Funding awarded under the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program

2024-07-01T11:59:51-04:00February 28th, 2024|Corridor Policy, Digests|
 

In December 2023, the first round of funding awards was released under the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. This program was established via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2022, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Round one awarded just under $110 million of grant funding to 19 projects across 17 states. The majority of the funding was allocated to Implementation Projects (93%), with Statewide Prioritization Assessments (3%) and Site Scale Feasibility Studies (2%) also receiving allocations.

The call for proposals resulted in 67 project submissions from 34 states, totaling requests for $549 million—far exceeding the program’s total available funds and over 5x the funding available for the 23/24 grant cycle. This overwhelming response underscores the national demand for innovative solutions to wildlife and transportation conflicts.

Explore below to find details about the variety of funded projects, which cover a broad spectrum of geographies, species of concern, and approaches to conflict mitigation.

ProjectRecipientOverview
The Interstate 25 Greenland Wildlife Overpass ProjectColorado Department of TransportationThe Colorado Department of Transportation will receive $22 million to build a dedicated, overpass on I-25 between Denver and Colorado Springs, the state’s two most populous cities. Once completed, the Greenland Wildlife Overpass will be one of the largest overpass structures in North America, spanning six lanes of interstate highway. It will help reduce vehicle collisions with big game species such as elk and mule deer along I-25 and connect vital habitats on both sides of the highway from the Great Plains to the Rocky Mountains.
Arizona Interstate17 Mitigation of Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions and Habitat fragmentation from Munds Park to Kelly CanyonArizona Department of TransportationThe Arizona Department of Transportation will receive $24 million to construct the I-17 Munds Park to Kelly Canyon Wildlife Overpass Project. The Project includes 16.8 total miles of new wildlife fencing tying in existing culverts, escape ramps, and double cattle guards in order to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) along I-17 and increase habitat connectivity for local species, particularly elk.
Gaviota Pass Wildlife Connectivity and Vehicle Collision Reduction ProjectCalifornia Department of TransportationThe California Department of Transportation will receive $8 million to reduce wildlife vehicle collisions and connect animal habitats between protected State Park lands on either side of US 101. Improvements include increasing the size of an existing culvert and installing 2.5 miles of fencing, allowing wildlife to safely cross the highway and move to the adjacent Los Padres National Forest.
US 93: Ninepipe and Post Creek ProgramWildlife Overcrossing ProjectConfederated Salish and Kootenai TribesThe Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes will receive $8.6 million to construct a wildlife overpass spanning US Highway 93 within the Ninepipe National Wildlife Management Area in Montana, an area with high rates of WVCs. The proposed project will help reduce WVCs and improve habitat connectivity for grizzly bears which will reduce crash-related mortality and improve outcomes for grizzly bears.
Construction of Ocelot Underpass Crossings at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife RefugeU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will receive $1.8 million to protect the endangered ocelot by installing multiple wildlife underpass crossings on the Steve Thompson Drive at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge contains the largest continuous tract of thorn-scrub habitat in the U.S., which serves as a corridor for the endangered ocelot, that is intersected by the wildlife drive. Adding underpasses will reduce the risk of WVCs and help protect this species from extinction.
US-89 Wildlife Safety Corridor ProjectUtah Department of TransportationThe Utah Department of Transportation will receive approximately $5.5 million to construct three wildlife underpasses and extend existing wildlife fencing along US89. These underpasses will reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions and reconnect mule deer habit and critical ranges.
Red Cabin Creek Wildlife Overpass on SR 20, Washington StateStillaguamish Tribe of Indians of WashingtonThe Stillaguamish Tribe in Washington State will receive $8.5 million to design and construct a wildlife overpass with fencing on rural State Route 20 in Skagit County. The Red Cabin Creek Wildlife overpass at Milepost 76.2 will span two lanes of traffic and is aimed at helping multiple species, including an elk herd whose home range and core habitats straddle the highway.
US 189 Habitat Connectivity Corridor ExpansionWyoming Department of TransportationThe Wyoming Department of Transportation will receive approximately $24 million to implement strategies to mitigate WVC fatalities and improve wildlife connectivity for pronghorn and mule deer along US 189 in southwest Wyoming. The proposed project includes a wildlife crossing overpass, several underpasses, and the installation of high barrier wildlife fencing to improve motorist safety and improve habitat access for mule deer and pronghorn.

ProjectRecipientOverview
South Dakota Statewide Rural Wildlife Crossing StudySouth Dakota Department of TransportationThe South Dakota Department of Transportation will receive $400,000 to develop a statewide plan with a study on WVCs at specific locations on State highways in rural areas. This study will offer solutions to mitigate the impact of WVCs and ensure the public’s safety while preserving wildlife populations, improving habitat connectivity and developing a better understanding of wildlife movement.
Pennsylvania Wildlife Crossings Strategic Plan and Analytical toolsCommonwealth of PennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will receive $840,000 to develop a comprehensive statewide strategic plan with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Game Commission and others to address the wide-ranging challenges and opportunities associated with the safe management and stewardship for wildlife crossings across the state.
Joint Project to Evaluate & Protect Movement of People & Wildlife across ConnecticutConnecticut Department of TransportationThe Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) will receive approximately $360,000 to collaboratively develop a statewide plan identifying critical habitat blocks, wildlife corridors, and priority road-segments needing wildlife crossings. CTDOT will evaluate their current public facing roadkill reporting tool and conduct a spatial analysis to assist in this effort to reduce the thousands of wildlife-vehicle collisions and hundreds of injuries across Connecticut.
Kentucky’s WildlifeVehicle Collision Reduction Plan and US-60/ I-64 Corridor StudyKentucky Transportation CabinetThe Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) will receive $1.2 million to develop Kentucky’s first WVC Reduction Plan in parallel with a pilot corridor study focused on the US-60/I-64 Corridor that will evaluate segments of US 60 and I-64 between the Louisville Metropolitan Area and Frankfort, Kentucky. The statewide plan includes a study to correlate WVC data from different sources along with wildlife habitat data and roadway data to identify priority areas to reduce WVCs and improve habitat connectivity across the state.
Missouri statewide wildlife vehicle collision reduction analysis and hotspot mitigation measure feasibility studyMissouri Department of TransportationThe Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) will receive $320,000 to collaboratively develop a statewide plan to identify hot spots and mitigation measures. MoDOT will perform a WVC hotspot analysis to identify high WVC road segments, then rank priority areas and conduct feasibility studies to develop site specific recommendations for cost effective WVC mitigation recommendations to ensure the safety of the traveling public and help promote habitat connectivity in the State.
Prioritizing Wildlife Crossing Locations in VirginiaVirginia Department of TransportationThe Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will receive approximately $600,000 to collaboratively develop a statewide plan to identify roads with the highest risk of large mammal collisions in the State. Through a collaboration with Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Virginia Department of Forestry, VDOT will build on their Wildlife Corridor Action Plan to create several models and GIS layers to allow for better identification of wildlife crossing sites and provide site-specific recommendations.

ProjectRecipientOverview
I-90 Missoula to Garrison Wildlife Crossing Feasibility StudyMontana Department of TransportationThe Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) will receive $424,242 to complete a feasibility study for installing wildlife crossings across 68 miles on I-90 between Missoula and Garrison, Montana. By identifying key wildlife migration corridors, the study will help MDT determine the need, type, and feasibility of constructing one or more wildlife crossings that will effectively accommodate both wildlife and motorists, and ultimately reduce the number of WVCs.
Wildlife Crossing of Heartland ExpresswayNebraska Department of TransportationThe Nebraska Department of Transportation will receive $400,000 to conduct a feasibility study to address WVC concerns with big game species along Nebraska Highway 71. The proposed feasibility study would help identify possible solutions for lowering the WVCs along the corridor and reconnecting the bighorn sheep habitats on both sides of the highway.
Mescalero Apache Tribe US 70 Wildlife Vehicle Collision Mitigation Feasibility ProjectMescalero Apache TribeThe Mescalero Apache tribe will receive $480,000 to conduct a feasibility study to evaluate solutions for reducing the number of WVCs along US-70, the roadway corridor that has the most crashes in the State of New Mexico. The study will help meet the goals of the New Mexico Wildlife Corridor Action Plan by identifying the existing infrastructure, natural resources, and geospatial crash data along the US70 corridor, as well as evaluating the engineering requirements needed to mitigate WVCs and improve connectivity for elk and mule deer.
Sharkeyville Brook Wildlife CrossingVermont Agency of TransportationThe Vermont Agency of Transportation will receive $1.6 million to design a wildlife crossing to reduce WVCs and reestablish wildlife connectivity in the heart of the Green Mountains, between some of the largest and least fragmented forest blocks in the northeastern U.S. The proposed underpass will reduce WVCs, improve road safety, and increase habitat connectivity for large animals such as black bears, white-tailed deer, and moose, as well as small aquatic animals such as salamanders and wood turtles.
Habitat Connectivity in the South Cascades of Washington State to Benefit Tribally Significant Wildlife Species via SR 12 Overpass Planning and ScopingPuyallup Tribe of IndiansThe Puyallup Tribe of Indians will receive $216,250 to complete the planning and scoping of wildlife crossing structures in partnership with the Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, and United States Forest Service, and support from the Medicine Creek Treaty Tribes. This project location addresses an area of high concern for WVCs due to large numbers of elk-vehicle collisions on SR 12 across the 24-mile project corridor.

Please note: This digest is intended to provide up-to-date information on policy development from a neutral, unaffiliated position as it relates to connectivity and corridor science and management.

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About the Author:

Braden Hance is a Conservation Associate at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation in Bozeman, MT.

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