Bridges to everywhere

Conservation Northwest members help protect the threatened wildlife and beautiful wild places that make this place special. Join us today during our annual Member Drive for only $25. And you may win a jacket from Outdoor Research!

By Jeff Baierlein, Development and Communications Director

She had lustrous black hair, flecked with white. The adult wolf was a survivor: she’d been shot in a rear leg just weeks ago. But she was healing well. In Washington’s North Cascades, it was a beautiful spring day.

She was making history. After decades of being relentlessly killed by hunting, poisoning, and trapping in Washington, wolves are slowly returning to their ancestral home. She was the first wolf in close to a century confirmed back in central Western Washington. 

That’s when she began to cross Interstate 90, in search of food, a mate, or a place to raise a family. She was hit by a motor vehicle, and killed.

It didn’t have to be this way. Roads are deadly barriers to animals that travel widely in order to survive. Deer, wolves and bears are victims. But Conservation Northwest is leading a campaign for safe wildlife crossings. Will you join us?

Join us to protect wildlife and wild places.

Become a member of Conservation Northwest today at our special $25 introductory rate.

Act now, and be entered to win an Outdoor Research Diode (or similar) jacket!

Conservation Northwest showed state officials how important safe passage is for our state’s treasured wildlife. Now, on I-90 four major wildlife undercrossings have been built. And four more crossings are under construction with others planned and funded. Our leadership helped make possible Washington’s first highway wildlife overcrossing, the largest wildlife “bridge” in North America when it’s completed.

These structures (see photo) will connect 40,000 acres of important wildlife habitat we helped purchase and protect a decade ago through our Cascades Conservation Partnership. Our wildlife cameras show countless animals approach I-90, only to be turned back for want of these wildlife crossings. Thanks to supporters like you, these animals now have safe passage!

But we’re not done yet. Thousands of animals perish on other highways throughout the state.  We’re taking our campaign to other roads. Highways that research shows are critical barriers to wildlife. Thanks to our members, we’re able to show that wildlife crossings save animals—and reduce dangerous car collisions too.

Please consider becoming a member of Conservation Northwest. Your contribution will make a safer Washington for wildlife, and drivers too. You’ll get our acclaimed newsletter, and exclusive event invitations. And, you’ll be joining thousands of others in keeping the Northwest wild. Please join today.