JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County Public Works got the go-ahead from the County Commissioners on Tuesday to apply for a grant to help fund three wildlife crossings along North Highway 89.
If awarded, the grant would provide $19 million to build three wildlife crossing structures; an eight-foot high wildlife fence running the length of the project, on both sides of the highway; deer guards to prevent animals from entering the public right of way, and jump-outs to allow animals inside the public right of way a means of escaping back to the habitat side of the fence.
Chris Colligan, Public Works Project Manager, presented the item to the Commissioners and explained that the grant application is part of the department’s ongoing work on the corridor, having already completed a 30% engineering design plan and conceptual plans for the project, which he presented to the Commissioners in Oct. 2023.Â
The total project is estimated to cost about $24.5 million, and Colligan explained that the grant requires commitment from the County to provide at least 20% of the total project cost, $4,913,770, with non-federal matching funds. Based on direction from Public Works, the Commissioners authorized the use of 2019 SPET funds dedicated to Wildlife Crossings to cover the required match. Public Works says they also plan to pursue grant awards through the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust.
According to county staff, about $7 million remains in SPET funds for wildlife crossings.
Frank Durbian, National Elk Refuge Project Leader for National Wildlife Refuge Systems, attended the meeting and shared comments of support for the grant.
“We are the primary partner and we strongly support it, and we believe that this project will ultimately reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, thereby promoting human health and safety to the residents of Teton County and visitors as well,” Durbian said.
The project aims to solve the problem of a “near impenetrable barrier for most wildlife moving west to east.” Currently, the fence that runs along the east side of North Highway 89 between the highway and Elk Refuge prevents wintering animals on the Refuge from entering the highway but keeps animals coming from the west from easily moving onto the Refuge.
“Elk and other wildlife that arrive at the Refuge from the west must successfully cross the highway, find, and use the intermittently placed escape ramps (jump-outs) to traverse the fence and then jump down into the Refuge,” the staff report states. “Currently, significant efforts are required by wildlife managers in the fall to assist elk movements onto the Refuge by opening gates and/or actively hazing animals through these openings.”
According to a Wyoming Department of Transportation study, wildlife-vehicle collisions are the second most common cause of crashes in the project area, accounting for 40% of all crashes reported by law enforcement from 2017-2021. Research has also found that the actual number of collisions is likely two to four times higher, to account for the collisions that are never documented.Â
According to county staff, “The average monetary cost of wildlife-vehicle collisions in the North Highway 89 Fish Hatchery priority area from 2017-2021 was $599,701 annually or $166,584 per mile per year, based on the per animal costs of collisions with deer, elk and moose.”
The grant application is due by Sept. 14.
