Dear Editor,
The August 2018 edition of Car and Driver features an informative and beneficial primer on wildlife crossings titled “Roadkill.” The Florida Wildlife Federation has an ongoing campaign to secure wildlife crossings across Southwest Florida and to promote habitat connectivity among the region’s public and private conservation lands. With increasing human growth and development patterns, our Southwest Florida office has a focus on comprehensive land use planning and limiting transportation impacts on wildlife.
Florida is home to the endangered Florida Panther and to a growing, but still fragile, black bear population. Our many super highways and byways act to fragment habitat for these and many other native species. By constructing crossings as roads are built or renovated, we are providing these far-ranging animals with safe passage and, at the same time, protecting people and their property by limiting human-wildlife interactions.
The Florida Wildlife Federation contracts Dr. Dan Smith, a transportation ecologist with the University of Central Florida, to study wildlife movement and provide expertise on placement and construction of appropriate passageways. We are creating important connections to not only safeguard the survival of the endangered Florida panther and other wildlife, but to ensure that people and these beautiful creatures are able to cohabitate peacefully.
Thank you for instructing your readers on the value derived from wildlife crossings. If readers wish to learn more or if they would like more information on the Florida Wildlife Federation’s ongoing work, please visit us at www.fwfonline.org.
Meredith Barnard
