Fences are an effective stationary method of corralling livestock, but their sharp borders can create sudden changes in native grassland vegetation and the pollinators and birds that live there.

“There is a bridge manual from the State of New York, and it talks about pedestrian bridges. They require these types of fencing only if it’s above a highway or railroad,” Fossella said.

The University of Minnesota installed temporary chain link fencing across its Washington Avenue Bridge on Nov. 22 to prevent suicides. The bridge connects the University’s east and west bank campuses ...