Image credit: Greater Yellowstone Coalition
The Rocky Point Wildlife Underpass is expected to be completed this fall along US Highway 30, south of Montpelier in Bear Lake County, public officials and conservationists announced jointly this week. “Over 10 years, that is 1,000 animals we know we lost.
“We were seeing just all kinds of problems there; we were losing at least 100 deer a year,” Idaho Transportation Department public information officer Justin Smith said in an interview Wednesday. Officials also said those collisions cost drivers and taxpayers millions of dollars every year. Whether they are going through a construction zone or whether they are in a wildlife area, we want to keep people safe on our highways, and this is part of that effort,” Smith said. The underpass represents a partnership between the Idaho Transportation Department, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, the Idaho Conservation League, and Bear Lake County, officials said.
The wildlife crossing features three underpasses and extensive fencing on either side of the project to guide animals such as deer to the crossing. “Our primary concern is the safety of the travelling public.
The construction of a new wildlife underpass in southeast Idaho is about to be completed, after the public, nonprofit agencies, conservation groups and government agencies pushed for years to protect migrating wildlife herds and drivers, according to a report by Idaho Capital Sun.
To build the crossing, the Idaho Transportation Department secured a $20.8 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration’s Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program. Funding comes from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was passed by Congress and signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2021. The federal grant was estimated to cover 98% of the construction costs, but the project may come in under budget, allowing the state to return some of the money to the Federal Highway Administration, Smith said.
“Rocky Point shows what’s possible when agencies, conservation, sporting groups, and local communities work toward the same goal,” Matt Lucia, Idaho conservation manager at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, said in a written statement. “It is something that as Idaho’s population continues to grow, we need to look at ways to protect drivers and protect the wildlife,” Smith said. “[The Greater Yellowstone Coalition] has been part of this project for years — contributing time, energy, and funds toward the effort. The next step is making sure the federal funding that made this project possible stays available. Smith added that officials with the Idaho Transportation Department are studying other highway corridors with heavy wildlife populations, and the state is open to pursuing additional wildlife crossings. “It’s something we continue to look at. The resolution encourages the Idaho Legislature, Idaho’s congressional delegation, the governor, the Idaho Transportation Department, and Fish and Game to recognise and support wildlife corridors to improve public safety and protect big game migration corridors.