Happy Wednesday!
We take safety
seriously especially, when it comes to traffic because no one likes waiting in
rush hour traffic because the unthinkable has happened! A fatality accident! Did anyone happen to read The Houston
Chronicle on September 18, 2023, their article titled, “TxDOT pushing for
more crossings to protect wildlife”? In
the article, it goes on to speak about the Texas Department of
Transportation is applying for more federal grants to fund more animal
crossings and bridges. The TxDOT has
been constructing a couple crossing for animals under highways in hopes of
helping preserve a species like the ocelot as well as other animals which live
in the same areas in deep South Texas.
Ocelots, a type of small leopard, use to roam Texas, Louisiana, and
Arkansas, but as society expands, we have taken more of the areas many animals
live. The grant money TxDOT received was
from the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program which is from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act which has $350 million over the next
five years available for projects like animal crossings and others. The TxDOT has kept an eye on the animal crossings
and found they work to protect animals including ocelots, mountain lions, bobcats,
racoons as well as other species, people, and their vehicles. The animal crossings are part of the Beyond the Road campaign where archeologists, historians, environmental scientists,
and engineers work together to preserve natural resources and habitats before building
roads and bridges, so nature wins, and future generations get to enjoy these creatures
too! Texas highways and roads have many accidents
which involve wildlife and these wildlife crossings have helped reduce the
numbers of deaths, injuries, and property damage due to having a wildlife-vehicle
collision. Texas has thirty-two of these
wildlife crossings across the state, and twenty-one in South Texas, and they
are working to help all Texans! As the
work continues to add thirteen more of these wildlife crossings as more funds
and grants come in. This program is
another way our population growth and nature may work together for us both to
thrive and live side by side. If you
would like to read more of The Houston Chronicle’s article, please click
the link: TxDOT working to build more wildlife crossings, bridges (houstonchronicle.com).
If you would
like to learn more about what the Texas Department of Transportation is
doing to help protect Texans and Texas’ wildlife, please click the link: TxDOT wildlife crossings keeping animals safe.
If you would
like help in looking into how to transport your product efficiently, safely, and
with less of a carbon footprint, contact us via the email in the blog and check
out our ESC's website!
We hope you have a wonderful evening and a great rest of
your week!