Oregon has received $33 million in federal grant funding to construct the state's first wildlife overpass over Interstate 5. The overpass aims to mitigate the growing issue of vehicle-wildlife collisions. Each year, Oregon's Department of Transportation (ODOT) removes 6,000 deer carcasses from public roadways each year.
The wildlife overpass will be constructed just north of the Oregon-California state line, within the Mariposa Reserve of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument — which is primarily known for being dedicated to protecting the rare Mariposa Lily plant. The area is home to a variety of wild animals, including deer, bear, elk, cougar, and more.
"This area has been noted to have a lot of wildlife-vehicle collisions," said ODOT spokesperson Julie Denney, according to the Salem Statesman Journal.
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"The Cascade–Siskiyou National Monument has extremely high biodiversity," Denney said. "Including a lot of rare and unique butterfly species, as well as things like Pacific marten and Pacific fisher."
ODOT reports the average cost of a deer collision is $9,000, while a collision with an elk is $24,000. The department also says the six wildlife undercrossings in the state have led to an 86% decrease in vehicle-wildlife collisions.
"There is a huge need for animals to move back and forth freely, to go from winter to summer ranges to find mates and to seek out the habitats that they need to live their lives," says Pepper Trail, an ornithologist and member of the Southern Oregon Wildlife Crossing Coalition (SOWCC).
The overpass will enhance driver safety as well as help preserve the region's rich biodiversity. Maintaining stable, diverse ecosystems helps sustain clean air and water, fertile soil, and carbon sequestration — all of which are ultimately beneficial for climate regulation and can also provide tangible economic benefits for humans.
ODOT will work in conjunction with SOWCC and Southern Oregon University to monitor wildlife throughout the construction of the overpass, which is slated to begin in 2028.
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