Michigan May Build Land Bridges to Protect Wildlife, Drivers

New data shows Michigan ranks fourth among states with the most animal-related car collisions in the nation.

According to both wildlife and transportation experts these new land bridge-style wildlife crossings could have a major impact on both motorists and animals.

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According to the Michigan Department of Transportation a new federal grant will fund a study of the impact of potential wildlife crossings in our state to curb animal-vehicle collisions.

Have you ever seen a wildlife crossing?

It's amazing how something so simple can truly have life-saving impacts. As National Geographic explains these,

Wildlife bridges...are usually covered in native vegetation of various kinds. This is to make them appear like a natural part of the landscape and help invite animal passage. The crossings often work most effectively in conjunction with highway fencing, placed strategically on one or both sides of the entrance to funnel wildlife toward the corridor.

According to the wildlife organization the concept was first introduced in the 1950s in France. While the United States was slow to adopt the concept the first wildlife crossing was installed in Sacramento in 1995 to help toads reach a nearby wetland.

Now, we may soon see the concept reach The Mitten!

According to Upper Michigan's WLUC the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded Michigan $467,000 to fund a study of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, moose, elk, bears and turkey, and the potential benefits wildlife crossings would have on the nearly 55,000 deer-related vehicle crashes in Michigan each year.

Says Michigan DNR Human & Wildlife Interaction Specialist Jared Duquette,

One of the primary goals that we have is really getting wildlife crossings, what we call hotspots, where animals are getting killed all the time by vehicles and we have motorists potentially getting injured...We want to identify those key areas and we can work that into MDOT’s planning

Where do you think the first wildlife crossing should be installed in Michigan?