Definitely 👍 "They loved it. We loved it. It seemed to be successful. And so it's just kind of grown from there," Dannahower explained as per KUNC. "Getting them out on the landscape, to actually see the barriers, to actually be a part of a solution, rather than just reading about the problem. I think that's far more impactful."
Wildlife fencing and overpass projects in Colorado are being funded by state and federal dollars. Last year, Colorado was granted $47 million in federal funding for safety improvements along 287. The I-25 Greenland Wildlife Overpass underway in Douglas County is one of the largest in the world and is expected to decrease animal-vehicle collisions by 90%.
Wildlife crossings save lives. It's a great cause that protects wildlife from having to cross dangerously busy roads while greatly reducing the probability of accidents moving forward. The Banff Wildlife Crossings Project in Canada's Rocky Mountains has been so successful that the same model has been adopted in Costa Rica, Argentina, and parts of Asia, according to APEGA. It just goes to show how communities can work together to take action and make a difference.
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