Western Great Lakes Bird & Bat Observatory

State Highway 49, where it crosses the northern end of Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, is an area that has experienced a high level of wildlife mortality caused by vehicle collisions. Various groups have worked to address this issue over the years, and a newer effort is currently underway, with a list of agency, private and NGO partners. The following paper is the result of a student project from UW-Milwaukee's Conservation and Environmental Science program, in a course involving Dr, Neal O'Reilly, Dr. Glen Fredlund, and their students. It presents an overview of the road mortality issue at this location, along with a variety of possible solutions.

The US Fish & Wildlife Service contracted with the Western Transportation Institute, a group of ecologists at the Montana State University who specialize in road ecology issues  to work on the problem of road mortality on Highway 49 in the Horicon National Wildlife Refuge. The attached report details the current problem and recommendations.

Wildlife mitigation plan state hwy 49976.74 KB

Alternative Crossings: A Study On Reducing Highway 49 Wildlife Mortalities Through The Horicon Marsh2.25 MB