A new bridge over the East Fork of the Moose River will provide a very natural wildlife underpass after the existing small culvert and roadbed are removed (Photo provided by John Morton)
AWA’s Vice President, Dr. John Morton, contributed to this fantastic ArcGIS StoryMap describing the new Sterling highway wildlife crossings!
“Every year on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula, as many moose are killed in wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) as are harvested by hunters. That’s a real shame in a state where healthy wildlife populations and the ability to hunt for subsistence has been the Alaska Native way of life for time immemorial and remains foundational to Alaska’s character today. The societal cost of those collisions -- in damaged or totaled vehicles, human injuries or fatalities and the monetary value of each animal, among others -- averages $7‒9 million dollars annually, not to mention the cost to the regional ecosystem.” - ArcGIS Storymap
Can’t see the embedded link? Click here to view the StoryMap!
For further reading, check out John’s Refuge Notebook article “Why do Moose Cross the Road?”
This project was led by ARC solutions, which is fiscally sponsored by Social & Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE).
