U.S. Senate Should Act to Protect Wildlife Migration Corridors

On Nov. 14, The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted a written statement urging the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife to encourage greater capacity and collaboration among policymakers, communities, businesses, Tribes, and others to conserve critical wildlife migration corridors in the face of increasing habitat fragmentation, declining biodiversity, and the changing climate.

Many states have had success protecting public safety and wildlife corridors through bipartisan investment in infrastructure projects to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve populations of migrating species. And with the U.S. departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Transportation now also undertaking corridor conservation initiatives, the Senate subcommittee has an opportunity to provide a clear, durable path forward for this critical work.

The hearing was the first on this subject in the Senate and although there is no legislation yet, the discussion among senators was a positive step toward a bipartisan solution to greater national involvement in corridor conservation. Pew’s statement encouraged the subcommittee members to move toward legislation that can coordinate research, policy improvements, and investment in connectivity conservation in partnership with governors, wildlife and transportation officials, Tribes, land managers, scientists, and others.