February 21, 2023
Paws Up! To Pennsylvania Representatives Mary Jo Daley (D-District 148) and Jason Ortitay (R-District 46) for proposing to reintroduce legislation to protect their state’s wildlife, residents, and travelers by studying the effectiveness of corridors to limit wildlife-vehicle collisions in their beautiful state.
The invention of the automobile made traveling to different parts of the country possible and beckoned the adventurous spirit to experience its beauty and varying landscapes. These adventures would be difficult without roadways. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration, almost 4 million miles of roads have been laid traversing rolling and flat regions of the U.S.
As land is developed to accommodate the ever-growing population, this growth negatively impacts wildlife. Some negative impacts include the destruction of their habitats or fragmentation that forces wildlife to relocate or cross roadways to find food and water. This disruption can be fatal when they are hit by vehicles crossing the road.
Some states have developed corridors for wildlife to travel under or over roadways to mitigate these lethal encounters. According to the National Conference of State Legislators, twelve states have passed laws to protect wildlife, and the most recent states include Wyoming, New Mexico, Florida, Colorado, and California.
In a recent news article, Pennsylvania Representative Mary Jo Daley has persistently sought ways to protect wildlife and residents with the introduction of House Resolution 74 in 2021 and House Resolution 670 in 2020. Unfortunately, they both died, but Representative Daley, along with support from Representative Ortitay, plan to reintroduce identical legislation to HR 74 this year. According to that legislation, Pennsylvania is the third state with the most wildlife-vehicle collisions reported. The proposed legislation will task the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee with studying the effectiveness of wildlife corridors.
Wild animals are part of our world too, and we are the ones infringing on their space. Will you join the efforts to be better caretakers of our planet by learning to live together harmoniously and supporting ways to protect wildlife and the environment? Doing so will be beneficial for future generations.
Take Action: Pennsylvanians, you can show your support to help protect the wildlife in your state by contacting your representative and asking for their support of the corridor study.