Resources and Opportunities for Reducing Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions and Enhancing Habitat Connectivity
In November 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, now referred to as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which includes an array of provisions related to conserving fish and wildlife. One of the most exciting elements of this historic legislation is a $350-million, competitive grant program called the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. This is the first-ever dedicated federal funding for structures that help fish and wildlife safely pass over and under roads while reconnecting habitat. Additionally, these projects are now eligible for funding from more than a dozen other transportation programs under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
UPDATE – April 4, 2023: U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program’s first round of competitive grants (nearly $112M available). Read our press release for more details. Also, potential applicants will want to check out this new website, launched by a coalition of nonprofit organizations, including the Center for Large Landscape Conservation. The site offers free resources for planning effective wildlife crossing projects and taking advantage of all the federal habitat connectivity programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The Center for Large Landscape Conservation’s U.S. Program has created and jointly developed a number of resources—including toolkits, guides, and webinars—to assist eligible applicants and partners to understand and take advantage of these new funding and policy opportunities. Please revisit this page in the future as we continue to add and update these resources.
A Toolkit for Developing Effective Projects Under the Federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program
This resource includes:
- An overview of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program and other fish and wildlife provisions in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
- Suggestions for how applicants and their partners can engage
- Best practices, examples, and resources for designing effective wildlife crossing projects in accordance with each of the grant application criterion of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program
Federal agencies, including the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), have already begun to implement the new statute so now is the ideal time to start planning to apply for a grant under the new program.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53847/PZNN2279
Montana PBS IMPACT Report: Wildlife Crossings
This report from Montana PBS examines the growing problem of collisions between drivers and animals on Montana’s roads and potential solutions. The Center for Large Landscape Conservation’s Director of Government Affairs, Anna Wearn, discusses the momentum building in Montana and across the nation for addressing the issue through constructing highway crossings for wildlife. She also highlights how unprecedented new funding and policy opportunities in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will allow more states, tribes, and partnerships across the country to implement measures that reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and reconnect habitat.
Montana PBS IMPACT Report, Episode 6: Wildlife Crossings from Center for Large Landscapes on Vimeo.
Webinar Series: Demystifying Wildlife Crossing Infrastructure Projects
In the spring of 2022, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, ARC Solutions, the National Parks Conservation Association, and Wildlands Network hosted a three-part webinar series designed to raise awareness about wildlife crossing infrastructure, including new and expanded funding opportunities made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Learn more about each webinar and view the recordings here
Resource: Land Trusts and Wildlife Crossing Structures
Joint Statement: Climate-Informed Wildlife Crossings
Updated Resource: Funding for Wildlife Crossings in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
Banner Photo: Wildlife crossing in Nevada – Nevada Department of Wildlife
