Ocean State Today

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) has introduced a new regulation allowing the public to collect wildlife species that have been killed in vehicle collisions. The legislation, backed by Chairman of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee David Bennett and Senate Majority Whip David Tikoian, provides the department with more flexibility in addressing such incidents. This allows the public to salvage deer or other wildlife with an appropriate permit, thereby utilizing a previously untapped resource and alleviating the burden on state personnel responsible for carcass removal.

Permits are mandatory and must be acquired within 24 hours of collecting wildlife struck by a vehicle. Applicants are required to report the species, estimated age and sex, provide a photograph, and indicate the location. Species eligible for salvage include white-tailed deer, turkeys, beavers, coyotes, fishers, red and gray foxes, muskrats, pheasants, squirrels, rabbits, and raccoons. Additional requirements for reporting fishers and foxes can be found in the regulations on the reporting webpage. Reports can be filed using the online form at www.dem.ri.gov/wildlife-salvage-permit or by calling 401-789-0281 and providing the necessary information.

Safety remains a priority when salvaging roadkill, and the public is advised to adhere to traffic laws. Field dressing of the animal is allowed before removal, but leaving any parts behind is against state law and could attract other wildlife. Each roadkill animal requires its own unique permit, and permits are only granted for animals killed in vehicular collisions.

The legislation expands the requirement for reporting a wide range of wildlife collisions that result in significant vehicle damage. This change ensures comprehensive reporting to the DEM’s Division of Fish & Wildlife (DFW), enhancing efforts to monitor wildlife populations and improve traffic safety. Animals killed in road accidents may not be tagged like hunted animals, and injured animals cannot be killed for salvage, although law enforcement can euthanize them and permit salvage.

In the previous year, DEM received 1,347 reports of deer vehicle collisions (DVCs), incidents that pose a public safety hazard and result in average damages of $6,717 per collision as reported by the Federal Highway Administration. The reproductive behavior of deer largely drives these incidents. White-tailed deer, prevalent in Rhode Island, are subject to regulated hunting, the most effective means of controlling their population while maintaining ecological and social balance. DEM biologists strive to harmonize hunting opportunities with reducing undesirable outcomes of deer overpopulation, such as crop damage, nuisance issues, and DVCs.

For further information on DEM programs, visit www.dem.ri.gov and follow DEM and DFW on social media for updates.