Wildlife crossing study seeks input from Wallowa County Residents

WALLOWA COUNTY – (The following press release was provided by a group of Eastern Oregon University Wildlife Biologists) A 22-mi stretch of Oregon Highway 82 between Minam and Enterprise, OR has one of the highest densities of wildlife-vehicle collisions in the state. At least three wildlife migration corridors cross this section of OR-82 which has led to more than 1,000 recorded vehicle collisions with deer and elk, and countless undocumented collisions with a range of species since 2009. These collisions have placed drivers at unnecessary risk and hindered wildlife movements through Wallowa County. Statewide, roughly 7,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions and over 500 injuries occur each year, with damages approaching $24,000 per incident. Fortunately, there is a cost effective solution: properly sited wildlife crossings with associated fencing. As an example, the establishment of six wildlife underpasses in western Oregon (five under US-97 and one under US-20) has led to an 86% reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions in those areas.

Since 2023, the Wallowa County Wildlife Crossing Project, a local consortium of wildlife, conservation, state and private entities has been considering the effectiveness of existing under-crossings and the feasibility of improving these, while possibly adding new overpass crossings to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions in the area. 

Not only does this project have the potential to significantly reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, but it would also improve migratory connectivity by facilitating the safe movement of wildlife in the region. In an effort to quantify the long-term success of this work, the Wildlife Crossing Project hopes to begin installing an array of remote wildlife cameras at existing under-crossings before any improvements and to continue monitoring wildlife crossings after improvement completion. Results of this research will measure the benefits of improving crossing structures as a means of increasing safe wildlife passage and reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions in Wallowa County. 

With the recent passage of the State Transient Lodging Tax, the outlook for funding wildlife crossing structures in Wallowa County has improved dramatically. As such, the Wildlife Crossing Project is planning to deploy several remote cameras along the OR-82 right-of-way this summer to monitor wildlife crossings through the fall migration season. The Wildlife Crossing Project would like to make area residents aware of this research and to seek input and involvement from local landowners and volunteers who might be supportive of these efforts. If you have questions or would like to get involved in this monitoring effort, please contact: Dr. Andy Baltensperger, abaltensperger@eou.edu.

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(A stock image was used for this article)

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Elkhorn Media Group