R48350 — Wildlife Corridors: Background and Issues for Congress

Species need connectivity between habitats to seek out sources for food and shelter and, in some cases, to adapt to environmental stressors and climate change. One method of increasing ecological connectivity is to create wildlife corridors. Wildlife corridors are components of the landscape that are managed to create or improve ecological connectivity for one or more species. These corridors allow species to move between areas of their habitat, thereby lowering the effects of habitat fragmentation in natural and urban settings. In May 2023, the White House Council on Environmental Quality issued guidance for federal agencies to promote ecological connectivity across terrestrial, marine, and freshwater habitats, as well as across airspaces (e.g., for birds), to sustain biodiversity and enable species to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Several federal agencies support wildlife corridors through their activities and programs. Federal activities related to wildlife corridors often include connecting fragmented habitats through corridors, removing obstructions, or constructing wildlife crossings and fish passages. Federal agencies also research and document the migration routes of certain species, leading to maps of species’ movements. Some federal agencies have created wildlife corridors on lands they manage, and some federal agencies support wildlife corridors that traverse federal and nonfederal lands. In these cases, federal agencies collaborate with states and other stakeholders to establish and manage wildlife corridors. State and local governments also create and manage wildlife corridors and crossings; at least 13 states have enacted legislation or issued direction to support wildlife corridors and crossings. In addition, some Indigenous peoples have taken advantage of federal financial and technical assistance to conserve wildlife through wildlife corridors crossing their lands and waters. Support for wildlife corridors might vary depending on the costs and benefits of these corridors’ implementation and management. Some stakeholders support efforts to create and manage wildlife corridors because these corridors can improve the conservation of species and biodiversity. Other stakeholders support wildlife corridors because they can enhance populations of game animals popular for hunting and fishing. Still other stakeholders oppose certain wildlife corridors because of their potential to restrict land use and lead to the spread of predators (e.g., wolves, grizzly bears) or invasive species. Some others may not support some wildlife corridors due to their cost of implementation, effect on infrastructure (e.g., dams), and maintenance costs. Over the past few Congresses, several bills have been introduced with the aim of establishing or supporting wildlife corridors on federal and nonfederal lands. For example, some bills would have authorized appropriations for certain agencies to provide grants to nonfederal stakeholders to create wildlife corridors and implement other conservation activities. Congress has authorized and funded wildlife corridor activities, including fish passage and wildlife crossing projects, through supplemental and annual appropriations. Congress may consider several issues related to the design, funding, and implementation of wildlife corridors in debates on wildlife corridors. Some issues include (1) the organization of federal efforts to create and implement wildlife corridors; (2) supporting nonfederal efforts to create wildlife corridors; (3) coordination among federal, state, tribal, and private stakeholders; (4) the level of financial assistance for wildlife corridors; and (5) support for science on wildlife corridors.

Curated by CRS — every bill listed in this report's relatedMaterials. Edge type cited_in_report, gold confidence.

• HR 9776 — Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Connectivity Conservation Act of 2024 · 118th Cong
• HR 8836 — Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act · 118th Cong
• HR 8104 — Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act · 118th Cong
• HR 7221 — Wildlife Corridors and USDA Conservation Programs Act of 2024 · 118th Cong
• S 4983 — Pipeline Accountability, Safety, and Environmental Standards Act of 2024 · 118th Cong
• S 4953 — Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act · 118th Cong
• HR 4689 — FASTER Act of 2023 · 118th Cong
• S 1804 — FASTER Act of 2023 · 118th Cong
• HR 178 — Public Land Renewable Energy Development Act of 2023 · 118th Cong