Oregon Zoo Offers Lecture By Wildlife Underpass Expert

By Bill LaMarche

Portland, Ore. - Think of them as pedestrian walkways for bears, wolves, deer and other critters.

Wildlife crossings are just one solution to the problem of habitat fragmentation caused by human development, which will be addressed at the Oregon Zoo in a free public lecture Oct. 19 at 7 p.m.

Wildlife biologist Dr. Anthony P. Clevenger, who has been instrumental in researching underpasses and overpasses allowing Canadian wildlife to traverse busy highways, will address "The Changing Landscape of Transportation: Designing Roads to Conserve Wildlife Populations."

"In many parts of North America, roads are becoming a serious obstacle to maintaining population connectivity and are threatening the long-term persistence of key wildlife populations," Clevenger says. "The effect of transportation on wildlife and biodiversity in general are a primary reason why the public raises questions about the environmental impact of roads and vehicles. Calls for new solutions are increasingly heard from environmental scientists, the transportation community and local decision makers."

Clevenger, a research wildlife biologist with the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University, has spent the past 12 years assessing measures to reduce habitat fragmentation on the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park, which contains 24 wildlife crossings.

The lecture kicks off the five-day Pacific Northwest Wildlife Connections conference, a joint effort between the Oregon Zoo, Metro, Oregon Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Transportation, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Forest Service, Federal Highway Administration and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Coordinators of the event seek to unite biologists, planners, designers and conservationists toward the common goal of connecting wildlife across the landscape.

The public can also attend an all-day symposium Oct. 20 about habitat connectivity issues and projects, the importance of creating and protecting wildlife crossings, and public outreach in this arena. The symposium lasts from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and costs $35, including lunch. Registration deadline is Oct. 6.

Information and registration forms are available at www.oregonzoo.org/Conservation/PNWC.

The zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission to inspire the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Washington's pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot butterflies, western pond turtles, and Oregon spotted frogs. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.

The zoo opens at 9 a.m. daily and is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Zoo visitors are encouraged to ride MAX or take TriMet bus No. 63.
Visitors who take the bus or MAX receive $1 off zoo admission. Call TriMet Customer Service, 503-238-RIDE (7433), or visit www.trimet.org for fare and route information.

General admission is $9.75 (12-64), seniors $8.25 (65+), children $6.75 (3-11), and infants 2 and under are free; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo's Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $2 per car is also required. Additional information is available at www.oregonzoo.org or by calling 503-226-1561.