As wildlife crashes grow more common, bipartisan bills in Congress could send new federal funding to Missouri and other states to help prevent them.
Lawmakers are considering proposals tied to the next federal transportation package which would invest up to $1 billion over five years in projects like wildlife crossings. Supporters said the Wildlife Road Crossing Program Reauthorization Act, now before Congress, could help Missouri expand efforts to reduce wildlife crashes.
Bart Melton, senior director of wildlife for the National Parks Conservation Association, is among those backing the proposal.
"Wildlife vehicle collisions are a serious safety problem nationwide, in and around national parks," Melton pointed out. "A national report from a few years back estimated that collisions with wildlife in the U.S. kill around 200 people each year and injure over 26,000."
He noted Missouri has already received federal funding to study collision hot spots and is moving forward with a wildlife crossing project along Interstate 70 in eastern Missouri, with more projects possible if Congress expands funding.
The Missouri Department of Transportation said about half of wildlife-vehicle collisions happen between October and December and the statewide study has identified hundreds of high-risk road segments. Melton explained certain conditions play a role and one animal is behind most of the crashes.
"Most people drive to get there – along the way and in parks, visitors see white tail deer, coyotes and more, sometimes a little closer than they'd like," Melton added. "A recent study out of Missouri actually said that 95% of collisions with wildlife in Missouri involve a white tail deer."
The Missouri study reported more than 17,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions in the state between 2019 and 2023.
Missouri News Service, a partner with KRCU Public Radio, originally published this story.
