Programs and Tools

Digests about programs and tools for corridors

EcoCon: new mapping tool for smarter corridor conservation

Sarah Lockhart2026-05-14T15:59:45-04:00May 8th, 2026|

The EcoCon, developed through the UF Center for Landscape Conservation Planning and the GeoPlan Center, provides a template for how to bring diverse datasets together into a cohesive tool that supports connectivity conservation at scale.

GECOT: new tool to optimize connectivity under budget constraints

Cécile Albert and François Hamonic2025-09-04T13:21:15-04:00September 8th, 2025|

GECOT is an open-source tool that models conservation and restoration planning as a connectivity optimization problem, allowing practitioners to account for cumulative effects between conservation actions.

Connecting Landscapes (CoLa): new tool to facilitate conservation led development

Patrick Jantz2025-08-28T10:07:23-04:00August 29th, 2025|

CoLa functions as a new decision support system designed to make it easier to integrate assessments of habitat connectivity into land-use planning and development.

Connectivity 101 free online course from the Wildlife Connect Initiative

Heather Cayton2026-06-03T12:20:18-04:00October 1st, 2024|

Learn more about the basics of connectivity conservation through five learning modules designed for conservation practitioners.

ECODATA and MoveApps: new tools for animating wildlife movements across corridors

Justine Missik and Sarah Davidson2024-02-22T15:38:29-05:00May 29th, 2023|

Two new open-access tools developed as part of the Y2Y Room2Roam project decrease the time needed to analyze and visualize datasets and promote collaboration across migration corridors.

Introducing ProNet: a connectivity metric for protected area networks

Dave Theobald2023-10-23T12:07:53-04:00October 24th, 2022|

The new Protected Network metric addresses the science-practice gap by acting as a simple structural connectivity metric that can be easily described, quickly communicated, and readily computed.

A decision guide for choosing the right connectivity tools

Trishna Dutta2023-01-26T12:11:46-05:00September 14th, 2022|

An organized overview of more than 40 connectivity tools provides a starting point for working with resistance surfaces.

New corridor tool: Makurhini

Heather Cayton2024-11-11T10:36:07-05:00April 16th, 2020|

The open-source R package Makurhini provides another tool for the connectivity toolbox.

Technical guides for planning, designing, and implementing connectivity

Heather Cayton2024-02-22T13:37:03-05:00August 28th, 2018|

Our collection of guides provides comprehensive details about each stage of creating and maintaining corridors and connectivity in the landscape.

New corridor tool: LandScape Corridors

Heather Cayton2024-02-22T14:17:05-05:00April 18th, 2017|

The open-source program LandScape Corridors provides another tool for the design toolbox.

New tools to determine whether connectivity restoration is working

Heather Cayton2026-05-19T12:02:03-04:00March 7th, 2017|

A new decision framework allows managers to better determine whether restored connectivity is actually making a difference.

Introducing GFlow: software for computing circuit-theory based connectivity at any scale

Paul Leonard2024-02-22T14:21:55-05:00December 20th, 2016|

New software allows for faster processing of connectivity over larger landscapes.

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

State	Year	Policy	Description
Vermont	2023	Act59	Vermont's 30x30 law that commits to conserving and maintaining an ecologically functional landscape that sustains biodiversity and maintains landscape connectivity
Vermont	2016	Act 171	Primarily focuses on timber harvesting regulations, but calls for a study of necessary revisions to planning statutes that protect contiguous areas of forestland from fragmentation and promote habitat connectivity between forestlands

State	Year	Policy	Description
Colorado	2026	SB141	Creates optional collision prevention fee to fund wildlife safe passage projects
Colorado	2025	HB1093	Restricts local limits on residential density unless offset elsewhere, exempts areas near wildlife crossings, and allows municipalities to seek judicial review of land use initiatives
Colorado	2023	SB 23-092	Encourages minimal impacts to wildlife migration corridors when constructing solar panel farms
Colorado	2023	SB 214	Appropriates funding to the Colorado Wildlife Safe Passages Fund for wildlife crossing projects
Colorado	2022	SB22-151	Creates a $5 million fund for measures that reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and reconnect habitat fragmented by roads
Colorado	2022	HB22-1072	Expands the scope of Habitat Partnership Program to fund efforts to conserve wildlife migration
Colorado	2021	SJR 21-021	Aims to protect and enhance habitat connectivity in the state through the establishment of a working group to develop state policies on corridors, as well as the commission of a report on state corridors and voluntary policies to support willing landowners in improving connectivity
Colorado	2019	EO 11	Directs Colorado agencies to identify policy, regulatory, and legislative opportunities to ensure the ongoing conservation of seasonal big game habitat and migration corridors
Colorado	2018	SB 18-143	States explicit goals for Division of Parks and Wildlife to invest in habitat conservation and wildlife crossings

State	Year	Policy	Description
California	2026	SB1250	Requires the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to include wildlife connectivity corridors and needs into its infrastructure project planning
California	2024	AB1889	Requires counties and municipalities to conserve wildlife corridors when planning new developments
California	2023	AB1760	Calls for a statewide analysis of wildlife corridors and connectivity to support conservation planning and climate change adaptation activities.
California	2023	SB145	Outlines provisions for transportation-related environmental mitigation, including funding for wildlife corridors, property and credit purchases for mitigation, reporting requirements, and mandates for wildlife crossings along Interstate 15.
California	2023	SB101	Provides funding for wildlife corridors and open spaces, including projects to improve connectivity and reduce barriers between habitat areas.
California	2022	AB2344	Establishes a state program to address roads with high wildlife-vehicle collisions, authorizes Caltrans to develop standalone wildlife connectivity projects, mandates an inventory and prioritization system for critical areas, and requires integration of wildlife passage features into relevant road designs.
California	2022	AB1384	Requires agencies to address vulnerabilities in Safeguarding California Plans, including protecting and enhancing wildlife corridors
California	2021	SB790	Approves compensatory mitigation credits for wildlife connectivity actions
California	2021	AB1183	Establishes the California Desert Conservation Program to protect biodiversity, including the protection and enhancement of habitat connectivity
California	2021	AB128	Appropriates funding for wildlife crossing projects, including the Liberty Canyon crossing for mountain lions
California	2015	AB 498	Amends the California Fish and Game Code to encourage, wherever feasible, voluntary steps to protect the functioning of wildlife corridors
California	2014	AB1471	Provides funds to the Sacramento- San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, in part to protect and restore aquatic, wetland, and migratory bird ecosystems including corridors.
California	2008	AB2785	Orders Dept. of Fish & Wildlife to investigate, study, and identify key wildlife corridors and linkages within the state, and to make those areas public

State	Year	Policy	Description
Florida	2024	SB1638	Dedicates annual funding to land purchases, conservation easements, and trail maintenance within Florida Wildlife Corridor
Florida	2023	HB1379	Creates annual appropriation to acquire lands that complete certain linkages and are under high population stress within Florida Wildlife Corridor
Florida	2023	SB2500 sec.146	Provides funding to buy Ocala to Osceola (“O2O”) Wildlife Corridor
Florida	2021	SB976	Tasks state agencies with maintaining wildlife connectivity and designates Florida Wildlife Corridor as an existing physical, geographically defined area
Florida	2021	SB2500	Appropriates $300 million to acquire lands to conserve Florida Wildlife Corridor
Florida	2019	SB7068	Creates a "Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance Program" that includes protection of wildlife corridors as an intended benefit
Florida	2008	SB542	Amends Florida Forever Act statues to include goals of connecting linkage corridors
Florida	2001	SB1468	Amends Florida Forever Act to establish that land acquisitions should include complete landscape linkages and corridors
Florida	1999	S908	Creates Florida Forever Program, with increased protection of lands that protect threatened or endangered species and plans to create a statewide system of connected landscape linkages