Road Kill in the Township of Langley

When a Greenfield site is developed former buildings, trees, etc are razed. The result of this process is the displacement of wildlife, some of which become road kill. In October of last year, Dr. Patricia Tallman made a presentation to Township of Langley Council called “Road Kill Report” which looked at this issue and made some recommendation. Dr. Tallman later met with Township staff and developed a list of recommendation. Including:

-Public awareness
-Speed bumps
-Wildlife crossing signs
-Speed patrols
-Driving awareness campaign
-Better lighting
-Designate additional wildlife habitat
-Excavation Protocol/Best Practices

At last night's Township of Langley council meeting, council received a staff report on this issue with some recommendations. The general tone of the report seemed to suggest that wildlife displacement and road kill is the result of development and this cannot be helped. The Township of Langley does have wildlife corridors and the hope is that wildlife will use these routes. Staff did recommend the follow action items though they questioned if the items will have any real impact.

1. Require developers to put up signs by development sites during clearing of land. This would have to be discussed with the development community.
2. Put up warning signs on major roads advising drivers to beware of wildlife crossing where significant construction is taking place. The cost of providing, erecting and maintaining the signs is estimated to be at least $5,000, with ongoing costs as development changes over time.
3. Put a notice on the Township web site advising residents of the dangers to wildlife in developing areas and asking them to observe road signs and speed limits.