Oregon has the West Coast’s highest rate of vehicle-wildlife collisions, but road trips could soon be safer for both people and animals, thanks to new legislation signed by Gov. Kate Brown today. The bipartisan Oregon “Wildlife Corridors Bill” aims to reduce collisions by mapping the state’s major wildlife corridors and creating a plan to protect them. Many species, from elk to butterflies, rely on migratory paths to find food, mates and seasonal habitat. Artificial barriers such as roads, housing developments and fences can block or alter these corridors, with deadly consequences for wildlife and people. Presently, wildlife agencies lack migration data to address these threats to humans, wildlife and the habitats we depend on. According to data from the Oregon Department of Transportation, at least 3.4 percent of the state’s vehicle collisions in 2018 involved wildlife; that percentage is higher than California and Washington combined, and the damage added up to $31 million. Approximately 55,000 deer and elk have been hit by cars since ODOT began tracking data in 2010. House Bill 2834 requires the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to map wildlife corridors and work with ODOT and other state agencies to protect them, for example, by incorporating wildlife crossings in new development projects. Wildlife crossings have proven to save lives. An underpass in Central Oregon’s Lava Butte reduced vehicle-deer collisions by 85 percent.
