Building Bridges: The Mule Deer Foundation’s First Transportation Liaison Connects Wildlife, Roads, and Communities
By: Karina Puikkonen
When Chelsea Merriman took on her new role as the Mule Deer Foundation’s (MDF) first Transportation Technical Assistance Liaison in Idaho this summer, she became part of a growing network across the nation. Liaisons work to build bridges between state wildlife agencies and transportation departments to accelerate the planning and environmental compliance process for transportation projects.
Merriman works in tandem with the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) and Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) to help plan projects along Idaho’s system of roads where modified infrastructure can improve road safety for wildlife and drivers, and ensure species and habitats remain connected in one of the fastest growing states in the nation. Merriman said she is excited to help find multidisciplinary transportation solutions in her home state.
“I’ve seen the development first-hand, I’ve seen the growth first-hand,” Merriman said. “We need to promote expanded capacity and safety for travelers, but we also need to maintain the wildlife connectivity, the natural resources, and the habitats that we enjoy in Idaho.”
A Liaison Model for Collaboration
The Transportation Technical Assistance Liaison concept isn’t new. Since 1998, staff positions at resource and regulatory agencies have been popping up across various states to facilitate environmental review and permitting for transportation projects. An initial 2009 study by the Federal Highway Administration interviewed participants from eight participating states to understand how the programs were being used. A follow-up 2019 “Study on the Effectiveness and Benefits of Transportation Liaisons” included additional states and examined how liaisons across the nation have since contributed to accelerating project delivery in their state.
The findings were clear: transportation liaisons expedited resource agency reviews and provided more predictability and consistency in the project delivery process, which typically takes three to ten years from conception to construction. Merriman’s position is built on the simple but powerful premise that early coordination and communication between agencies can advance projects more quickly while achieving better outcomes for both people and wildlife.
“We’re doing the same thing, just speaking two different languages as separate agencies,” Julie Hausknecht, ITD’s associate wildlife biologist, said. “Idaho has unique issues specific to this state, and having Chelsea work with ITD and IDFG will help us all better coordinate to streamline our processes.”
“The Mule Deer Foundation has enabled both IDFG and ITD to increase our capacity to bring more offense to our Technical Assistance game and Chelsea has quickly embraced the concept of looking for opportunities to promote wildlife and human safety along our roadways”, said Tom Bassista, Natural Resource Program Coordinator for IDFG. Bassista said he is very excited to “work alongside Chelsea to help foster trusting collaborations, think strategically for Idaho’s wildlife, and seize opportunities to put conservation projects on the ground.”
Although Merriman began this new position just this past summer, she is making great strides in facilitating meaningful collaboration between ITD and IDFG. During the coming months Merriman will continue meeting with staff from both agencies to identify opportunities for collaboration and operational bottlenecks. It is anticipated that in the future, Merriman’s position will assist ITD with planning processes to facilitate the delivery of additional projects that benefit not only migratory big game such as mule deer, elk, pronghorn and moose but also many other species of wildlife that are just as much a part of the cultural fabric of Idaho as those famed potatoes you’re always hearing about.
