Oro Valley resident Patricia Miller was concerned about a letter she received in April 2016 from the Regional Transportation Authority. Her letter explained that an eight-foot-tall gate would be installed behind her home to encircle her neighborhood.
“No one liked the wildlife gate going up and down the Oracle, and they didn’t want to have it on their home, so it might have looked scary,” Miller said.
Soon she organized other concerned residents to brainstorm other options. After interacting with RTA, Oro Her Valley Town, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Sonoran Desert Conservation Coalition, and Homeowners Association, a neighbor suggested folding gates.
“I think they’ve turned out beautiful. I haven’t heard any complaints,” Miller said.
On Wednesday, April 19, the town of Oro Valley celebrated the completion of the State Route 77 Wildlife Gate and Fence Project. Seven years have passed since the project started. It was the first time in the Sonoran Desert of southern Arizona.
The final product is located on the west side of US 77 at Scenic Overlook Place.
Collin Beach of the Arizona Game and Fish Department said that although the bridge over the wildlife bridge has been in place for more than five years, the wildlife is still acclimating to the structure. Year zero begins with the completion of the fence.
“We have cameras at pedestrian crossings and we are conducting a survey of traffic accidents along this front to see how the situation has changed over time and to help reduce traffic accidents and wildlife species. We’ll see if we see an increase in the number of ,” Beach said.
Beach says 25 species have been caught on camera, including mule deer, javelinas, bobcats and mountain lions. Over 5,000 animals have migrated since monitoring began in April 2016.
The executive director of the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection said a large part of the project was the installation of hunting fences to drive wildlife into the overpasses and underpasses.
“Thanks to what we have here in the Sonoran Desert in Pima County, we have the most beautiful conservation parks on the edge of the development,” Campbell said.
