Santa Ana Pueblo gets millions to design wildlife corridors

Now known as the ‘Valley of Death,’ a stretch of NM road may be transformed into a safe wildlife crossing

CUBA, N.M. — The transportation crews patrolling U.S. 550 call it the Valley of Death. Just north of Cuba, a dry riverbed intersects with the highway, blocking a natural corridor for elk and deer. They often hop up into the roadway, sometimes struck dead by vehicles traveling 65 mph. The collisions aren’t safe for drivers […]

SANTA ANA PUEBLO — Tens of thousands of drivers journey north and south on Interstate 25 every day, but cougars, bears and elk also have places to go, and the interstate often blocks their path.

I-25 is a barrier to animal migration and the scene of dangerous collisions between large animals and cars. The Santa Ana Pueblo is getting $6.4 million in federal funds from the Department of Transportation’s Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program to plan and design overpasses and underpasses for wildlife trying to cross I-25 and U.S. 550 to the north and west of Albuquerque.

Santa Ana Pueblo Gov. Myron Armijo is excited for the project because the wildlife corridors should improve traffic safety and help wildlife trying to cross back and forth between the Jemez and Sandia mountain ranges, and even connect the Jemez area to Mount Taylor.

“It’ll provide safe passage for the animals, and these animals — elk, deer, mountain lion, antelope — they’re intertwined with our culture and traditions,” Armijo said.

The pueblo has been working toward wildlife crossings for at least 10 years, including trying to establish a wildlife consortium with other tribal communities. The area targeted by Santa Ana’s project is one of 11 that New Mexico identified that needed action. It includes 19 miles along I-25 and 7.6 miles on 550, crossing multiple jurisdictions.

The pueblo is still working with the federal government on the grant agreement, so officials are not sure yet what the project’s timeline will be, said Glenn Harper, Santa Ana’s Range and Wildlife division manager.

Even though it has half the traffic of I-25, more collisions with large animals are happening on U.S. 550, according to Harper. Meanwhile, vehicle volume on I-25 is so high that animals don’t want to approach it.

“I-25 has basically become a dead end,” Harper said. But animals need to move to find mates, maintain genetic diversity and find food.

The state of New Mexico has also invested in wildlife corridors, building 10 across the state over the last 20 years and creating a $12 million fund for more in 2023. Advocates will push for $50 million to be added to the fund in the coming legislative session, said Michael Dax, Western program director for advocacy group the Wildland Network.

The crossings are typically highly effective, Dax said. An overpass in Canada’s Banff National Park reduced vehicle-wildlife collisions by 80%, while an overpass in southern Arizona reduced elk collisions by 90%.

Overpasses on the way

The wildlife corridors can be overpasses or underpasses. To encourage animals to use the crossings, the nearby highway typically gets fenced, funneling animal traffic to the car-free crossings, Harper said. Whether an animal prefers overpasses or underpasses is often species dependent, Dax said. Prey species often avoid underpasses.

“Elk, for example, don’t like using underpasses. Same with pronghorn, which are a very visual species,” Dax said. “They live out on the flat plains of eastern New Mexico. So the idea of something tight, cloistered isn’t going to be appealing for them.”

While there are underpasses in New Mexico, no wildlife overpasses have been built yet, Dax said. The Santa Ana project will include overpasses, as will a project that the New Mexico Department of Transportation is working on north of Cuba on 550.