The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has released its draft Idaho Transportation Investment Program (ITIP). This lists proposed projects for the next seven years (FY21-27), and includes programmed improvements to highways, bicycle routes, airports, pedestrian projects, freight, safety projects, bridges and public transportation. It is an opportunity for the public to comment on transportation projects in District 6 which includes Fremont county and Island Park.
All projects in District 6 can be found here. So far it appears projects on Hwy 20 include only road repairs, upgrades, and bridge repairs. Starting on page 89 of this document, all projects in Fremont county are listed. Again, there does not appear to be any references to wildlife overpasses. However, Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) is keeping its eye on ITD. "Now is the perfect time for Idaho to make mitigation for wildlife a priority in the project’s initial planning, budgeting and engineering process." Reference is made to the 2018 Idaho Fish & Game (IDFG) migration corridors action plan that is based only on a Department of Interior (DOI) Secretarial Order (SO) 3362. There is no federal or state law that endorses this action even though Congress continually tries to pass legislation to support wildlife corridors. In the IDFG plan Hwy 20 is specifically mentioned as a priority corridor from Ashton to the Montana line, page 14. The whole area is smothered with alleged migration routes on the maps, to the point where there could be no human presence without "disturbing" the wildlife. It is only common sense that living with wildlife in Island Park has been a peaceful co-existence for decades. Y2Y is at it again, they will be interfering with local jurisdictional authority and citizens to push their agenda for wildlife overpasses. This time they have assistance from the Henry's Fork Wildlife Alliance (HFWA), which is really the Idaho Wildlife Federation. But it is still all the same players, jumbled up a bit. Island Park citizens need to keep an eye on these transportation projects and watch for insertion of wildlife overpasses into the projects. Also keep an eye on Y2Y and HFWA buddying up to ITD as was done before on the Targhee Pass project. Advocate early for preventative measures to reduce wildlife vehicle collisions, there are plenty of them. Let ITD know where you stand.
1 Comment
Connie Kincheloe
9/15/2020 12:40:25 pm
Thank you for your consistent pursuit of this issue. Once again, ITD did not address Big Horn Hills Estates when the final EA was released. We learned of it second hand as is typical for this agency. We are thankful for the result of no overpasses but do have issues with a 4 mile long passing lane in front of a busy subdivision and boat check station.
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Making Sense of It All
This blog will help you make sense out of all the information on the website, how it affects IP, our history, and how efforts continue to put IP into various forms of conservation status. Archives
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