Bill Would Help Rural Areas; Forests; First Responders. Protecting Our Furry – and Non-Furry – Friends

A bill intended to reduce expensive, and potentially fatal, collisions between cars and wildlife on Oregon’s highways had its first public hearing recently in Salem. House Bill 2999, which would allocate $5 million to build wildlife underpasses, fences and other structures, had a hearing Feb. 9 in the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water. State Rep. Ken Helm, a Democrat from Beaverton, is among the chief sponsors for the bill.

“Oregon has taken important first steps on badly needed wildlife crossing solutions,” Helm said in a press release. “This bill will keep us moving on implementation of projects with real benefits for communities across the state, urban and rural alike.” With everything else going on, you might wonder why you should care about this particular piece of legislation. 

But it has many benefits for us Oregonians, particularly those of us who live in rural areas, which includes most of our CRT family. The main benefit of course is the time, money, the trauma of hitting an animal, and accidental injury saved. The Oregon Department of Transportation recorded 4,874 wildlife-vehicle collisions in 2022.

And studies show that close to three times as many incidents aren’t reported, according to a press release from Helm’s office. But reducing this, while huge, is not the only positive with the Bill. Expanded, robust wildlife, free to move, helps keep forests healthy. Animals help plants reproduce by carrying pollen from plant-to-plant and by spreading seeds. Closer to home, animals that eat insects and small mammals help reduce damage by caterpillars, rabbits, and other plant-eaters, helping maintain the wildlife urban interface. 

In fact, wildlife actually has a direct impact on wildfires, which of course concerns all of us. For example, according to a team of Australian scientists, animals, birds and even insects can be effective weapons against fires.  The researchers found that re-introducing wildlife that eats the parts of trees and bushes most likely to catch fire could stop bushfires in their tracks. Australia has long been at the forefront of climate change and many times the country’s research points to the future.

Finally, keeping wildlife out of and off of main roadways and rural outlets is very important in times of crisis and evacuation. First responders and those forced to flee don’t need to be watching out for deer and elk in the smoke, haze, fog, snow, or rain. Escape avenues or other means of transportation for wildlife can make us all safer. This is one part of legislation that at first glance does not appear that significant, but can really help maintain our forests and our safety in the long run.