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Lynx
Lynx are cautious and secretive, and will avoid large open areas. They need a mosaic of stand types to den and find prey, but also need unbroken forest to provide stalking and security cover. Even when hunting, lynx prefer some cover and they typically won't cross openings more than 300 feet across. Clearcuts, ski resorts, and mining operations thus not only destroy huge blocks of habitat, but also act as effective barriers to lynx in their travels.
Recreational roads and trails from skiing and snowmobiles allow competitors like coyotes to infiltrate otherwise exclusive lynx habitat and compete for prey.
Highways can alter landscapes by fragmenting large tracts of land, some of which were previously homogenous habitats. Highways typically follow natural features such as lakes, rivers, and valleys that may have high habitat value for lynx. As the standard of road increases from gravel to 2-lane highways, traffic volumes increase. Lynx and other carnivores may avoid using adjacent habitat or become intimidated by highway traffic and may not cross. The degree of impact increases as highways are upgraded from 2-lanes to 4-lanes. Four lane highways, such as the Interstate Highway System, commonly have fences on both sides, service roads, paralleling railroads and impediments like "Jersey Barriers" that make successful crossing more difficult, or impossible. Highways can also directly affect the amount of feeding and denning habitat available to lynx by converting natural forests into road surface, right-of-ways or associated facilities such as maintenance areas or gravel pits.
- The 3 primary causes leading to extirpation of lynx in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire were trapping, loss of habitat, and roadkill.
- In the Adirondack Mountains of New York, an attempt to reintroduce lynx failed, with 18 of 37 mortalities of translocated lynx attributed to road kills.
- In a recent reintroduction into Colorado, two lynx have been killed on highways.
- Biologists suggest that highway traffic volumes of 2000-3000 vehicles per day are thought to be problematic for lynx populations.
- Movements of radio-collared lynx were studied in the vicinity of a ski access road in Banff National Park. As many as 4,000 vehicles travel this road each day. Fifteen attempted crossings by lynx were recorded on this road, seven of which were aborted crossing attempts.
Problem Areas
The following highways impede the movement and pose a significant threat to the lynx:
I-90 impedes within the Washington Cascades I-90, I-15, Highway 93 and Highway 2 in Montana and Idaho I-84 crosses the Blue Mountains of southeastern Washington and northeast Oregon I-80 between the Wasatch and Uinta Ranges Highway 14 in the Bighorn RangeI-70 in ColoradoRecommendations
Federal land management agencies can identify land corridors necessary to maintain connectivity of lynx habitat. In cooperation with state DOTs and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), managers can map key linkage areas where highway crossings may be needed to provide habitat connectivity and reduce lynx mortality. Complete a biological assessment for proposed highway projects on federal lands. Dirt and gravel roads through lynx habitat should not be paved or otherwise upgraded in a manner that is likely to lead to significant increases in traffic volume, traffic speeds, increased width of the cleared right-of-way, or would foreseeably contribute to development or increases in human activity in lynx habitat.Source: Information compiled from websites and USFS Canada Lynx Conservation Assessment and Strategy, August 2000
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