The US Highway 89 (US-89) Assessment is intended to improve community understanding of interactions between the highway, drivers, and wildlife in The Upper Yellowstone Watershed. The landscape – known as Paradise Valley north of Yankee Jim canyon and the Gardiner Basin to the south of the canyon– is surrounded by Yellowstone National Park to the south, Absaroka-Beartooth and Gallatin mountain ranges to the east and west, respectively, and the town of Livingston to the north.

The US-89 Wildlife and Transportation Assessment brings together local and expert knowledge, agency data, citizen science, and engineering considerations to determine priority sites for improving the safety of vehicle travel and wildlife along the roadway. Across the identified priority sites, a range of potential mitigation options are available, largely dependent on site-specific factors such as topography, land ownership, species presence, and engineering considerations. Through a landscape ecology perspective and multiple years of public engagement with local stakeholders and various responsible agencies, this assessment provides a novel opportunity to enhance driver and wildlife safety on the highway for future generations.

This report intends to inform Paradise Valley and Gardiner Basin residents and agency personnel of the potential avenues for roadway safety improvement, from wildlife accommodation options to funding opportunities. As described in [Section X, funding chapter], many potential funding sources exist for implementing our proposed accommodations. Available funding for improved wildlife passage measures is at an all-time high, making the content of this report incredibly timely for the Upper Yellowstone Watershed.