VTrans Wins PETA Award for Grant to Protect Wildlife From Motorists

Culvert Will Allow Migrating Amphibians to Cross Under Roadway

For Immediate Release:
April 6, 2010

Contact:
Kristina Addington 757-622-7382

Montpelier, Vt. -- Frogs, salamanders, and other amphibians migrating from upland areas to nearby Huizenga Swamp are often injured or killed by cars on a busy portion of Vergennes Road in Monkton. Now, thanks to a $150,000 grant from the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), the Monkton Conservation Commission can install a culvert that will allow animals to cross safely underneath the road. To thank VTrans for its kind decision, PETA is giving the agency its Compassionate Action Award.

"Small animals don't always get the kind of consideration that is given to larger animals, but they suffer every bit as much when they're hit by a car," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "It is very civilized of VTrans to recognize that all animals deserve consideration and protection."

Salamanders spend the winter in upland areas and migrate to lowland swamps each spring to spawn, leaving them particularly vulnerable when roads cross their natural migration paths. The Huizenga Swamp crossing has been described by leading Vermont reptile and amphibian expert Jim Andrews as "one of the most important of the known amphibian crossings in the state."

During migration season, volunteers from all over the state help carry animals safely across the roads, but Vergennes Road has too much traffic to cross safely. The Monkton Conservation Commission hopes to raise enough funds to install a second culvert.

For more information, please visit PETA's blog.