Kelly McAllister to Speak on Balancing Washington’s Transportation Needs with Stewardship of Natural Resources Nov. 30

Kelly McAllister of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will discuss the interplay between the growing demands on the state's transportation infrastructure and stewardship of its natural resources and wildlife at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30 in Academic West 204 on the Western Washington University campus.

The discussion, which is free and open to the public, is part of the WWU Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series.

McAllister is a lifelong resident of Western Washington and a graduate of the University of Washington's College of Fisheries, and has worked as a biologist for the State of Washington since 1980.

He started his career with the Nongame Program of the Washington Department of Game, working on recovery of threatened and endangered species, and was the Department of Fish and Wildlife's district wildlife biologist for Pierce and Thurston Counties for 10 years before taking the job of habitat connectivity biologist for the Washington State Department of Transportation, a position he has held for the past 10 years. His work at WSDOT is focused on making the state's highways better for wildlife through establishing priorities for investments in new infrastructure and developing specific highway improvement projects, most of which include elements of barrier fencing and wildlife crossing structures.

The presentation will include a question-and-answer period. Anyone interested in the topic is encouraged to attend and participate.

The Huxley College Speaker Series, sponsored by Western’s Huxley College of the Environment, is intended to bring together environmentally-minded members of the WWU and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized leader in producing the next generation of environmental professionals and stewards. Huxley’s distinctive, interdisciplinary curriculum reflects a broad view of the physical, biological, social, and cultural world, and has earned international recognition for quality.

For more information, please contact WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment at (360) 650-2949 or visit the website: https://huxley.wwu.edu/huxley-college-speaker-series.