Wildlife underpass proposed for highway
Conservation Northwest is raising public awareness for a potential wildlife underpass under US Hwy 97 to keep the highway safe for drivers and wildlife. "Just about the only people who don’t stand to gain from this might be auto body repair shops," said Jay Kehne
TONASKET – Jay Kehne, Conservation Northwest, is beginning to raise public awareness for a potential project that would construct a wildlife underpass under U.S. Highway 97.
The state Department of Transportation has eight or nine sites for such a project, and the area between Riverside and Tonasket where there is a high deer kill rate on the highway is one area, he said.
A similar project constructed a pathway for big horn sheep along U.S. Highway 97A. That project has been successful at reducing sheep-vehicle crashes, he said.
The underpass could be constructed at milepost 303 or 308 south of town, and carries a $5 million price tag.
That amount would be paid back over two or three years in saved wages for DOT employees removing animal carcasses, damage to vehicles and even injuries to drivers and passengers, Kehne said.
Just about the only people who don’t stand to gain from this might be auto body repair shops, he said.
Kehne is scheduled to discuss the project Friday [Jan. 21] during a coffeehouse event at 6 p.m. at the Community Cultural Center, 411 S. Western Ave.
He also is working with sportsmen’s organizations and trying to spread the word about the potential project.
“We’re just starting to get the word out,” he said.
