The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Provisions that Protect Wildlife and Drivers
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is the bipartisan infrastructure package passed by the U.S. congress in November, 2021 that will provide funding for surface transportation projects. One of the key provisions is the establishment of a new $350 million Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (“grant program”), with $60 million in grant funding available beginning fiscal year 2022.
A summary of wildlife/driver provisions include:
To assist eligible applicants and partners to understand and take advantage of these new funding and policy opportunities, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation developed a Toolkit for Developing Effective Projects Under the Federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. The report provides an overview of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program and other fish and wildlife provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, suggestions for how applicants and their partners can engage, and best practices and resources for designing effective wildlife crossing projects in accordance with each of the grant application criterion of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program.
A summary of wildlife/driver provisions include:
- $350 million in dedicated funding for wildlife-vehicle collision reduction projects from a competitive grant program.
- Inclusion of wildlife-vehicle collision reduction as an eligible project under a variety of program areas.
- Updating and expanding the ‘Wildlife Vehicle Collision Reduction Study: 2008 Report to Congress’ and accompanying ‘Best Practices Manual’ including, assessing the causes of and recommending solutions for reducing WVCs.
- Guidance for voluntary joint statewide transportation and wildlife action plans aimed at addressing WVCs and improving habitat connectivity.
- Workforce development and technical training courses aimed at reducing WVCs and improving habitat connectivity, to be made available to transportation and fish and wildlife professionals.
- Development of a standardized data methodology for collecting and reporting spatially accurate crash and carcass data, as practicable given technology and cost, with the goal of developing a standardized data template that can be voluntarily implemented by states.
- Establishment of voluntary guidance that includes a threshold for determining whether a highway should be evaluated for potential mitigation measures to reduce WVCs and improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat connectivity.
To assist eligible applicants and partners to understand and take advantage of these new funding and policy opportunities, the Center for Large Landscape Conservation developed a Toolkit for Developing Effective Projects Under the Federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. The report provides an overview of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program and other fish and wildlife provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, suggestions for how applicants and their partners can engage, and best practices and resources for designing effective wildlife crossing projects in accordance with each of the grant application criterion of the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program.
