Across the U.S., local land trusts are doing their part to ensure habitat connectivity for wildlife. Whether it’s securing properties that conserve migration corridors, establishing conservation easements, or partnering with local and state officials to help install wildlife crossings, these organizations are moving the needle on connectivity conservation nationwide.
It’s the end of a scorching day in the desert, and the setting sun casts orange rays that sear the eyes of drivers navigating eight lanes of rush-hour traffic on US-101 in Los Angeles. This steady stream of cars creates a solid barrier across the landscape, making it extremely difficult for wildlife—like mountain lions—to cross.
On a clear, sunny day deep in the forests of the Rockies, shouts of “Hey bear!” echo, bouncing off the trunks of tall evergreen trees swaying in a slight breeze. These shouts emanate from hikers, who, conscious of the fact that they are moving through grizzly country, take precautions to avoid a surprise encounter with these formidable bears. As the human population grows, bears are more likely to cross paths with people.
Busy roads can be both a barrier to movement and a major source of mortality for arboreal animals that live in the surrounding trees. One example is a section of Route 1 between Barranca and Limonal, Costa Rica, where 10 howler monkeys were struck by vehicles in 2022. Many roads in the country cut through dense forest, fragmenting the landscape and requiring arboreal species to drop to ground level to access habitat on the other side. But—thanks to a temporary canopy bridge that was installed while the road is being upgraded—the monkeys can safely shimmy across cables high above the road and its traffic.
When people think about the Appalachians, they picture mountains. I think about a rich landscape of mountains and valleys woven together by rivers so old that the mountains rose up around them. It’s this mix that creates the sweeping views we love, from the Blue Ridge Parkway to the hills just beyond our back yards. But the Appalachians are so much more than breathtaking scenery. They form the backbone of a region that’s essential for the well-being of people and wildlife alike.
Known worldwide as an ecotourism destination for its rich biodiversity, the Pantanal biome is home to many of Brazil’s quirky and elegant, iconic species such as the feathery tailed, gentle-looking giant anteater, the stub-nosed, water-loving capybara (the world’s largest rodent!), and the tapir—a three toed ungulate with an elongated snout that is most closely related to the rhinoceros. But wildlife habitat in and around this vast, tropical landscape is gradually shrinking as land is cleared for production of some of the country’s biggest exports such as beef and soybeans. And wildlife movement is increasingly hampered by highways.
The Trifinio-Fraternidad Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (TFTBR) is a land of steep mountains covered by dense tropical forest, home to iconic species such as quetzal and puma, small cities and rural villages, and a thriving coffee-growing economy. Spanning parts of Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, the TFTBR is a model in transboundary environmental governance, established primarily to safeguard vital water sources that originate in the mountains and flow to major population centers in all three countries. The Center for Large Landscape Conservation worked with UNESCO and partners in the TFTBR on the project “Scaling up Connectivity in the Trifinio-Fraternidad Biosphere Reserve” to strengthen habitat connectivity and landscape resilience in this richly biodiverse region.
Yellowstone National Park in the western United States is a crucial landscape populated by iconic species like bison, wolves, grizzly bears, elk and pronghorn that are part of the largest concentration of wildlife in the lower 48 states. Kafue National Park in Zambia is, similarly, a stronghold of biodiversity and hosts elephants, lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, and antelope, which all roam the vast landscape. Despite being thousands of miles apart, Kafue and Yellowstone share similar challenges: major roadways cut through critical habitat and impact wildlife movement.
Wildlife don’t stop at city limits, county lines, or property boundaries—and neither should local government planning. The decisions communities make today about how and where to build will shape whether future generations inherit thriving landscapes that sustain people and wildlife alike. That’s why CLLC created a new report on wildlife habitat connectivity and local government: to bring together the policy tools and practical strategies that every community and every community member—whether you’re a resident, planner, biologist, developer, or legislator—can consider using to help keep landscapes connected.
With complex, sprawling ranges across the high mountains of South and Central Asia and low population densities, snow leopards are an elusive species. Over the last decade, however, urban centers and communities surrounding their habitats have become increasingly connected, with many more investments in infrastructure on the horizon. How can new linear infrastructure—including roads, railways, and power lines—meet human needs while protecting snow leopards, their prey, and the fragile ecosystems they depend on to survive?
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