Y2Y presents on conservation initiatives

Montana has the second-highest rate of wildlife-vehicle collisions in the U.S. according to 2025 State Farm data. Last Wednesday, students in MSU’s general ecology class gathered to hear an expert discuss possible solutions to this problem. 

On Oct. 1, the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) sent Senior Outreach Specialist for Wildlife Passage Daniel Anderson to MSU. Anderson presented on wildlife passage — how wildlife travels across roads — and Y2Y’s current initiative to minimize wildlife-vehicle collisions. The presentation covered Y2Y’s plans to build safe animal crossings in Montana. 

Y2Y collaborates with local conservation groups, communities and policy-makers to protect habitats along the spine of the Rocky Mountains. The organization works to address the needs of people and wildlife, allowing animals room to roam and promoting harmony between communities and nature, according to its website.

On Wednesday, Anderson discussed road ecology. According to him, this is the study of the relationship between ecological and transportation systems, including roadways and railways.

“My work here in Montana is all about partnership development,” Anderson said. “Working with various agencies, conservation groups, private foundations, communities and elected officials to basically establish a long-term vision for Montana to build wildlife crossings on Montana roadways.” 

State Farm data from 2025 showed that Montanans face a one-in-53 chance of colliding with wildlife on the road. According to Anderson, wildlife crossings can help address this problem.

The most effective way to create wildlife crossings is to build large overpasses or tunnels that are designed for animals to move across the landscape, Anderson said. According to him, engineers, ecologists and government agencies need to work together to make these projects possible.

“[The work] is empowering people with knowledge and essentially creating a vision that everybody can get behind,” Anderson said. “Crossings themselves work really well when they’re placed in the right locations. We know that from all around the world, so we don’t have to start from scratch.”

Since its founding in 1993, Y2Y has coordinated and raised funds for the building of 177 wildlife crossings from Yellowstone to the Yukon. One such development was in Banff National Park, where wildlife crossings data collected over the past 17 years have shown an 80 percent decrease in the animal mortality rate due to wildlife-vehicle collisions. Over 152,000 animals comprising 11 different species have been recorded using the crossings, according to Y2Y.

Anderson’s connections to Montana wildlife stem fromhis upbringing on his family's ranch. His educational background is in engineering, and after getting his B.A., Anderson went on to do graduate work at the University of Montana in environmental science and collaborative partnership building.

“I co-founded a partnership down in Paradise Valley called Yellowstone Safe Passages almost six years ago, focusing on elevating the issue [of wildlife passage] at the local level,” Anderson said. “Y2Y met with me last year and they were like, ‘Would you be interested in taking this to the statewide level, because we need these various scales — the local scales to the national scales’.” 

Wildlife-vehicle collisions don’t just kill thousands of animals. In Montana alone, they cost $212 million in damages every year, according to Y2Y. “Most of the people I’ve worked with for the last six years focus first on wildlife. Yet, what resonates more deeply with more Montanans, or the general public, is the human safety and economic impact side of things: what I refer to as the livelihoods impact,” Anderson said.

Y2Y is always looking for ways to maintain wildlife access to land while supporting and empowering the people who share these areas with wildlife, according to its website.

“What’s exciting about this particular line of work is it’s bipartisan,” Anderson said. “All across the country, there are people on both sides of the aisle that very much agree that this is important work. It’s uplifting to know that this line of work kind of brings people together.” 

To get involved or learn more about Y2Y, visit https://y2y.net/.