Idaho's first wildlife/vehicle collision "tally signs" will go up this week. The signs will be posted in the Boise area, but are expected to go up in other parts of the state in subsequent winters.The tally signs - featuring the message "Give Deer & Elk a Brake" - will be updated regularly to inform the public about the number of known vehicle-wildlife collisions to date each year on that stretch of roadway. The signs are the result of a collaborative effort by the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD), Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), the City of Boise, Ada and Boise Counties, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and members of the public to improve the safety of motorists and wildlife alike.
ITD officials say, on average it costs the public about $8,000 for each deer/vehicle collision and $18,500 for each elk/vehicle collision! Those costs include insurance claims, deductibles, medical expenses, disability leave, lost wildlife resources and the lost man power and equipment resources caused by removal of the dead deer and elk by State of Idaho personnel.
3 comments:
Notwithstanding the bigger damage caused by the bigger game, would it have been too much to give wildlife a break?
Apparently only deer and elk are valued in Idaho Terry :) Just kidding, I think the thought process is that deer and elk cause the majority of problems, although I would have expected moose to be included in that. As for the smaller critters that fall under the 'wildlife' heading, they don't do a lot of damage (except to themselves) and don't usually even require someone to come out and remove the carcass.
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