What can the Utah Department of Transportation do with $9.6 million in federal grant money?Save lives and reduce wildlife collisions, UDOT’s Natural Resources Manager Matt Howard said. UDOT has been awarded millions in grant money specifically to improve wildlife safety improvements along U.S. 40 in Wasatch and Duchesne counties — a hot spot for wildlife crossings and collisions with animals. The project is set to retrofit three existing wildlife underpasses and add 23 miles of wildlife fencing along the highway, plus one new underpass from Fruitland to Starvation Reservoir.A problem in the western United States, wildlife highway crossings is one issue Utah has tackled head-on.In March 2023, Utah approved the dedication of $20 million to wildlife crossings, which was the largest appropriation for such a project in the U.S., not including California. The Beehive State has actually led the way for wildlife crossings initiatives since 1975, when Utah was the first to build a wildlife bridge in the United States. It was built near the town of Beaver, and more than 60 crossings have been built since then. By Oct. 17, 2023, more than 3,000 deer vs. vehicle collisions were reported in Utah, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and UDOT crash data reports that 60% of all crashes in the past seven years involve animals. In 2018, Utah built its largest wildlife crossing to date at Parleys Summit in an area the nonprofit organization Save People Save Wildlife identified as a risk to drivers and wildlife, including the local moose population. They called it “Slaughter Row.” Howard said that UDOT collects their data through multiple sources, including an app called Utah Roadkill Reporter, which identifies wildlife death hot spots.“Wildlife crossings are a vital part of wildlife connectivity. So a lot of these roads have for a long time stopped animals from trying to cross from one side to the other. That’s the biology standpoint,” Howard said. “UDOT’s real goal is to make sure that we are cutting down on those collisions and making sure that UDOT travelers are safe.”More than 20 miles of wildlife fencing will accompany new underpasses along U.S. 40. It’s all part of UDOT’s wildlife safety measures. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Utah Department of TransportationWhile fencing along the highway prevents wildlife from crossing altogether, it also directs those animals toward overpasses and underpasses specifically built for safe crossings. The Parleys Summit overpass resembles a large, rocky trail with a sturdy fence on either side. Overpass structures in southern Utah resemble dirt roads. Some underpasses in the state just look like large river drainages. In Wasatch and Duchesne counties, where the $9.6 million grant will be used, Howard said safe wildlife crossings are crucial due to the volume of oil and gas trucks that travel through the area. “Those big trucks are a big danger to animals, and there’s just going to be a huge increase of those trucks. They think it will double in the next 10 years,” Howard said. The project area begins at the edge of Wasatch County and Duchesne County, and stretches to the start of Starvation Reservoir. “We are thrilled that this grant has been awarded to our partners, the Utah Department of Transportation,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Wildlife Migration Initiative Coordinator Makeda Hanson said in a press release. “The new fencing will reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and funnel wildlife to safe crossing locations that connect habitats across this route. These funds help make these projects possible, and we are excited to continue to partner with UDOT on these important efforts.”The post Wildlife vs. vehicles: A problem helped by $9.6 million in federal grant money for UDOT appeared first on Park Record.