To: Steve Jester, Board of Directors

From: Max Carey, Conservation Specialist

Subject: Wildlife Conservation Construction Initiative

Dear Mr. Jester North Carolina Wildlife Federation,

I am writing to discuss a possible solution to the issue of wildlife deaths among North Carolinian
highways.
Recently, there has been an increase in the number of accidents among major roadways in North
Carolina, namely I-77 and I-85. I hoped to direct this issue to a board member of a larger region
of the state of North Carolina which houses the largest population of wildlife in the state.

While the issue does not seem dire at the current moment, my research has led me to believe that
other countries have mitigated or even solved this issue with a relatively low amount of funding.
Canada, Belgium, and Finland, to name a few, have built numerous “wildlife overpasses” to
reduce vehicle-wildlife accidents. These are short expanses of grass and stone over wildlife-
dense areas around the highways which allow for wildlife to safely cross over the highway
without fear of passing vehicles. From my research, these bridges have helped reduce vehicle-
wildlife crashes by 90 percent, over $100,000 in mitigated damage.

My research also shows that other states in the US such as Colorado and California have already
taken action with this solution, as these states contain protected and endangered species. I am
curious if this solution is viable here in North Carolina or if other solutions to this problem have
been brought up either by your federation or another group.

Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have any questions, please provide a method
of communication that works best for you. I am available Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Best,

Max
Technical Writing Student
209-8775
maxcarey01@gmail.com