e reduced further in future years. Maintaining infrastructure associated with the fencing (i.e., cattle guards, gates) willbe especially important during the peak movement periods in December, March, and May.Reducing deer-vehicle collisions is important for public safety and minimizing deer mortality. Of additional concern ismaintaining habitat connectivity for wildlife in the affected region. In western Wyoming, mule deer migrate 12-100miles between their seasonal ranges (Sawyer et al. 2005). Sustaining these deer herds will require functional migrationroutes remain intact. During the first two fall and spring migrations following underpass construction, we documented>25,000 mule deer move underneath US 30. Our data suggest that underpass and fence construction did not affectthe permeability of US 30 to deer. Rather, the underpasses provided deer with a safe means to cross US 30 andmaintain connectivity with their distant seasonal ranges.The benefits of reduced vehicle mortality and safe passage across US 30 were not limited to mule deer. Wedocumented a variety of other animals that utilized the underpasses. Of particular interest was use by pronghorn,moose, and elk. Although pronghorn use was documented at the milepost 30.50 underpass shortly after construction(Plumb et al. 2003), underpass use by all three species is relatively rare. A variety of small mammals (e.g., badger,raccoon) and carnivores (e.g., coyote, bobcat, cougar) also utilized the underpasses.BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHESHall Sawyer is a research biologist and project manager with Western Ecosystems Technology. Hall earned a BS degreein Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University and MS and PhD degrees in Zoology from the University of Wyoming.His specialty areas include migration ecology, resource selection, animal capture, GPS-telemetry, and impactassessment of ungulates. He currently leads several long-term studies that evaluate the migration ecology andpotential impacts of energy development on mule deer, elk, and pronghorn.Chad LeBeau is a biologist with Western Ecosystems Technology. Chad earned a BS degree in Wildlife and FisheriesBiology and Management and Environment and Natural Resources. Chad is currently pursuing a M.S. degree inRangeland Management and Renewable Resources at the University of Wyoming. His work primarily focuses onsagebrush ecosystems, and he has experience conducting black-footed ferret surveys, raptor nest surveys, greatersage-grouse lek counts, pygmy rabbit surveys, mountain plover surveys, burrowing-owl surveys, swift fox surveys, andhabitat mapping.Thomas Hart is a wildlife specialist in the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s Environmental Services Section.Thomas earned a BS degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and Management from the University of Wyoming. Beforecoming to WYDOT, Thomas did fisheries management work in Wyoming and South Dakota. Most of his work nowconsists of mitigating impacts to wildlife species from highway construction projects, monitoring wildlife crossingstructures, raptor nest monitoring, and ensuring highway projects are in compliance with the Endangered Species,Migratory Bird Treaty, and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection acts.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWe thank J. Eddins for sponsoring this project. We appreciate the numerous Wyoming Department of Transportationpersonnel that have assisted with field logistics and data collection including T. Carpenter for providing collision data.N. Hymas, M. Zornes, S. Lockwood, B. Rudd and other Wyoming Game and Fish personnel have provided valuableassistance. This work was funded by the Wyoming Department of Transportation.LITERATURE CITEDForeman, R. T. T., D. Sperling, J. A. Bissonette, A. P. Clevenger, C. D. Cutshall, V. H. Dale, L. Fahrig, R. France, C. R.Goldman, K. Heanue, J. A. Jones, F. J. Swanson, T. Turrentine, and T. C. Winter. 2003. Road Ecology – science andsolutions. Island Press, Washington.Gordon, K. M., and S. H. Anderson. 2003. Mule deer use of underpasses in western and southeastern Wyoming.Proceedings of the 2003 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation, Eds. Irwin CL, Garrett P,McDermott KP. Center for Transportation and the Environment, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC: pp.309-318.McCollister, M. F., and F. T. Van Manen. 2010. Effectiveness of wildlife underpasses and fencing to reduce wildlifevehiclecollisions. Journal of Wildlife Management 74:1722-1731.<strong>ICOET</strong> 2011 Proceedings 216 Session <strong>COM</strong>-1
Plumb, R. E., K. M. Gordon, and S. H. Anderson. 2003. Pronghorn use of a wildlife underpass. Wildlife Society Bulletin.31:1244-1245.Putman, R. J. 1997. Deer and road traffic accidents: options for management. Journal of Environmental Management51:43-57.Romin, L. A., and J. A. Bissonette. 1996. Deer-vehicle collisions: status of state monitoring activities and mitigationefforts. Wildlife Society Bulletin 24:276-283.Sawyer, H., F. Lindzey, and D. McWhirter.2005. Mule deer and pronghorn migration in western Wyoming. WildlifeSociety Bulletin 33:1266-1273.Sawyer, H., and C. LeBeau. 2010. Evaluating mule deer crossing structures in Nugget Canyon. Western EcosystemsTechnology, Inc. Cheyenne, Wyoming.Reducing Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions 217 <strong>ICOET</strong> 2011 Proceedings
Change language