Many animal migration patterns are still intact in the greater Jackson area due to the large quantity of protected land.
Large animals such as elk, mule deer, and pronghorn have separate winter and summer habitats and are moving in the spring and fall.
Elk, moose, and other large animals also converge in the low-lying areas around Jackson during the winter months to escape deep snow at higher elevations.
[2] As a result, the Western Transportation Institute (WTI) was tasked with completing a report to examine the feasibility of a wildlife-crossing master plan.
[10] Studies indicate that there are approximately 211 fatalities and 29,000 human injuries in the United States each year due to vehicle collisions with wildlife.
In addition to deer, elk and moose, animals with high conservation value in the area include river otter, lynx, grizzly bear, and bison.
[12] Due to the complex nature of habitats in and around Jackson, the Teton County Wildlife Crossing Master Plan evaluates the biological conservation value of each roadway based on the migration patterns of large and medium-sized mammals most likely to encounter vehicle traffic on a specific route.
A number of studies indicate a high success rate when mitigation measures are designed with target species in mind, rather than being applied broadly to a region.
[16] The master plan does not recommend a general reduction in speed limits, however, due to a possible negative impact on safe highway driving.
[3] The master plan cites four studies indicating that wildlife fences are "one of the most effective and robust mitigation measures to reduce collisions with large animals.
[3] Teton County allocated $150,000 in the 2019 fiscal year budget to jump-start early planning and design for wildlife crossing and other mitigation.
[24] To facilitate the construction of wildlife crossings closer to Jackson, advocacy groups lobbied to include a $15 million wildlife-crossing program in the list of items funded by a special-purpose excise tax (SPET).
The SPET, which will be voted on in November 2019, would enable Jackson and Teton County to begin the construction of wildlife crossings and supplement WYDOT funding for specific projects.
[25] On July 15, 2019, Teton County and Jackson officials approved a ballot initiative that allows residents to vote for 10 projects totaling $77 million.
After a brief discussion about bundling the 10 projects into an all-or-nothing ballot measure, elected officials opted to let voters choose each item independently.