Autumn's multi-hued arrival in the Wood River Valley and surrounding mountains seems to happen all at once and with little warning.
One day the leaves on the aspen trees are green and the next they've turned to brilliant yellows, oranges and reds, or have simply begun to fall to the cold, frozen ground.
In much the same way, the sudden appearance of wildlife on the valley floor—after the animals have migrated down from summer ranges in the high mountain meadows—happens abruptly. This annual migration is a magnificent spectacle, bringing species of wildlife not seen all that often—mule deer, elk and black bear just to name a few—into the more populated valley and riparian areas.
Inevitably, this mass exodus of hide, fur and antler from the relative safety of the high mountains brings wild critters into direct conflict with humans. And nowhere is this sometimes-tragic interplay between man and beast more apparent than along busy roads and highways.
Of course, more often than not, this collision of wildlife and speeding automobile finds the animal on the losing end.
Fortunately, there is something being done to try to find a way to eliminate many of the deaths of wildlife that occur on the largest transportation route through the Wood River Valley, state Highway 75.
Last Thursday, Montana field biologist Angela Kociolek spoke to a small crowd of local residents interested in what can be done to better address the issue. Kociolek works for the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University in Bozeman.
During the meeting, Kociolek gave an update on her work with an ongoing wildlife roadkill survey specific to the Wood River Valley and Highway 75.
The project, called "Ketchum on the Road," seeks to generate data on the frequency and locations of wildlife-vehicle collisions between Timmerman Hill, south of Bellevue, and Ketchum. To a lesser extent the project also seeks to look at the frequency and location of successful wildlife crossings along the same stretch of highway.
Although she can't yet release any definitive results or conclusions based on the roadkill data received from the public and from personal observations, Kociolek said the information has provided some interesting insights. As part of the study, she placed remote sensor cameras at various locations in the Wood River Valley to watch for wildlife crossing patterns. She said that two of the four cameras were placed underneath the Highway 75 bridges near St. Luke's Wood River Medical Center and the Greenhorn Gulch turnoff.
During the meeting, Kociolek showed some of the animal species the cameras photographed. Unfortunately, the cameras were stolen before the study was completed. Regardless, they did show some pretty interesting wildlife sightings showing local critters do use the de facto passageways beneath the bridges to safely cross over to the other side of the highway.
Some of the wildlife species photographed by the cameras included black bear, pine marten, mule deer, raccoon and a cougar.
"That one was the most exciting for me," Kociolek said.
Kociolek said the Ketchum on the Road project—for which Blaine County contracted with her and the project's principal investigator Marcel Huijser—will wrap up next March. Until that time, they want the public to continue reporting roadkills as well as live wildlife viewed along the highway between Timmerman Hill and Ketchum. The reporting form can be accessed by going to the Blaine County Web site (http://www.co.blaine.id.us/) and following the "Ketchum on the Road" link on the left side.
Researchers are hoping drivers on Highway 75 will keep a sharp eye out for when and where they see roadkills or moving wildlife. Kociolek said they'd like people to be able to determine down to one-tenth of a mile where they've witnessed such sightings.
"We're really looking for spatial accuracy," she said.
Helping drivers in that task is an online interactive map that is part of the wildlife reporting process.
Kociolek said the data gathered as part of the project will help them formulate a mitigation plan that will be presented to the county. Such a plan would consider various ways to better avoid wildlife-vehicle collisions along the highway.
"This information will be used to the best of our ability," Kociolek said.
One possible mitigation option—and one that has been used with success throughout the United States and in Switzerland and other locations in Europe—are remote sensor animal detection systems. The systems use a combination of an energy beam of some sort—either microwave or infrared—that when interrupted by an animal approaching a highway sends a signal that activates a blinking light to warn passing motorists.
In Switzerland, similar systems have been shown to have a success rate of around 82 percent, Kociolek said.
One area that has shown significant wildlife-vehicle collisions during the study is a roughly one-mile area along state Highway 75 between mileposts 116 and 121. This length of roadway is adjacent to Peregrine Ranch, the site of a proposed development project in the county north of Hailey.
As many local motorists know, this is a common spot to see elk or mule deer crossing the highway.
For specifics about the state Highway 75 wildlife-vehicle reduction study, contact project leader Marcel Huijser at mhuijser@coe.montana.edu.
An ongoing study of wildlife-vehicle collisions along state Highway 75 through the Wood River Valley is seeking to come up with mitigation measures that would limit the number of animals killed on the highway, such as this mule deer struck in August. Photo by David N. Seelig
