Mitigations for Newt Roadkill

I've been asked what can be done about the massive Pacific Newt roadkill issue at Lexington Reservoir. I'm not qualified to recommend solutions. There are experts (wildlife biologists, road ecologists, and others) who do this kind of thing for a living. Here are some references to projects in other communities with information about the analyses they performed and the solutions they came up with:

1. Hobbs, Michael Thomas, "Amphibian Mortality on Roads: A Case Study in Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander Habitat" (2013). Master's Theses. 4389.
   https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/4389

This study recommended measures to reduce road mortality to the Santa Cruz long-toed salamander by (1) restricting vehicular traffic on roads dissecting salamander habitats, (2) installing structures to protect the animals while crossing roads, and (3) potentially assisting animals crossing roads at nighttime during the breeding migrations. For a synopsis, see Discussion (p. 45) and Recommendations (p.50).

1. South Park Drive in Tilden Park closed for 5 months to protect newts: https://www.berkeleyside.com/2018/11/08/south-park-drive-in-tilden-park-closed-for-5-months-to-protect-newts
2. Tunnel of love for Stanford's salamanders / Breeding amphibians offered way to escape commuters' cars: https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Tunnel-of-love-for-Stanford-s-salamanders-2883540.php
3. California Amphibian and Reptile Crossing Preliminary Investigation: http://www.dot.ca.gov/newtech/researchreports/preliminary_investigations/docs/california_amphibian_reptile_crossing_preliminary_investigation.pdf
4. Best management practices for mitigating the effects of roads on amphibian and reptile populations: https://files.ontario.ca/bmp_herp_2016_final_final_resized.pdf

Posted on February 11, 2019 02:22 PM by truthseqr