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Beginning today, Friday, March 8, motorists can expect part of Institute Drive to be closed in the Totts Gap Conservation Area for several weeks to protect breeding amphibians. The road closure will extend from Totts Gap Road West on Institute Drive for about one-half mile. The closure will run from Friday, March 8 through Monday, April 29.
The closure, in partnership with Upper Mount Bethel Township, allows Northampton County Parks & Recreation to take steps to allow for amphibian migrations to breeding pools without the risk of being hit by vehicle tires.
The trigger for the crossing will be a forecast calling for evening rain with mild temperatures, generally above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Since amphibians (frogs, toads, and salamanders) are primarily active at night, you can observe their migration from dusk until dawn as long as conditions remain favorable. “Recommendations from the County’s Minsi Lake Corridor Greenway & Stewardship plan highlight the need to protect critical landscapes. This temporary closure is a major step in the ongoing efforts to provide sustainable conservation practices”, said Bryan Cope, Superintendent of Parks & Recreation with Northampton County.
The woodlands on either side of Institute Drive are home to the largest concentration of natural seasonal pools and associated species of amphibians anywhere in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Some of these species are listed as threatened and endangered by the PA Fish & Boat Commission, which oversees the Commonwealth’s fish, reptiles, and amphibians.
For more information on the natural phenomenon of springtime amphibian migrations and how motorists can help protect them in their travels, log onto: www.shaverscreek.org/2016/04/
Information provided to TVL by:
County of Northampton
669 Washington Street
Easton, PA 18042
https://www.northamptoncounty.org/
