ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS NETWORK 20 May 03 Feasibility Study Approved For World's Deadliest Turtle-Killing Highway (Lake Jackson Ecopassage Alliance)
Tallahassee, Florida: A small stretch of U.S. Highway 27 at Lake Jackson near Tallahassee, Florida has the highest number of attempted road crossings by turtles ever documented in the world: over 8,600 turtles in 33 months. On Monday, the Tallahassee - Leon County Metropolitan Planning Organization unanimously approved a feasibility study to look at design considerations for an ecopassage along the deadly stretch of highway. An ecopassage is a series of guidewalls and under-highway culverts that will allow wildlife to pass safely under the roadway. The $100,000 study, funded by the Florida Department of Transportation, is expected to take about a year.
The Lake Jackson Ecopassage Alliance is a group of concerned citizens and organizations, representing over 9.4 million members. The Alliance's mission is to develop broad-based public support, lobby public officials, and work with government agencies to design and secure funding for an ecopassage along the world's deadliest turtle-killing highway.
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For more information, contact:
Matthew J. Aresco
Lead Biologist
Lake Jackson Ecopassage Alliance
aresco@lakejacksonturtles.org
Web site: www.lakejacksonturtles.org
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lake Jackson Ecopassage Alliance, Inc.
Matthew J. Aresco
(850) 562-3093
aresco@bio.fsu.edu
www.lakejacksonturtles.org
World's Deadliest Turtle-Killing Highway