Heinrich, Sheehy Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Reduce Deadly Roadway Collisions & Expand Wildlife Migration Crossings

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) introduced the Wildlife Road Crossings Program Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation to make permanent the U.S. Department of Transportation's Wildlife Crossings Program and authorize funding for the program through 2031. U.S. Representatives Ryan Zinke (R-Mont) and Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduced companion legislation in the House.

The Wildlife Crossings Program is a competitive grant program established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, legislation Heinrich championed into law, to address dangerous wildlife-vehicle collisions by supporting wildlife crossing projects that save lives by reducing collisions, protect migration corridors, and improve habitat connectivity.

"Building wildlife crossings is about saving lives and reducing the risk of dangerous vehicle collisions in New Mexico and across the country. I'm proud to have established the first-of-its-kind $350 million Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program in the Infrastructure Law, and to now lead the bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Program's funding and make it permanent," said Heinrich. "I call on my Senate colleagues to pass this bill to keep people safe on the road - while also protecting big-game migration corridors and letting wildlife safely move within their ranges."

"Montanans know better than anyone the danger of running into wildlife on the road as we're traveling the state. I'm proud to support this bipartisan, commonsense bill to invest in making our roads safer, protecting wildlife, and helping better connect communities in rural Montana and across the West," said Sheehy.

"The wildlife crossings program created by Congress in 2021 has proven to be one of the most effective, popular, and bipartisan actions Congress has taken on wildlife in recent decades. It has delivered real results on the ground by saving lives, creating jobs, improving outdoor recreation, and maintaining magnificent wildlife migrations. We are glad so many Senators from both parties are working hard to reauthorize the wildlife crossings program and find more ways for Tribes and other communities to participate," said Mike Leahy, Senior Director for Wildlife, Hunting, and Fishing Policy for the National Wildlife Federation. "Thank you to the bill's sponsors for their work to reauthorize and increase funding for the national wildlife crossings program."

The text of the bill is here.

Earlier this year, Heinrich welcomed $6,372,354 from the Infrastructure Law for the Pueblo of Santa Ana to design wildlife corridors complete with wildlife exclusion fencing, overpasses, and underpasses, along 7.6 miles of US-550 and 19 miles of Interstate-25.

Additionally in 2023, Heinrich welcomed then-U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to New Mexico, where they visited a culvert under a busy stretch of I-25 for drivers commuting between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. This is also the middle of a very busy wildlife corridor between the Sandias and the Jemez. The Pueblo of Santa Ana has installed cameras in this culvert that have seen animals use this safer way to get under - rather than through - all the lanes of traffic on the Interstate.

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