🌅 Wildlife Crossings Work

SOURCE

Marcelino et al. (2025)

WHAT TO KNOW

• A pair of wildlife underpasses installed under a road in northern Vermont reduced amphibian deaths by 80.2% in the seven years following construction. The work provides the first long-term, peer-reviewed evidence that amphibian-specific wildlife underpasses are effective at reducing animal deaths and preserving ecosystems in the northeastern U.S.

WHY IT MATTERS

• There are an estimated 345,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions each year, causing 200 human deaths and 26,000 injuries, and costing taxpayers $11 billion annually. Experts say fencing and wildlife crossings like highway underpasses and overpasses can reduce collisions by up to 97%, underscoring their effectiveness when it comes to reducing mortality, saving money, and allowing wildlife to meet their daily, seasonal, and lifetime needs.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• Funding for wildlife crossings in the U.S. come from the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden as part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, better known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The legislation set aside $350 million in federal funding to be dispersed to states through grant applications, though the coalition of groups that helped launch the program say at least $500 million should be allocated in the next Highway Bill (the current legislation expires in 2026) as demand for the program has more than tripled since its debut.