Each year in the U.S., drivers hit more than a million large animals, negatively impacting wildlife populations while causing over 200 human fatalities and 26,000 injuries. Wildlife crossing infrastructure at key points along transportation corridors is proven to improve wildlife and driver safety, reconnect habitat, and safeguard wildlife movement. For that reason, the $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that President Biden signed into law in November includes the first-ever dedicated funding for wildlife crossing structures and other measures to improve habitat connectivity.
Wildlife infrastructure includes underpasses, overpasses, fencing, and animal-detection systems. Research and years of experience across the world prove they work; research shows that the combination of wildlife crossings and fencing—which funnels wildlife off a roadway and toward the structures—can reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) by up to 97%. They also save money: WVCs cost Americans $9.7 billion annually, but in areas where crash-related costs exceed the costs of wildlife crossings, it takes less money in the long-run to solve the problem proactively.
Historically, funding for wildlife crossings has been limited. Lack of funding is the number one reason states and tribes have not been able to successfully complete more desired projects. The new “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” addresses this issue by creating a Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program with $350 million of dedicated funding through Fiscal Year 2026. The Federal Highway Administration will evaluate proposals based on how likely a given project is to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity. Additional considerations include the extent to which the project will:
- Leverage non-federal funding (e.g., through public-private partnerships);
- Support local economic development and tourism;
- Provide educational outreach opportunities;
- Use innovative technologies; and
- Include monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of the project.
In addition to this dedicated funding, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law makes wildlife crossing and habitat connectivity projects eligible for funding under other, more general transportation programs, like the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program and Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Program.
The new statute also contains important new “wildlife crossing safety” policy provisions. For instance, it requires the U.S. Department of Transportation to update and expand the 2008 study and report on WVCs and habitat connectivity; develop training courses for transportation and wildlife professionals related to WVCs; and create a standardized methodology for collecting and reporting wildlife collision and carcass data for the National Highway System.
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