On Feb. 2, 2022, The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted a statement in support of H.B. 4130-1, the Wildlife Crossings Investment Act, which is before the Oregon State Legislature. The bill would allocate $7 million to the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to build wildlife roadway crossings. In 2019, ODOT recorded over 6,100 wildlife-vehicle collisions across the state, resulting in a loss of lives and money.
In its comments, Pew noted that reducing these collisions would make Oregon’s roads safer for people and animals—a win for motorists, wildlife, and local communities.