Keep in mind that animals can appear anywhere along highways in any season. Wolves were the first animals to use KootenayвЂ™s new crossing structures but they were soon joined by bear, white-tailed deer, moose, snowshoe hare and other species. As funds allow, Parks Canada is also improving culverts and bridges to help aquatic species, such as fish and amphibians cross highways too. This may include establishing seasonal speed advisories or speed limits in high-risk areas, and enforcing speed limits in roadkill hot spots. Parks Canada will continue to take other steps to limit collisions and connect the landscape. Parks Canada is monitoring how animals are using the new crossing structures that will inform further mitigations and help make future highway travel safer for all animals вЂ“ including humans. Funds earmarked for this project are part of a multi-year, agency-wide investment to achieve tangible conservation outcomes while connecting Canadians to nature as part of CanadaвЂ™s National Conservation Plan. In 2015, over ten km of fencing, one box underpass and five elliptical underpasses were constructed. In August 2014, the Government of Canada announced an additional $9.6 million in investment for phase two of the Kootenay Wildlife Crossing Project. In 2013, special funding allowed Parks Canada to fence 4.7 km of road and construct three wildlife underpasses near Dolly Varden Day Use Area on Highway 93S where there is a large deer population. Similar mitigation measures are recommended for highway segments with high animal-vehicle collision rates in Kootenay.Дeer, mainly white-tailed deer, now make up over 70% of recorded roadkills in Kootenay.

Monitoring since 1996 shows that fencing has reduced animal accidents by at least 80% and facilitated over 160,000 animal crossings through underpasses and overpasses. Highway Fencing and 44 Wildlife Crossings have been completed on the 82 km of the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park. The most effective way to limit wildlife-vehicle collisions while allowing animals to move across the landscape is to fence highways and provide wildlife crossing structures. What is Parks Canada doing?ДЇencing and wildlife underpasses are in a вЂњhot spotвЂќ for wildlife-vehicle collisions on Highway 93S. The new crossing structures are being monitored to determine their effectiveness. This is especially critical in Kootenay because there is seasonally important habitat on both sides of the highway, which runs through middle of the park.Д¬onfirmed roadkills in Kootenay National Park 2003-2012 before fencing and underpasses were installed. Even some larger species are deterred by vehicles, human activity, and infrastructure. For small animals, the pavement and cleared right-of-way can be insurmountable chasms of unsuitable or dangerous terrain. Roads are also barriers to wildlife searching for food, shelter and mates. It also excludes hundreds of small mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles killed each year but rarely reported, and the eight to ten bighorn sheep dying annually in collisions just outside the park. This statistic does not include those dying out of view from the highway or removed by scavengers before Parks staff can record them. In recent years an annual average of 53 large animals have been killed in Kootenay. Video: Helping Wildlife Cross the Road - The First SpringД¬ollisions between wildlife and vehicles kill animals, damage vehicles and, occasionally, result in human injury or death. Video: Helping Wildlife Cross the Road - The First Winter To reduce animal-vehicle collisions Parks Canada built fences and nine wildlife crossings on a 15 km section of the highway using the successful program in Banff National Park as a model. Over 5,000 vehicles travel Highway 93 through Kootenay National Park on a typical summer day. Wildlife Crossings Project on Highway 93 South Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office.Directory of federal heritage designations.National marine conservation areas system.

Wildlife underpass