Exploring options to improve traveler safety and maintain wildlife movement in a gateway to Yellowstone
Initiated in 2021, the US-191/MT-64 Wildlife & Transportation Assessment combines local and expert knowledge, public data, citizen science, and engineering expertise to identify important areas where mitigation measures—such as suitable culverts, bridges, underpasses, overpasses, animal detection systems, and fencing—can improve the safety of roads for travelers and wildlife between Bozeman and West Yellowstone, Montana.
The Assessment:
- Identifies areas with high levels of wildlife-vehicle collisions and those that are important to maintain wildlife movement
- Informs and supports communities and agencies in decision-making
- Recommends measures to improve road safety as well as habitat connectivity for both land and aquatic species
The Assessment report and Key Findings describe 11 priority sites (see map below) and detail recommendations to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and reconnect habitat along this gateway to Yellowstone.
The US-191/MT-64 Wildlife & Transportation Assessment was completed in 2023 as a joint project of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation and Montana State University’s Western Transportation Institute.
Additional Information:
Full Report: Full Assessment Report (164 pages).
Flyer: A 2-page description of the Assessment.
Priority Sites Identified by the Assessment
Wildlife Crossings on US-191: What’s the Latest News?
Efforts are underway to turn the Assessment’s recommendations into a reality.
Read about application-ready wildlife crossings at the “mouth of the canyon” (Gallatin Gateway to Spanish Creek priority area) and all the latest news on the US-191/MT-64 Wildlife Crossings Project.
Presentation
The Center for Large Landscape Conservation presented key findings of the Assessment in Community Information Sessions in Big Sky, Gallatin Gateway, and West Yellowstone, Montana. This video, filmed during the Big Sky session, provides essential background about road ecology and explains the methods used to identify priority sites for potential mitigation.
Questions about the Center’s activities along US-191? Please contact us at 191@largelandscapes.org
Banner Photo: The Gallatin River and US-191 near Big Sky, Montana
