|
FHWA Scan Tour on Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Across European Highways
(back to index)
Overview
Habitat and wildlife resources around the world have diminished to the point that transportation agencies are being asked to address impacts to these resources when implementing improvements to transportation systems. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) sponsored an international technology scan to learn what actions are being taken in Europe to address habitat and wildlife issues. On October 5 - 21, 2001, a delegation of federal, State, and conservation group representatives visited Slovenia, Switzerland, Germany, France, and the Netherlands to observe and document efforts in Europe.
As a result of the trip, the team formed conclusions and recommendations for U.S. applications in the areas of policy, communications, guidance manuals, and research. In particular, the group recommends (1) including wildlife/transportation issues in the FHWA and AASHTO strategic plans; (2) creating a central source of contact for international exchange of information; (3) developing a number of guidance manuals pertaining to assessment methodologies, interagency coordination, terminology, and structures design; and (4) using pooled funds to study connectivity needs for all types of wildlife; and (5) funding a national connectivity study.
Final Report
The final report detailing the conclusions and recommendations of the scan tour team is available on the FHWA web site at http://www.international.fhwa.dot.gov/wildlife_web.htm. Related articles on the scan tour were featured in the November/December 2002 issue of Public Roads magazine ("The Scan of the Wild"), and the Summer 2002 issue of Greener Roadsides. Video The Humane Society of the United States, one of the scan tour participants, produced a 12-minute video that summarizes the scan's objectives and site visits. This video is available on VHS cassette, CD, and on the web.
- To order the video, contact Susan Hagood, Wildlife and Habitat Protection, HSUS To order the CD, contact Fred Bank, ecologist and team leader for FHWA Headquarters
- To view the video online, visit the Animal Channel and click on
"Europe's Green Bridges: The New Wildlife Crossing" (requires RealOne Player)
Related Links Many of the publications and best practices collected during the scan tour have been incorporated into two national web databases related to wildlife ecology and transportation:
More information on this and other scan tours is available from the FHWA International Programs Office.
(back to index)
|
