What Is Being Done
The USDA Forest Service is working together with several other groups, including various landowners, utilities, and agencies, to identify the extent of the problem and help determine solutions. Several groups or individuals have a large interest in the rural people and wildlife who live there,Landowners at the corridor including the Boundary and Bonner County Commissioners and the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho. Land within the McArthur Lake Wildlife Corridor is owned by dozens of individuals. Public agencies also manage land there, including the US Forest Service, Idaho Department of fish and Game, Idaho Department of Lands and the USDI Bureau of Land Management. Other non-profit organizations have shown an interest in the wildlife there, such as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. All together, there are well over a dozen agencies, utilities, non-profit organizations, and groups with a clear interest in the management of the McArthur Lake Wildlife Corridor.
The first task is to clearly define the problem. This task is a large and important step, because it determines first whether there really is an important issue as well as which solutions may be possible. To do this, it is necessary to collect enough data to answer these questions: Is there a problem, and if there is, then what is the nature of the problem? Because we already have numerous accounts of animals killed on the highway and railroads, we know there is a problem. We do not have a clear idea of where the animals are most frequently killed, when that happens most frequently, which species are killed, and if there are animals that are prevented from crossing because of the high acitvity levels.
The next task is to identify the possible range of solutions. In this step it will be necessary to research other similar situations to find which sites have had successful outcomes.
The next task is to implement the solutions. In addition to the actual work of implementation, it will be necessary to find sources of funding.
The final task is to monitor the implementation to determine if it has met our objectives. If so, then the rest of the world needs to hear of our successes. If not, then we will need to regroup and determine alternative courses of action.
