Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act

Every year in the U.S., an estimated 1 to 2 million collisions occur between motorists and large animals, resulting in 200 human deaths and 26,000 injuries – costing the U.S. 8 billion dollars annually. In addition to transportation routes, structures such as walls, fences, and dams immensely affect and impede migratory routes, cutting off food and water supplies, and otherwise disrupting important wildlife habitats. Our surface and water transit routes are important to the American way of life, but they also represent physical barriers that can be insurmountable for wildlife and dangerous for everyone.

With one in five species in the U.S. at risk of extinction, bio-diversity loss and the disruption of natural wildlife habitats are among the nation’s greatest conservation challenges. Connecting habitats by protecting corridors and building highway crossing structures for wildlife enables species to migrate, access resources for survival, and better adapt to changing landscapes and climate. A new report from a biodiversity and climate change workshop cosponsored by the Intergovernmental SciencePolicy Platform on Bio-diversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calls for corridors as part of an integrated strategy to address climate change and bio-diversity loss. Marking a significant step for wildlife conservation, in 2021 the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act along with $400 million for projects to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, passed the United States House of Representatives as part of H.R. 3684, the INVEST in America Act. These important provisions will safeguard bio-diversity while helping stimulate the U.S. economy, mitigate climate impacts, and reduce highway fatalities.

This episode of Big Blend Radio features Kate Wall, Senior Legislative Manager at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, who discusses the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act. Watch here in the YouTube player or download / listen to the podcast on Spreaker, Podbean. Learn more here.