Montana highway expansion shifts from danger to safety with Indigenous-led design [Video]

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW!

• Montana proposed a dangerous highway expansion plan that would pass through sovereign Indigenous land.
• Salish and Kootenai tribes came up with a safer plan for both wildlife and people.
• The plan included 42 crossings, and a 2015 study found a 71% reduction in road collisions.

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Montana’s Highway 93 expansion plan faced concerns from the Salish and Kootenai tribes, who raised worries about danger to wildlife, children, and school buses.

With the help of tribal wildlife ecologists and an architectural firm, they designed a safer plan that included 42 crossings.

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The plan proved successful, with more than 22,000 animals using the crossings annually and a 71% reduction in road collisions, bringing positive outcomes for safety and wildlife.

The collaboration also demonstrates how compromise, creativity, and extra effort can tackle challenges and align with cultural values.

Source: goodgoodgood.co