Cramer decreases vehicle-related animal deaths
Patricia Cramer, assistant research professor in wildland resources, won the Denver Zoo’s 2010 Conservation award. As an ecologist with work sites in Washington, Montana, and Utah, Cramer said she was surprised by the news.
“I thought, ‘Why me?'” she said.
According to the Denver Zoo’s website, the award honors “the unsung heroes of wildlife conservation.”
The website also states “Dr. Cramer is a transportation ecologist who has advanced the scientific study of wildlife crossing structures and advocates for landscape connectivity in North America.”
Not only will Cramer receive the award and a reception in her honor, but a $5000 prize toward a project of her choice. Staying loyal to her work, Cramer has decided the money will go to a project called Wildlife Corridor Mapping in coordination with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. However, this is not the first time the ecologist has found success.
In 1997, Cramer was working in Paynes Prairie, Fla. when she first recognized the problem of too many animals getting caught in the cross-fire of vehicles. Cramer, along with fellow biologists and citizen activists, found some relief in convincing the local department of transportation to build a wall, four crossings, and a state preserve for amphibians and reptiles. After work was completed, Cramer reported a 90 percent decrease in collisions.
Since then, Cramer has dedicated over a decade to studying and experimenting with processes to prevent collisions between wildlife and vehicles.
Cramer is currently working with UDOT (Utah Department of Transportation) along with UDWR (Utah Division of Wildlife Resources) to monitor wildlife crossings being placed all over Utah. Cramer began working with the state after UDOT received federal stimulus funds to erect about three miles of fencing from Mountain Dell Resevoir to Lamb’s Canyon. The eight-foot high fencing is to encourage wildlife to cross under bridges through designated safe pathways. Escape ramps for larger animals such as deer, elk and moose were installed just in case they do find themselves trapped on the road. Cameras have also been installed at the crossings to see how wildlife have been responding. Carmer said so far, all sorts of animals have been captured by the cameras, including various types of deer and a mountain lion. Cramer said she believes that with these crossings, collisions can be reduced by 70 to 90 percent.
All of the fencing has been installed, but with over 40,000 vehicles traveling through Utah roads each day, Cramer believes we can do more.
“I would like to see awareness of what we are destroying and to mitigate for them (wildlife) every way we can,” she said.
According to wildlifeandroads.org, this would include “using wildlife crossings such as overpasses, underpasses, and crosswalks.”
Utah has not always taken a blind eye to the problem. In 1975 Utah led the nation in the number of wildlife crossings and boasts the first wildlife overpass built in North America. Cramer said she believes Utah is “coming back” and that the country is growing as a whole.
Cramer gave some guidelines for drivers that can be used to prevent collisions. These include slowing down to 45 mph if in an area with deer signage and trying to avoid driving at dawn and dusk, especially during fall and spring when deer tend to migrate.
– jessie.a.sweat@aggiemail.usu.edu