Authors

Emily Kreider '24

Jack Joiner '25

Madison Rowell '25

Thomas Manning '25

Document Type

Student Research Paper

Date of Creation

Fall 2024

Department 1

Environmental Studies

Abstract

While some deleterious effects of road networks and the vehicles that travel them– such as pollution, fossil fuel extraction, and carbon emissions– are widely recognized, their significant role in causing an estimated one million wildlife deaths per day (Shilling et al., 2021) and contributing to habitat loss and degradation, the leading causes of global biodiversity decline (Pinto et al., 2023), has garnered less attention. Connective conservation policies, such as designating wildlife corridors and constructing wildlife crossings on roadways, have been proposed as a means of mitigating these repercussions. This study proposes a connective conservation plan addressing the logistics of a wildlife crossing, an estimated budget, potential funding sources, and stakeholder opportunities with the objectives of reducing deer habitat fragmentation and wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) in the South Mountain region (SMR) of Pennsylvania. To inform the proposal, we interviewed local experts, reviewed relevant literature, and contextualized current management strategies in the national, state, and regional policy landscapes of the issue. We then conducted a GIS analysis that overlaid densities of WVCs from PennDOT’s public crash database with suggestions from previous literature on suitable deer habitat (Bolivar-Cime & Gallina, 2012, Eckrich et al. 2020, Jeong et al. 2015). These insights resulted in five priority road segments where wildlife crossings would be most effective in the SMR to reconnect deer habitat and reduce their road-related mortality. We found that from 2004 to 2023, deer-related vehicle collisions in the SMR steadily increased from 62 to 155 per year with almost 190 square miles (sq. mi) of the SMR considered exceptionally suitable deer habitat, most of which are highly fragmented in and to the east of Michaux State Forest. Out of the five priority locations, we recommend constructing an underpass along US-15 along S Cherry Lane in Dillsburg, PA, due to its elevated topography, potential to aid multiple species by featuring a stream, and ability to foster safer travel for deer between adjacent State Game Lands.

Comments

Written for ES 400: Senior Seminar

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