Article Author: Katy Callon
Montana ranks second in the nation among states where drivers are most likely to have a collision with wildlife, according to the Montana Department of Transportation’s (MDT) “Watch for Wildlife!” safety webpage. To better understand where these collisions may occur, the Montana Wildlife & Transportation Partnership, which includes MDT, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and other partners, has developed a new planning tool.
This tool includes a map of Montana’s highways, evaluated based on five criteria that could influence having a collision with wildlife. Users can see the map by each of the criteria individually, the final analysis map with all of the factors combined, or the final analysis broken out by MDT district. This tool can be used to identify areas where further focus is needed.
The Environmental Quality Council (EQC) received an update from MDT on wildlife crossings at their January 18th meeting and plans to hear more about the topic at a later date. For meeting agendas and materials, visit the council’s webpage: https://leg.mt.gov/committees/interim/eqc/