As highways go, the thirty-mile stretch of road between Bozeman and Livingston Montana, is a nice one. This portion of Interstate 90 offers drivers magnificent views of thick conifer forests and large rock outcroppings as it climbs up and over Bozeman Pass. But, for all its aesthetic perks, this pass has another purpose besides moving humans to and fro.

Bozeman Pass is also used by deer, elk, bear and wolves - making it an important wildlife corridor - connecting the Greater Yellowstone lands in the south to the stretches of wild habitat to the north. This has led to a problem, as wildlife and highways don't mix well in close proximity. In the past five years alone, more than 1,200 wild animals have been killed on Bozeman Pass in vehicle collisions, injuring people and damaging property in the process ( see data).

Because of its importance for wildlife, since 2002 American Wildlands and partners have been working to protect wildlife movement in the pass. See the Bozeman Pass conservation timeline, for descriptions of AWL and partners' activities and successes.

For a wildlife corridor to be functional it is critical that wildlife are both willing to move across transportation routes and successful in their attempts. Therefore in 2008, American Wildlands will be ramping up efforts to make Bozeman Pass a safer place for both people and wildlife through our Bozeman Pass Safe Passages campaign. For more information about this campaign and our efforts, see our Campaign Headquarters (links on the right of this page).