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Wildlife Vehicle Collision Subcommittee

Blaine County Regional Transportation Committee

Meeting 3�Monday, December 9, 2024

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Agenda

Background�
Upcoming project: Assessment of measures to reduce WVC�
Pre/Current-Work

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I. Background

Recent crashes
Fact sheet
Heat map of crashes involving wildlife

Local segment: 3rd highest official crash rate involving wildlife across the state, between 2018-2022.

Additional information on WRLT website

The Resident Elk Herd
Background of highway widening and WVC on SH75: 2008-2013
Status of SH75 Infrastructure Projects
Exploring Measures to Reduce Wildlife Vehicle Collisions
2024 Wildlife-Vehicle Collision Subcommittee

Citizen Science

Report roadkill/wildlife salvage on F&G website

The Wood River Valley community cherishes the beautiful and abundant wildlife of our surrounding mountains and watersheds. As human presence in the valley grows, so must our attention to the impacts on wildlife and habitats. Being “wildlife smart” means preventing and mitigating conflicts with wildlife. Being wildlife smart is a key responsibility in proximity to great swaths of nature.
According to the Blaine County Safety Action Plan, over 20% of crashes on State Highway 75 (SH75) involve wildlife, posing dangers to both animals and drivers.
Following the first phase of highway widening in 2009, ITD: Reduced the nighttime speed limit following feedback from a County-organized working group, Improved the design of Hospital Bridge to allow for passage beneath it, along the riparian corridor, and Installed additional wildlife warning signage along the corridor.

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II. Assessment of Measures

Project partners

Blaine County; ITD; IDFG; ICL

Taking a closer look at measures:

Roadside animal detection system
Vegetation management
Reduce vehicle speed
Habitat enhancement/compensation
Crossing structure
Fencing and lighting in conjunction with and separate from other measures

Site-specific cost/benefit analysis

Financial costs
Estimated effectiveness/benefit to habitat connectivity and traffic safety

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II. Assessment of Measures (cont’d)

Draft Scope of Work

Participation in local meetings with

partner organizations
BCRTC and WVC subcommittee
adjacent landowners
wider community/public

Deliverable: final report

current conditions
vision/objective

Improve habitat connectivity and traffic safety�*geographic scope TBD

site-specific cost/benefit analysis of aforementioned measures

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II. Assessment of Measures (cont’d)

Draft Timeline

Fall 2024

Meet with road ecologists for initial questions (completed)
Landowner engagement (in-progress)
Draft a Request for Qualifications (RFQ; in-progress)
Present the draft RFQ to project partners

Winter 2024

Publish the RFQ (Jan)
Select a consultant to complete the study (Jan)
Monthly meetings with consultant and project partners (Feb-May)
Report progress to BCRTC, WVC subcommittee and landowners (Feb-May)
Host consultant group at 3-6 community engagement sessions (May-June)

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II. Assessment of Measures (cont’d)

Draft Timeline

Summer 2025

Publish assessment (June)
Publish communications/education about:

the history of wildlife vehicle collisions on State Highway 75
the feasibility analysis
the environmental re-evaluation of the highway widening project (which is not yet published)
the feasibility analysis findings, including the benefits and costs of various countermeasures

Collaborate with project partners to explore implementation of a measure

*concurrent with construction of ITD’s Bellevue to Broadway Run project

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III. Pre/Current Work

Landowner Engagement
No Feeding Ordinance and Education

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Q&A