From health hazard to humus. Innovative composting project successfully deals with valley’s roadkilled deer…"There’s a dead skunk in the middle of the road…"

If life throws you a lemon, you can always make lemonade. But what if life throws you more than 500 roadkilled deer?

That was a dilemma faced by Montana Department of Transportation crews in Ravalli County, whose job it is to remove the growing number of deer carcasses from county roads.

For many years, MDT has held an agreement with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks that allows MDT crews to haul roadkilled deer to nearby remote areas for natural decomposition. But growing populations of both deer and people, coupled with increased development, have reduced the number of areas where deer carcasses can be safely and discreetly dumped.

by ROD DANIEL – Ravalli Republic

Full Story: http://www.ravallirepublic.com/articles/2006/03/15/news/news01.txt