Why Did the Turtle Cross the Road?

Dear Editor,

I do not have an answer for that, but every year I see turtles that have been hit by cars (five since this spring).

I personally have assisted several turtles in their highway crossing. The area where I notice them crossing is near the Idaho Club golf course and the Pack River Bridge on Hwy. 200 heading to Hope, Idaho.

I spoke to Susan Kiebert who used to be with the Idaho Transportation Department in the spring of 2015. I was hoping she could help me in the process for obtaining a sign that might make drivers aware that those rounded dark objects on the highway are turtles! She said she experienced the same sight of dead turtles on a Clark Fork River bridge crossing as well. She thought the idea of having a warning sign for drivers had merit.

She guided me to Ryan Hawkins and Stephanie Hale of the ITD.  They were receptive to the idea and included Idaho Fish and Game in the process by having them research the need for such a sign.  After their research they agreed to work out a hinged sign that can be opened when it is turtle crossing season (spring, summer and fall) and closed during the winter.

I am happy to report that yesterday, July 20, the sign is up!

Thank you to all of the people that were involved with this project.  It is my hope that with awareness of their presence people will be on the lookout and slow down for them.

Cynthia Mason
Sandpoint

While we have you ...

... if you appreciate that access to the news, opinion, humor, entertainment and cultural reporting in the Sandpoint Reader is freely available in our print newspaper as well as here on our website, we have a favor to ask. The Reader is locally owned and free of the large corporate, big-money influence that affects so much of the media today. We're supported entirely by our valued advertisers and readers. We're committed to continued free access to our paper and our website here with NO PAYWALL - period. But of course, it does cost money to produce the Reader. If you're a reader who appreciates the value of an independent, local news source, we hope you'll consider a voluntary contribution. You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.

You can contribute at either Paypal or Patreon.

Contribute at Patreon Contribute at Paypal

You may also like...

Close [x]

Want to support independent local journalism?

The Sandpoint Reader is our town's local, independent weekly newspaper. "Independent" means that the Reader is locally owned, in a partnership between Publisher Ben Olson and Keokee Co. Publishing, the media company owned by Chris Bessler that also publishes Sandpoint Magazine and Sandpoint Online. Sandpoint Reader LLC is a completely independent business unit; no big newspaper group or corporate conglomerate or billionaire owner dictates our editorial policy. And we want the news, opinion and lifestyle stories we report to be freely available to all interested readers - so unlike many other newspapers and media websites, we have NO PAYWALL on our website. The Reader relies wholly on the support of our valued advertisers, as well as readers who voluntarily contribute. Want to ensure that local, independent journalism survives in our town? You can help support the Reader for as little as $1.