Bipartisan Wildlife Crossing Legislation Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives
As champions of the nationwide effort to make our roads safer for wildlife and people, Representatives Don Beyer from Virginia and Ryan Zinke from Montana came together on the Hill today to introduce the bipartisan Wildlife Road Crossings Program Reauthorization Act.
Photo by WSDOT
“Every year, more than 1 million wildlife–vehicle collisions are reported across the United States, resulting in human and wildlife fatalities and costing billions of dollars in damages. We know there are proven solutions – such as culverts, bridges and tunnels that allow animals to migrate safely – to reduce these incidents and save lives,” said Rep. Beyer. “Our bill would invest in these solutions by reauthorizing the Wildlife Crossings Program and allowing it to continue funding wildlife-friendly transportation infrastructure that saves lives, lowers costs, and improves road safety for drivers and wildlife alike.”
“Wildlife crossings save lives and are good for healthy herds,” said Rep. Zinke. “As the Secretary of the Interior I launched the first federal effort to protect big-game migration corridors and dedicate federal dollars to crossings in the west. This bill locks in the progress we started, keeps the funding flowing to the states and tribes that need it most, and ensures Montana families don’t have to risk their lives or lose the wildlife we all cherish driving to work or school.”
Congress took its first big step towards addressing wildlife-vehicle collisions in 2021, when it created the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This first-of-its-kind discretionary grant program provided $350 million over five years to build wildlife crossings that would improve public safety and habitat connectivity. The first two rounds of funding provided so far have been woefully oversubscribed, with roughly five times more funding being requested than was available. Of the 128 grant applications submitted to this program, only 35 grants have been awarded, despite the Federal Highway Administration sharing that many of the proposed projects had advanced to the highly recommended project round for grant consideration.
“As we near the end of this five-year pilot program, it has become clear that we need to reauthorize for another five years and increase the funding available to adjust for inflation and meet an incredibly high demand,” said Wildlands Network’s U.S. Public Policy Director, Erin Sito. “Reps Beyer and Zinke have answered this need with their bipartisan bill, and we applaud their effort to make our roadways safer for both people and wildlife.”
While many states and Tribes will require more federal funding to address their most pressing wildlife crossing priorities, the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program has already awarded several awe-inspiring projects, including a project that would provide safe passage for critically endangered Red Wolves and drivers making their way to and from North Carolina’s famous Outer Banks.
Photo1: Cover image by WSDOT
Photo 2: Story image by WSDOT
