Oregon's first amphibian underpass: Northern red-legged frogs get safe passage under Hwy 30

PORTLAND, Ore. (Portland Tribune) -- Each year, Northern red-legged frogs face a perilous journey to get to their breeding grounds as they risk getting squished into the asphalt lanes of U.S. Highway 30.

They can’t hop over it. They can’t go around it. What’s a frog to do?

Enter the Palensky wildlife crossing — an underpass designed to allow safe passage for the amphibians beneath the busy roadway. Located near Sauvie Island and adjacent to the J.R. Palensky Wildlife Area, the underpass is the first of its kind in Oregon, aimed at protecting one of its most vulnerable species.

“They’re very small body little frogs up against something on the order of 30,000 vehicles a day driving on U.S. Highway 30,” Rachel Wheat, a wildlife connectivity coordinator with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said. “There’s a very high mortality risk for those frogs.”

During the summer, Northern red-legged frogs take refuge from the heat in forested areas in the northern Tualatin mountains. But as temperatures begin to drop, they must make their way down to the wetlands where they breed.

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