Bill of the Day: Advancing the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund
Updated on February 21st, 2024.
Example of wildlife corridor in Ontario, Canada
How Can Virginia Reduce Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions?
Virginians continue to be at risk for wildlife-vehicle collisions. Virginia has become the ninth highest-risk state for animal-vehicle collisions in the US, with drivers colliding with wild creatures crossing roadways a staggering 81,694 times in 2022. In some cases, wildlife-vehicle collisions result in severe injuries or fatalities for drivers and passengers, making them expensive and dangerous for drivers and wildlife. As wildlife continues to move through our landscapes to acquire resources and adapt to a changing climate, this will create more dangerous scenarios on our roadways for both wildlife and motorists.
Virginia needs to fund projects that will reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and protect both wildlife and motorists. The Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund will strengthen wildlife conservation by funding projects that conserve and restore wildlife corridors, as well as invest in wildlife crossing infrastructure. In doing so, this will provide safe passages for wildlife and motorists by limiting their interactions on our roadways and allowing wildlife to cross habitats safely. Investing in this fund will ensure that we improve habitat connectivity and ensure motorist safety.
You can take a deeper dive into supporting habitat connectivity infrastructure in Our Common Agenda. To learn more, read our “Connecting Wildlife Habitats” policy paper.
Connectivity Funding Bills to Support in the General Assembly
Legislators have introduced a bill to establish the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund:
(Senator Dave Marsden) Establishes the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund to provide grants for projects that conserve or enhance wildlife corridors. This will require the Departments of Conservation and Recreation, Forestry, Transportation, and Wildlife Resources to create a grant program and scoring system to determine project competitiveness. Also, it would require the Department of Wildlife Resources to submit a biannual report detailing funding opportunities, public funding received, awards from the Fund, and progress data on funded projects.
(Senator Dave Marsden) Will provide $5 million in FY2025 from the general fund to establish the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund and implement the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan, as outlined in SB455.
(Delegate Will Morefield) Will provide $5 million in FY2025 from the general fund to establish the Wildlife Corridor Grant Fund and implement the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan, as outlined in SB455.
Take Action
SB 455 has crossed over and has been referred to House Appropriations Sub-Committee: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources.
Reach out to members of this subcommittee to support SB 455!
Dive Deeper
Check out Wild Virginia’s Habitat Connectivity Hub, a StoryMap showcasing the pivotal connectivity and wildlife crash reduction projects led by Virginia Safe Wildlife Corridors Collaborative’s partners.