The latest episode of the “Talking Michigan Transportation” podcast details how federal grant money will help the Michigan Department of Transportation fund a study of wildlife crossings to better protect
Huge girders stretching across I-17 near Flagstaff, AZ, will soon support a safe elk and deer overpass through the forest and above motor vehicle traffic – all while protecting travelers
The Illinois Department of Transportation said it has entered “peak mowing season” for roadways statewide, with the heaviest mowing period to continue until August 15. [Above photo by Illinois DOT]
The New Mexico Department of Transportation is encouraging municipal, county, and tribal governments to join efforts to enhance the state’s natural beauty through the agency’s ¡Que Linda! beautification grant program.
During the environmental review for the Loop 88 highway project outside Lubbock, TX, planners with the Texas Department of Transportation made an interesting discovery – and promptly called in one
On a recent episode of the “Talking Michigan Transportation” podcast, the Michigan Department of Transportation and Michigan Department of Natural Resources discussed efforts to implement a pilot program for analyzing
When the Utah Department of Transportation built a wildlife bridge over the new Interstate 15 in 1975 near Beaver, it literally wasn’t front-page news. It merited only a brief mention
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reopening the public comment period for a proposed rule to list the Monarch Butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently sent a letter to Paul Souza, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), regarding the agency’s proposal to
The Michigan Department of Transportation is leveraging a grant to transform unused land near an interstate rest area into a 14-acre scenic strip of tallgrass prairie designed to attract pollinators.
The Washington State Department of Transportation is putting the finishing touches on a two-year fish passage project at Purdy Creek near Gig Harbor along State Route 16, which will help salmon migrate
The Oregon Department of Transportation plans to build the first wildlife overcrossing of Interstate 5 in the wildlife-rich Mariposa Preserve in the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument, thanks to a $33.2
In part one of this article, John Maresh – a biologist and environmental specialist for the Texas Department of Transportation – related how a drive along Interstate 10 during Monarch
On a road trip one October afternoon about eight years ago, John Maresh stopped for lunch in Sonora, TX, and was greeted by massive, shimmering orange and black waves of
The California Department of transportation recently issued a newly-developed Wildlife Connectivity Report, which identifies more than 140 locations where roadways can be better integrated with the migration needs of animals
In a recent blog post, the Texas Department of Transportation detailed the lessons learned from a field training exercise the agency conducted for select staff from its West Texas District
The Illinois Department of Transportation recently kicked off its statewide mowing campaign, which will continue until August 15; an effort the agency said plays a key role in its pollinator
The Washington State Department of Transportation plans to start work on a new project on July 8 that will help re-establish fish habitat in the Pilchuck River along State Route 92 near
The South Carolina Department of Transportation, in collaboration with Dominion Energy and the Town of Sullivan’s Island, recently helped revamp a 2024 utility project to eliminate the need to remove
The Tennessee Department of Transportation is helping create habitats for the Monarch Butterfly and other pollinators through the U.S. postal service; mailing packs of milkweed seeds to any state resident
A recent Illinois Department of Transportation blog post provided an inside look at how the agency manages roadside vegetation along state roads and rest areas – work that is the
Across the country, state departments of transportation are investing in a variety of landscaping projects to help transportation infrastructure become more “eco-supportive” of native habitats. [Above photo by TxDOT] For
The Tennessee Department of Transportation received the 2023 Pollinator Roadside Management Award from the North American Pollinator Partnership Campaign for its efforts to enact pollinator-friendly roadside practices statewide. [Above photo
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) is engaged in a broad effort to develop environmentally-friendly solutions that reduce plastic waste from entering the natural environment; particularly where infrastructure projects are concerned.
The Federal Highway Administration recently issued $110 million in grants to 19 wildlife crossing projects in 17 states, including four projects overseen by Native American tribes. [Above photo by the
The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently completed a long-awaited project aimed at reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions along the Green River in western Wyoming. [Above image by Wyoming DOT] The agency released
In a recent blog post, the Washington State Department of Transportation detailed how it is building sustainability into the I-405/NE 85th St Interchange and Inline Bus Rapid Transit or BRT
The Iowa Department of Transportation recently detailed in a blog post the “balancing act” required in order to minimize the impact of road and bridge construction projects on the environment.
Construction crews with the Washington State Department of Transportation are often called upon to execute unusual tasks within their road building and maintenance activities – and that can include “going
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced a total of $196 million going to 59 Tribal, state, and local governments that will fix or remove 169 culvert barriers to improve fish passage.
A recent video posted by the Georgia Department of Transportation details how the agency is helping “rejuvenate” a rare species of vegetation commonly known as the “Pitcher Plant” along State
A team of University of Minnesota researchers recently wrapped up a study that examined the effectiveness of “revegetation” efforts following the conclusion of infrastructure projects statewide. That study also compiled
In this episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast, Cidney Bowman (above) – wildlife passage program coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation – discuss the different
Each year, awards sponsored by The Garden Club of North Carolina are given to the best-looking flower beds along highways in every region of the state – awards that recognize the efforts
The U.S. Department of Transportation recently began what it calls a “first-of-its-kind” pilot program to prevent wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity. [Above photo by the Colorado DOT] Created and
The California Department of Transportation, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and passenger rail provider Brightline West plan to jointly design and construct three wildlife overcrossings across Interstate
The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (Utah DWR) and Utah Department of Transportation recently introduced a free mobile phone application called “The Roadkill Reporter” to make it easier for motorists
The Arizona Department of Transportation recently highlighted the benefits of its collaboration with the Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGFD) to reduce elk-vehicle crashes on northbound I-17 south of Flagstaff in a
As the Arizona Department of Transportation starts work on the I-17 Improvement Project from Anthem Way to Sunset Point, it is taking steps protect the natural landscape along this stretch
The Colorado Department of Transportation recently began work on the I-70 Genesee wildlife-crossing project, one of several I-70 Floyd Hill projects to improve both highway safety and traffic flow ahead
Key initial components of the $700 million I-70 Floyd Hill project kicked off recently by the Colorado Department of Transportation include the construction of wildlife crossings and fences as well
The Federal Highway Administration, along with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, recently made $1 billion in grants available over the next five
Ecologists at Idaho State University are working with the Idaho Transportation Department to turn state roadsides into veritable “Swiss army knives” of vegetation so they are both more fire-resistant and
Across the country, state departments of transportation provide support to a wide variety of efforts aimed at supporting numerous bird species and their habitats. [Above photo by the NCDOT] For
A research document just released by an international pool-funded study led by the Nevada Department of Transportation provides an “authoritative review” of the most effective measures to reduce animal-vehicle collisions,
Routine highway maintenance conducted by a North Carolina Department of Transportation work crew turned into one “honey” of a rescue mission in early June. [Above photo by NCDOT] NCDOT Division
An initiative to “Give BIRDS the ROW” in terms of creating big habitats in highway rights-of-way is expanding across Illinois – with new support from the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation recently received a 2022 Environmental Excellence Award in the category of Ecosystems, Habitat, and Wildlife from the Federal Highway Administration for its role in the
A mitigation program operated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Division of Aviation aims to reduce the risk of wildlife hazards by providing a variety of training and support options for
The Arizona Department of Transportation recently completed a bridge replacement project near Globe, AZ, which triggered the return of an endangered species of cactus transplanted and preserved by the agency
The Oregon Department of Transportation recently received a special one-time allocation of $7 million in general funds from the Oregon legislature to invest in wildlife corridor projects statewide. [Above photo
The Oregon Department of Transportation has a public outreach message for water birds who want to nest on two of their iconic bridges: Beat it. [Above: Matt Alex, a wildlife
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has teamed up with Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (KTRB) and other partners to establish a network of 17 “Seabin” automated litter and debris removal
Since November, maintenance crews with the West Virginia Division of Highways – part of the West Virginia Department of Transportation – have cleared more than 170 acres of trees and
The North Carolina Department of Transportation is providing more than 1,000 tons of damaged concrete pipe to help the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries shore up two artificial reefs.
In conjunction with several state agencies, including the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) is spearheading an effort to reduce the amount of salts entering
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is “generally supportive” of a rule proposed in October by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to develop a national
The Colorado Department of Transportation’s Division of Aeronautics recently wrapped up a two-year effort to help certified commercial service airports statewide acquire equipment to minimize the environmental impact of aircraft
The Minnesota Department of Transportation is helping test ultrasonic bat “deterrence devices” at two bridges to help keep the mammals away from such structures when they undergo maintenance and/or repair
A state government report is calling for increased funding for transportation projects that protect big game habitats and corridors and prevent thousands of vehicle-wildlife crashes each year on Colorado’s roads.
EEAs recognize outstanding transportation projects, processes, and organizations that incorporate environmental stewardship into the planning and project development processes using FHWA funding sources.
The Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) agencies recently completed wildlife underpasses along a rural stretch of Interstate 25 between Colorado’s two largest cities, Denver
The Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts or GACD are planning to install 15 pollinator habitat sites in designated locations as part of a joint
When it snows in Minnesota, drivers want the roads and bridges cleared – now. However, simply dumping mass amounts of salt on the roads is an outdated practice for the
The Tennessee Department of Transportation, along with the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) and Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA), jointly promoted “pollinator health and awareness” in state parks
The Illinois Department of Transportation recently resumed statewide roadside mowing operations, now scheduled to help maintain and grow pollinator habitat. [Above photo by the Illinois DOT] “We are committed to
Several state departments of transportation are helping bring back the Peregrine falcon from the brink of extinction by providing nesting platforms on bridges – creating a true symbiotic relationship that
A pair of new exhibits at the Tennessee Aquarium funded by the grants from the Tennessee Department of Transportation illustrate how microplastics and other roadside trash can negatively affect the
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The construction of the new Rock Creek Bridge to replace a culvert on US-20 recently won an engineering excellence award from the American Civil Engineers Council of Idaho – an
The Transportation Research Board recently highlighted a bevy of resources available to state departments of transportation to support monarch butterfly habit and migration support efforts. [Photo courtesy of the Virginia
The Washington State Department of Transportation recently wrapped up a roughly $13 million fish barrier correction project – resulting in a new 440-foot bridge that spans Kilisut Harbor along State Route 116.
Transportation agencies across the nation are working to create and maintain more habitat for the monarch butterfly, as part of a pioneering nationwide effort by rights-of-way owners to help save
A multi-agency effort including the Iowa Department of Transportation successfully relocated tens of thousands of freshwater mussels in the Mississippi River—including three federally endangered species—to protect them from bridge construction
WisDOT Moves Karner Blue Butterflies by the Bushel US Highway 10 cuts through the middle of Wisconsin, connecting the Fox Valley Cities in Wisconsin with the Twin Cities of Minnesota.
The use of web-enabled cameras to better understand wildlife movements on and near highway rights of way could provide transportation agencies with more timely data, lower costs, and help prevent
An innovative Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) created by Colorado DOT (CDOT), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will provide CDOT with a new streamlined
A series of underpasses and overpasses recently completed along a Wyoming highway has improved safety for the traveling public while preserving an historic wildlife migration route for pronghorn antelope and
A project to construct needed improvements to a stretch of mountain highway in Washington State will provide new opportunities for moving people through the corridor and reconnecting wildlife habitat and
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