Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act

WILDLIFE CORRIDORS CONSERVATION ACT

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, SoundCloud.

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, biodiversity 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 co-sponsored by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calls for corridors as part of an integrated strategy to address both climate change and biodiversity 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 biodiversity while helping stimulate the U.S. economy, mitigate climate impacts, and reduce highway fatalities. The bill is supported by nationally recognized scientists, including renowned biologist Dr. E.O. Wilson, recreation companies including Patagonia and more than 220 prominent NGOs nationwide.

Learn more: https://www.ifaw.org/news/wildlife-corridor-legislation

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