Saving Lives and Wildlife: The Urgent Need for Wildlife Crossings in Oregon
OREGON IS FACING A CRISIS AS WILDLIFE-VEHICLE COLLISIONS CONTINUE TO CAUSE HARM TO BOTH ANIMALS AND HUMANS. ACCORDING TO RECENT DATA, APPROXIMATELY 5,000 LARGE ANIMALS, INCLUDING ELK, DEER, BEAR, AND ANTELOPE, ARE KILLED ANNUALLY IN OREGON ON ITS ROADS. HOWEVER, EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT THE TRUE NUMBER OF WILDLIFE DEATHS IS LIKELY MUCH HIGHER, AS MANY ANIMALS DIE OFF-ROAD AND GO UNNOTICED. THIS CRITICAL ISSUE CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION AND ACTION.
AMONG THE MOST DISTURBING FACTS REVEALED, EACH YEAR, OREGON SEES AN AVERAGE OF 14.5 MILLION WILDLIFE DEATHS DUE TO COLLISIONS, WITH AN IMPACT OF OVER $132 MILLION IN DAMAGES. MORTALITY RATES FOR HUMANS AFFECTED BY THESE COLLISIONS AVERAGE AT FOUR DEATHS PER YEAR, ALONG WITH OVER 500 INJURIES. AS SENATORS CHRIS GORSEK AND KEN HELM HIGHLIGHT, THESE STATISTICS ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS—THEY'RE LIVES, AND THEY REPRESENT A SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC BURDEN.
THE OREGON WILDLIFE FOUNDATION HAS BEGUN INITIATIVES TO ESTABLISH WILDLIFE CROSSINGS ALONG KEY HIGHWAYS. PROJECTS LIKE THE I-84 NEOREGON WILDLIFE CROSSING AND THE HARBORTON FROG CROSSING PROJECT AIM TO INTENSIFY HABITAT CONNECTIVITY AND SAFEGUARD BOTH HUMAN AND ANIMAL LIVES. THOUGH VOLUNTEERS CURRENTLY TRANSPORT FROGS ACROSS HIGHWAYS TO SAFEGUARD THEM, LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS LIKE STRUCTURES DESIGNED FOR SAFE PASSAGE REMAIN ESSENTIAL.
OREGON IS LAGGING BEHIND OTHER STATES LIKE MONTANA, COLORADO, AND CALIFORNIA THAT HAVE COST-EFFECTIVE SAFETY SOLUTIONS IN PLACE. THIS STRATEGY PROVES EFFECTIVE; FOR EXAMPLE, WILDLIFE CROSSINGS ON U.S. HIGHWAY 97 IN CENTRAL OREGON HAVE CUT DEER-VEHICLE COLLISIONS BY MORE THAN 90%. AS CHRIS GORSEK AND KEN HELM POINT OUT, EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN THESE CROSSINGS CAN YIELD UP TO $10 IN SOCIAL BENEFITS. LACK OF DEDICATED FUNDING, HOWEVER, HINDER PROGRESS, SIMILAR TO TRYING TO FISH WITHOUT A ROD.
THE 2025 TRANSPORTATION REINVESTMENT PACKAGE HOLDS POTENTIAL FOR GOOD NEWS, PROVIDING CHANCES TO ESTABLISH STEADY FUNDING MECHANISMS FOR THESE INVESTMENTS. WITH 86% OF OREGON VOTERS SUPPORTING MORE WILDLIFE CROSSINGS, IT’S CLEAR THE PUBLIC RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING BOTH OUR ROADWAYS AND OUR WILDLIFE.
THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION. OREGON MUST PRIORITIZE WILDLIFE CROSSINGS. AS WE LOOK TOWARDS A SAFER FUTURE FOR BOTH PEOPLE AND ANIMALS, WE ASK YOU TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS. DO YOU SUPPORT FUNDING FOR WILDLIFE CROSSINGS IN OREGON? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW!
