Wildlife Crossings Will Reduce Collisions

The Biden Administration’s $110 million investment in 19 wildlife crossing pilot projects will reconnect wildlife habitat and reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions.  The National Wildlife Federation applauded this round of Indigenous, state and local recipients, who are working to increase motorist safety and remove barriers so wildlife can safely cross roads and highways.

Currently, there are more than one million wildlife-vehicle collisions in the United States every year.

“We appreciate the Biden Administration taking action to implement the bipartisan Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program,” said Mike Leahy, senior director for wildlife policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “Investing in projects that allow wildlife to safely navigate roads is one of the most important things we can do to help wildlife thrive in the face of climate change and our expanding infrastructure.”

The National Wildlife Federation has been directly involved in supporting a number of these pilot projects, including the I-90 Missoula to Garrison Wildlife Crossing in Montana; the U.S. Highway 93 Ninepipe and Post Creek Crossing being developed by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana; the Mescalero Apache Tribe’s work to reduce crashes along U.S. Highway 70 in New Mexico; and a project with the Missouri Department of Transportation to reduce collisions in Missouri.

The funding is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which allocated $350 million for wildlife crossing and related projects over five years.