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ENV6: Ranking Transportation Structures in Vermont by their Potential to Facilitate Wildlife Passage: A Connectivity Modeling Approach

As featured in the November 29, 2022 Research and Innovation Newsletter: Understanding the connectivity value of transportation structures can help minimize impacts on Vermont's wildelife

Brief Project Description: We are developing a Terrestrial Organism Passage Screening Tool that managers can use to identify transportation structures important for wildlife passage across roadways in Vermont. A main component of the project involves using electrical circuit theory to model wildlife movement across the landscape. We will identify areas critical to wildlife movement statewide, as well as at each individual road structure managed by the Vermont Agency of Transportation. Structures will then be ranked according to their connectivity value for multiple wildlife species. This project is a collaboration between VTrans, The Nature Conservancy, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, and University of Vermont.

Poster: [Click to enlarge]

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Presenters: Caitlin Drasher and James Murdoch, University of Vermont

VTrans Champion and TAC Members: Glenn Gingras, Chris Slesar, Meg Lout

Questions or comments about the Poster? Contact the researcher cdrasher@uvm.edu, jmurdoch@uvm.edu. The researcher will assemble a Q and A document reflecting all queries received by 9 AM September 14th. The Q and A should be posted by September 15.