New guidance for transboundary conservation

Partners in the Staying Connected Initiative have released a new publication to encourage and inform ecological connectivity conservation and restoration in Northeastern North America/Turtle Island – a vast region encompassing eastern Canada, the northeastern United States, and many Indigenous territories.

Pathways to an Ecologically Connected Transborder Landscape (Staying Connected Initiative, 2025)

Pathways to an Ecologically Connected Transborder Landscape: A Distillation of Key Learnings, Strategies and Actions from the 2024 Northeastern North America/Turtle Island Landscape Connectivity Summit is the latest step forward in this vast and ecologically important region.

Pathways synthesizes insights from conservation leaders and practitioners who attended the 2024 Landscape Connectivity Summit in Montréal/Tiohtià:ke, Québec and also seizes on significant policy advances in the region. This new resource highlights the need for a multi-scaled, holistic, integrated approach to conserving and restoring landscape connectivity for wildlife and people across this globally significant region and beyond.

The set of proposed strategies and actions in Pathways spans a broad range of essential areas of engagement, from conservation science and Indigenous Knowledge to land protection, land use planning, linear infrastructure mitigation, policy initiatives, and others.

With ongoing provincial and state implementation of Resolution 45-2 (adopted at the 45th Annual Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers), there are important opportunities for synergy right now. Furthermore, national and regional actions continue to scale up in order to meet international commitments, such as the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The guide emphasizes that coordination is essential at multiple scales to sustain and enhance ecological connectivity through collective action. It also highlights the need for significant investment (funding and capacity) from diverse sources to support collaboration and action in coming months and years. Overall, it provides useful guidance for framing and implementing ecological connectivity across large scales and regional borders, regardless of location.

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.

Transboundary conservation between Canada and the United States

Heather Cayton2026-03-23T11:37:03-04:00March 24th, 2026|

A new high-resolution map reveals critical wildlife corridors linking the United States and Canada, showing that many key connectivity hotspots remain unprotected and highlighting opportunities to strengthen cross-border conservation under 30x30 goals.

A practical framework for climate-informed landscape planning

Heather Cayton2026-03-16T12:51:53-04:00March 18th, 2026|

Climate change refugia and landscape connectivity can be systematically incorporated into planning through a practical five-step framework.

Practical guidance for climate-smart planning

Heather Cayton2026-01-13T10:44:05-05:00January 16th, 2026|

A recent climate-informed approach to landscape planning outlines a five-step process that integrates climate change exposure and refugia information to strengthen conservation and management decisions.

State	Year	Policy	Description
New Hampshire	2026	SB592	Enables regional, conservation, and energy resource planning for habitat strongholds and wildlife corridors
New Hampshire	2019	SB200	Requires the New Hampshire Department of Transportation to consider fish and wildlife crossings and mitigation measures in all future road and culvert projects
New Hampshire	2016	SB376	Requires the fish and game department to identify existing and needed wildlife corridors connecting wildlife habitats in the state and to make recommendations for legislative changes

State	Year	Policy	Description
Maine	2023	LD258	Appropriates $7.5 million to Department of Transportation to improve roadways with potential adaptations for wildlife
Maine	2023	LD1881	Establishes compensation fee program relating to fish and wildlife habitats and associated corridors, including compensation paid by solar energy development
Maine	2023	LD508	Requires Department of Environmental Protection to review its permitting laws concerning climate change, habitat connectivity, ecological resilience, and coastal environments

State	Year	Policy	Description
New Jersey	2025	S3618	Directs state agencies to develop a Wildlife Corridor Action Plan
New Jersey	2024	S3916/A5486	Expands eligibility for existing wildlife fencing programs by including farmers leasing farmland
New Jersey	2007	NJAC7:13	Requires the state to incorporate wildlife crossings or a natural bank for terrestrial threatened and endangered species and/or species of concern when a new bridge or culvert project would cause habitat fragmentation

State	Year	Policy	Description
New Mexico	2023	SB72	Appropriates money to new Wildlife Corridors Fund for implementation of wildlife crossing projects under New Mexico Wildlife Corridor Action Plan
New Mexico	2022	HB 2	Allocates funding for projects to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and allows the Department of Transportation and Department of Game to implement their Wildlife Corridors Action Plan
New Mexico	2019	SB 228	Requires the creation of a Wildlife Corridor Action Plan that includes comprehensive guidance to agencies for identifying, prioritizing and maintaining important areas for wildlife movement

State	Year	Policy	Description
Washington	2023	HB1216/SB5196	Requires Department of Ecology to prepare environmental impact statements for clean energy projects that consider impacts to habitat connectivity and wildlife migration corridors
Washington	2022	SB5689	Provides funding for US 97 Wildlife Crossing Improvements project
Washington	2019	SEO 1031.02	Recognizes the effect of roadways in creating barriers to wildlife movement, breeding, and migrations; the Washington State Department of Transportation will promote and support Practical Solutions and Planning and Environmental Linkages to integrate habitat connectivity and biodiversity plans; will make use of the highway prioritization map known as Habitat Connectivity Investment Priorities; and will corporate and coordinate with other agencies involved in wildlife habitat protection, specifically along highways

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