Marcel Huijser

Heavily trafficked roads act just like a giant wall, blocking wildlife from safely moving across. Highways can cause fatal collisions for people and animals, and present conservation challenges as well.That’s a problem when you’re trying to get separate populations of grizzly bears to connect. Now, new research is identifying high-traffic roads that can make it impossible for bears to cross.

Highway 93 cuts through the heart of the Mission Valley and crucial habitat for turtles and other wildlife. Researchers with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes want to build safer routes.