Saving Wild Animals Near Snoqualmie Pass
11/12/08Plans are being developed to assist wild animal migration near Snoqualmie Pass.
Widening plans for I-90 near Snoqualmie Pass, with construction scheduled for 2011, will provide for wild animal crossings at selected locations. Department of Transportation intends to provide for animal passage where animal migration routes have been observed, especially as they intersect the freeway. Animal passage will be facilitated by providing tunnels under the highway plus constructing animal overpasses for the larger animals at two locations.
Wilderness Awareness School was contacted by WSDOT three years ago and asked to gather animal data.
They wanted to know what animals frequented selected stretches of freeway to note animal travel patterns that might put them in contact with the highway. Since many animals migrate with changing weather conditions, winter tracking information was supplemented with photos, using cameras placed along established trails during the no-snow periods. Most volunteers were assigned to snow tracking and track information recording duties during winter conditions. Remaining volunteers were assigned camera duty, placing cameras along animal trails and changing film during the rest of the year.
Dave Moskowitz and others involved with Wilderness Awareness School began a training program for snow tracking volunteers three years ago. Some eighty volunteers in all learn how to identify various animal tracks, read a GPS, record data such as tree cover near the tracks, species, direction of travel, snow and tracking conditions, etc. Categories of targeted animals were divided into levels of interest for the tracking program. Animals such as lynx, wolverine, wolf, bear, and cougar were the most sought after tracks and given a level one priority. Tracks of the more common deer, elk, and coyote were level two interests, which still warranted recording, while squirrel, rabbit, rodent, and birds were level three and only noted in our journals. Tracking outings usually covered around a mile along the freeway and focused in selected areas from exit 54 to exit 70, with snowshoe transects often covering both sides of the freeway on the same day.
Snow tracking the first year didn’t begin until January and we noted that most of the larger deer and elk had already migrated from the survey area.
They were quickly followed by cougar migration. There were still lots of coyote, bobcat, snowshoe rabbit, beaver and occasional otter however, so the tracking teams usually had plenty of interesting tracks to keep them occupied. Some of our tracking assignments were close to snow park sites frequented by cross country skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts. One of the more difficult parts of our assignment was differentiating wild animal tracks from the assortment of pets that accompanied people using snow park trails. Some survey areas, like Price Creek, have steep terrain. This is okay for hiking, but tough to navigate with snowshoes. Normally four volunteers meet up at Preston and then carpool to assigned tracking area, strap on snowshoes and prepare for a day of fun in the snow.
Each year we spend a day with Dave to update our training skills, form our tracking teams, and select our outings. I try and get the Easton assignment, since it is easier to snowshoe. This year at training it was announced that our previous tracking information had been used by WSDOT to help design two animal overpasses on the new freeway, plus five underpasses.
A related organization to ours put out cameras in the Okanagan area and actually captured footage of wolves.
This caused quite a stir, since wolves are classified as endangered in our state.
We continue to learn new things about our wildlife through this type of study plus I have found it to be great exercise. I also enjoy the fact that it all occurs at a time when the scenery in snow covered forests is hard to beat. If you would like more information about tracking or other wilderness survival programs www.WildernessAwareness.org is a good place to start your search.
