Road Ecology Center

This presentation summarizes the findings from the International Scan Tour, Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Across European Highways, and the NCHRP report recently completed analyzing habitat fragmentation resulting from highways. Transportation agencies around the globe must address impacts to wildlife and habitat resources when planning and implementing transportation improvements. How well these impacts are addressed and mitigated will be determined, in part, by how good the available data and information are. The results of these two efforts provide a wide variety of excellent methods for addressing effects to fish and wildlife as well as the legal and scientific bases for addressing these impacts. This summary includes ideas for fencing, overpasses, underpasses and culverts. However, it is widely recognized that these engineered solutions will not work without the habitat. Therefore, strategies to acquire and preserve habitat to ensure connectivity are also be addressed. Funding strategies will also be described.