US-191/MT-64 Wildlife & Transportation Assessment

Abstract

The US Highway 191 (US-191)/Montana Highway 64 (MT-64) Wildlife & Transportation Assessment (the “Assessment”) improves understanding of the issues affecting driver safety, wildlife mortality, and wildlife movement along the major routes that connect Yellowstone National Park, the Custer Gallatin National Forest, and other public lands to the growing population centers of Bozeman, Big Sky, and nearby communities in Southwest Montana. By engaging personnel from multiple federal, state, and local agencies along with key stakeholders to examine problems and possibilities through the lens of spatial ecology, the US-191/MT-64 Wildlife & Transportation Assessment brings new insight into the impact of two major roads that unite local communities yet divide the landscape and natural habitats. The information included in this report should inform and support area communities and agency decision-makers to select and pursue wildlife accommodation options. With the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, significant funds for wildlife accommodation measures are available nationwide on a competitive basis. The US-191/MT-64 Wildlife & Transportation Assessment better equips part of Southwest Montana’s gateway to Yellowstone National Park to take advantage of new funding opportunities.