As the debate on a major infrastructure package heats up, some past measures with bipartisan support are worth revisiting. The Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act was introduced last year as H.R. 2795 by Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and supported by a wide number of stakeholders.
It’s a simple but elegant solution to a straightforward problem: roadkill. In the United States, motor vehicle collisions with wildlife cost over $8 billion every year. With more vehicles on the road and deer populations growing, wildlife collisions are increasing. Experts estimate there are between one to two million accidents involving large animals – deer, elk and moose – every year.
Roadways and highways separate wildlife populations from food, mates, and habitat. These man-made structures contribute to wildlife collisions when animals try to cross highways. In Canada, scientist Tony Clevenger helped create wildlife crossings to prevent collisions and protect wildlife in Banff National Park. Wildlife crossings are underpasses or overpasses that allow animals to cross highways.
With the construction of six overpasses and 38 underpasses since the 1980s, Banff National Park has seen wildlife collisions reduced by 80 percent. The crossings have reduced animal mortality rates by 50-100 percent, with elk mortality rates nearing 0 percent. Furthermore, Clevenger’s research shows that animals will use these crossings: eleven large mammal species have used the crossings over 200,000 times, including grizzly bears, lynx, and mountain lions.
But Clevenger says the biggest roadblock to these crossings is a lack of funding. In the United States, almost a dozen states have introduced wildlife crossing legislation but have been unable to develop these projects. The Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act could provide that funding.
In addition to funding crossings that have stalled on state lands, the legislation includes a national system for wildlife crossings on federal public land and incentives for similar projects on tribal lands.
Wildlife crossings support conservation efforts for wildlife whose habitats and migration patterns were disrupted by roadways. The crossings also promote biodiversity and protect species from extinction by allowing animals to access the resources they need to survive. As the landscape and climate continue to change, developing these crossings is more important than ever to support wildlife as they continue to adapt.
Wildlife crossings also bring significant benefits for the humans who drive over or under them. In the United States, wildlife-vehicle collisions are responsible for 200 fatalities and 26,000 injuries each year. Wildlife crossings can reduce vehicle collisions by 9 percent by keeping wildlife off the road and in their natural habitat. (And let’s face it, there will probably be more than a few hikers and hunters who will use the crossings as shortcuts for themselves.)
Developing these projects will boost the economy and support jobs in rural communities, which is especially important amidst the economic and public health crises. ConservAmerica would support H.R. 2795 as a standalone bill or as part of an upcoming infrastructure package.