Press Release For Immediate Release

For More Information Cynthia Shipley 416 392-5938

March 22, 2007, Toronto: Experts on the transportation impacts on wildlife conclude Ontario’s first ever three-day “Roads & Ecopassages Forum” hosted at the Toronto Zoo, with Parks Canada, Environment Canada Habitat Stewardship Program, and Banrock Stations Wetland Foundation. Today’s final session focuses on the development of an action plan to improve road safety from animal collisions and reduce the tremendous loss of wildlife on roads and highways.

Road ecology is a growing field that explores the impacts of transportation infrastructure on wildlife and examines potential solutions for new and existing transportation networks to mitigate the influence on wildlife. One of the most effective solutions is to take proactive measures by designing roads that minimize landscape fragmentation and that include wildlife ecopassages.

Scott Jackson, University of Massachusetts, pointed out that Ontario’s stream crossing guidelines are excellent but road crossings for wildlife are far behind those used in British Columbia and many US States. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation is in the process of including new crossings for moose, deer, bear and turtles near Parry Sound but there is an acute lack of crossings elsewhere in the Province.

“Ontario is ripe for change. With increasing development pressures these is no time to wait. Ontario has everything it needs to address the problem and create a future landscape for people and wildlife that we all want” comments Trish White of Defenders of Wildlife. Other key note speakers include Dr. Patricia Cramer, Utah State University, Matt Aresco, Lake Jackson Ecopassage Alliance, Florida and Dr. Lenore Fahrig, Carleton University.

Where: Toronto Zoo
When: 12:00pm, March 22, 2007 - Final day of Forum