Defenders' Experts
Habitat and Highways
Nearly 4 million miles of roads and 200 million vehicles keep Americans moving. But our mobility comes with a price. Road kill has pushed some rare species --such as the panther and grizzly bear -- closer to extinction.
Defenders supports efforts to make roads less dangerous to wildlife. Also, we are working with state and local authorities to plan for the growth of communities to avoid or minimize the harm from future roads on wildlife and habitat.
Defenders' Habitat & Highways Campaign has two objectives:
- Reduce the impact of roads and highways on wildlife and habitat. Existing roads should be modified where necessary to allow wildlife to cross, and minimize impact on the surrounding environment.
- Reduce future impacts by incorporating wildlife conservation into transportation planning. Future road development should avoid wildlife habitats and environmentally sensitive places.
The $61 Million Question: How Can Transportation Enhancements Benefit Wildlife?
Transportation Enhancements is a sadly under-utilized program that could provide as much as $61 million per year for restoring wildlife habitat connectivity and reducing wildlife vehicle collisions.
Read this new white paper to learn more.
Wildlife
Roads and highways affect wildlife in many ways; both directly as roadkill, and indirectly via the degradation, fragmentation and loss of habitat. The United States has 4 million miles of roadways, on which an estimated one million vertebrates die every day.
In the States
Each state has its own department of transportation which receives federal funding for roads and highways. Most of the planning for road building and improvements are made by the state DOT. Defenders encourages local planners and state DOTs to incorporate wildlife conservation into transportation planning to avoid further conflicts and habitat loss. Get informed and get involved to protect your state’s wildlife.
Law, Policy and Governance
Learn about the legislative and regulatory framework associated with our transportation infrastructure, including the highway bill, funding, research and management of roads on public lands.
Section 6001
Recognizing the inherent conflict between highway planning and wildlife conservation, Congress included Section 6001, a small but profound provision, in the 2005 highway bill. Intended for conservation professionals, this guide will help you integrate conservation and transportation planning.
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