Banff National Park of Canada
Park Management
Table
of Contents | Introduction
| Current
Twinning | Highway
Fencing & Wildlife Crossings
Highway Fencing and Wildlife Crossings
Emerging Principles of Road Ecology
1. There is a larger ecological footprint associated with the physical footprint
of roads - planners and managers need to consider the broad landscape rather
than the one-dimensional road corridor.
2. The effects of road mortality can be felt in 1-2 generations, while barrier
effects take several generations to manifest.
3. Animals need to move through the landscape, disperse freely, and recolonize
areas to be part of viable populations.
4. How much connectivity is necessary for wildlife, and what imposes a barrier
to connectivity are difficult questions, especially for rare, elusive species.
5. Mitigation means to reduce the impact - not restore to pristine conditions.
6. There is a need for more systematic monitoring of measures in order to
devise functional wildlife crossing structure systems and implement transportation
plans based on well-founded science.
7. Mitigating highways is most economical during upgrades rather than going
back to retrofit.
8. Bridge reconstructions are excellent cost-effective opportunities to
mitigate roads for wildlife and fisheries concerns.
9. There's no one-size-fits-all solution for crossing structures, but
certain habitat elements (e.g., cover) can be designed into passages to meet
passage requirement needs.
10. Wildlife crossing structures are built to last. Therefore, managing
human activity and development is critically important for sustained effectiveness
over the long term. Long-term land use plans adjacent to crossing structures
need to be compatible with wildlife conservation plans and corridor requirements.
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