Wildlife and vehicles are colliding regularly along the stretch of Interstate 5 from Shasta Reservoir to the Oregon border.
The good news is, we know how to fix this problem!
Years of research and documentation have shown that we can't change the behavior of animals. Their drive to get to food and mating areas is simply too strong.
What we can do is provide safe passage across the roadway.
Working with local conservation groups and the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), we are advancing efforts to study, design, and construct wildlife crossing structures that will reduce wildlife presence on I-5.
These kinds of overcrossings (and undercrossings) have been tested in other high-traffic areas and have been clearly proven to dramatically lower wildlife/vehicle collisions.
In 2021, California allocated over $60 million to fund wildlife crossings and fish passage projects. However, it did not include funding for the studies to pinpoint crossing locations and the species that use them.
We propose directing a portion of the state budget to a similar program to locate where current culverts, bridges, and other wildlife passage features exist, how wildlife are utilizing these structures, and where they are instead attempting to cross the roadway. This information would in turn identify the infrastructure needed to enhance permeability along the Interstate, and determine where to locate various safe crossing options, such as directional roadside fencing and wildlife crossing structures, including oversized culverts, underpasses, and modified bridges.
In addition to existing programs designed to study sections of roadway to determine effective placement and design of wildlife undercrossing, overcrossings, and directional fencing project partners are seeking funding to conduct a camera study along sections of I-5 to further inform potential wildlife passage features.
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