Yukon Count on Me

Group aims to create wildlife corridor from Yellowstone to Yukon

Recognizing that halting development is just not feasible (these are humans we're talking about), a group called Y2Y wants to create a wildlife corridor stretching from Yellowstone National Park to the Yukon in northwest Canada that would allow animals and people to coexist peaceably. A collaboration of conservationists, scientists, and government officials, Y2Y has worked on overpasses and underpasses that let wildlife safely cross highways, and negotiated to curb some use of golf courses and ski slopes to clear the way for animals to traverse them. The goal is to link numerous shrinking wildlife habitats into one long contiguous corridor, hopefully effecting an increase in population -- what zoologist Michael Proctor calls "sex across the highway." Saucy! Researchers have their work cut out for them, trying to determine what structures will be acceptable to a great diversity of megafauna; meanwhile, many existing structures meant for wildlife are being used by eager hikers and bikers. Damn humans.