News Article - Stay off the grille: Montana forges solutions to wildlife roadkill
Originally posted in the Missoulian by Rob Chaney
As the state with the worst odds for hitting a deer on the road, it’s not surprising that Montana has some of the most dedicated efforts to change that.
Insurance studies found Montanans have a 1-in-57 chance of colliding with a deer, compared to neighboring Idaho at 1:151 or Washington at 1:356. The rest of the northern plains states rank closer: The Dakotas, Wyoming, Minnesota and Iowa all average about one wreck per 80 drivers.
“You or someone you care about has probably hit a deer or an elk and has a really scary story to tell about it,” said Hanna Jaick of Montanans for Safe Wildlife Passage, a coalition of independent groups working to improve traffic safety. “I live in Gallatin County, which is the fastest-growing micropolitan county in the country. Every year we set new records at Yellowstone for visitation. Glacier is seeing the same. And with climate change and expanding populations, animal movements are changing. Their habitats are changing. Their routes are changing. That’s a recipe for growing challenges.”
