WNC Sierra Club: Making Highways Safer with Wildlife Crossings

August 4 at 7 pm. Free on Zoom.

Jeff Hunter will provide an overview and update on Safe Passage: The I-40 Pigeon River Gorge Wildlife Crossing Project. This collaborative effort seeks to improve wildlife’s ability to safely cross interstate 40 just outside the boundaries of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  Hunter is a senior program manager with National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in Asheville, where he works on issues related to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Hunter spends most of his time coordinating a collaborative project focused on improving wildlife’s ability to safely cross Interstate 40 in the Pigeon River Gorge, just outside of the Smokies. Black bear, elk, and white-tailed deer are the project’s focus, but researchers have been monitoring many other species as well, using traffic collision data and wildlife cameras to determine where and how humans can make changes to best help wildlife cross the highway.

This free program is open to the public. Advance registration on WNCSierraClub.org or

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ud--qrzkuH9HtELwUE_5fKtQ9CBIBEhK_

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

For more information, contact WENOCA Chair Judy Mattox at  judymattox15@gmail.com,  (828) 683-2176.