In a world where survival is the key to recovery for the many endangered animal species in Florida, governmental agencies are working together to make our roads safer for them. Brent Setchell and Nicole Monies take some time out of their busy day at the Florida Department of Transportation to talk with the Sustainable Living Show’s Grace Behnke and Tanja Vidovic about I-4’s new wildlife crossings. According to Setchell, this new 65 ft wide underpass, along with two more planned crossings, will allow local animals to bypass this busy road’s 100k daily car traffic and allow for their safety and survival.
Each crossing takes millions of dollars to build, the planning process is deliberate, and attention to detail is essential. “We need to look at the whole picture,” Environmental Permits Coordinator Nicole Monies states, referencing that the design of these projects is vital to their success. She emphasizes that it isn’t just connecting the two sides of the road, “it is the ability to connect protected, established corridors.” When looking for a new site there are many things that go into consideration for location. One that Brent Setchell points out are “least cost pathways,” which he describes as gridded maps that calculate which areas are the least difficult for the animals to traverse. Monies goes further into detail mentioning that land use, number of animals, human density, and if it is a residential area, all are deciding factors on location as well. Setchell also explains that some projects are easier than others to have realized, siting examples such as bridges, that “often already line up with established waterways,” giving them the ability to “lengthen the bridge with shell for terrestrial creatures to cross.” He goes on to say that this method, if able to be utilized, is simpler than “a separate stand-alone crossing to accommodate all types of species.”
Money, of course, is always a factor when planning these new projects, which are usually taxpayer funded but with the opportunity for grants. During the interview, a caller asked if their funding was at risk. Brent enthusiastically said “No,” citing the FDOT’s recent award of a 6.1 million dollar grant, which is part of the federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, for a new, much needed crossing in the Highlands area. This grant comes at a fortuitous time, as this year has seen a spike in panther deaths, most being attributed to collisions with motor vehicles. It will allow them to build a crossing complete with a 16ft wide box culvert with a 6 ½ ft wide opening allowing animals to pass below. And while a lot of emphasis is placed on protection of the endangered Florida panther, black bears, deer and other large animals with these crossings, Monies also makes sure to point out other creatures that they plan for during the design process, like frogs, turtles, snakes and alligators, who also benefit from these projects.
The pass completed this past June, isn’t the only animal crossing location in Florida, and there are more to come, one of which will be the first dedicated wildlife overpass in the state. As for some of those existing crossings, you may not even know you have been travelling over them for years. For instance, there are “36 just on alligator alley,” explains Monies, it just “feels like a hump in the road.” These “humps in the road,” and other non-invasive crossing designs also make for a safer driving environment for human animals, decreasing the chances of the physical and automotive damage that can occur when hitting wildlife. According to the group Environment Florida, Florida ranks 9th in the nation for “human deaths caused by wildlife vehicle collisions.” These vehicle collisions also serve as the number one cause of death for panthers and black bears according to FDOT data.
FDOT work hand in hand with other government agencies such as the FWC and the US Fish and Wildlife Service on these projects and also gratefully receives volunteer support from non-profits and groups such as Florida Gulf Coast University and the fStop foundations, who help with wildlife cameras and data collection. Setchell and Monies also agree that the public itself cares about Florida wildlife and are enthusiastic supporters of these types of projects, but that sometimes, residents don’t even know they are occurring. One way the FDOT is trying to remedy this is with their new Wildlife Crossing GIS site that allows the public to see crossing locations as well as photos and videos of animals using them. Another way Florida residents can get involved and support these animal crossings is by donating land to FDOT if it is near a potential crossing, or by making a conservation easement on their land, to stop any future development. With a conservation easement, the land can stay in your name, but it forever limits development, even if the land changes ownership in the future (Conservation Easements FAQs | Florida Department of Environmental Protection).
Brent Setchell says that the ecological aspect of his work has always been important to him, and that he has a “strong passion for the environment and preserving protected species.” Monies describes herself as “always having been an outdoors person” and someone “who wanted to do something in science.” Protecting wildlife by creating these corridors seems to be a perfect calling for both of them.
Check out SWFLroads.com to see stay up to date on FDOT projects and find pictures of all the Florida creatures that are enjoying a safe way to cross the road at their Wildlife Crossing GIS site. You can also view a video about Broketail, FDOTs famous female Florida Panther, here.
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