This uplifting account in The Magazine of the Sierra Club (May 19, 2024) details how visionary employees at North Carolina's Department of Transportation put in the work to gather the data to convince the State to create special passageways for elk, deer, bear, and other animals to meander over their increasingly dangerous habitat.
"When completed, the Safe Passage study identified 20 hot spots along I-40, specific tunnels and bridges that showed high animal presence—This was just the data Payne needed .... [for] five bridges, and NC DOT was able to commit funding to all of them. The new bridges would be larger, creating wider underpasses that would be more attractive to wildlife. Two bridge replacements included plans to modify the area under the bridges. Construction crews would turn sloped, gravel infill—the DOT standard—into easy walking trails by forming flat, earthen 'shelves.'"
When people are willing to put the work in, they can make vehicle transportation safer for animals and for humans. When devoted people want to protect something they love, they find a way to succeed.
The picture above is of what remains of the famous Clements House, a mid-20th century home at the Maryland/Virginia border on Assateague Island. You can enjoy a neat YouTube video about its history here. This once-beautiful structure reminds us of what will happen when we fail to care for what we claim to love.
When the National Park Service took control of Assateague Island, including this house and the property that went with it, it neglected the maintenance that any house requires. Hence, the current melancholy state of this once-remarkable living space.
We of the Lower Eastern Shore Group work every day to try to care for and protect this awesome planet that we love. We'd so enjoy having you with us. Check out our website here. If you scroll down to the calendar, you will see our plans. All our meetings are open to everyone. Our email address is LESGroup@mdsierra.org and we welcome your comments, ideas and feedback. Even if you cannot be with us physically, consider joining our still-zooming meetings.
That's all for now, folks.
Thanks for all you do for the environment,
Jacky Grindrod
Vice Chair/Newsletter Editor
Sierra Club Lower Eastern Shore Group
