Agencies partner to develop wildlife corridors across Pennsylvania

Harrisburg — The Shapiro administration in late June announced the launch of the Pennsylvania Wildlife Connectivity Work Group, a first-of-its-kind statewide partnership that will develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, improve public safety, reconnect fragmented wildlife habitat, and guide future transportation and conservation investments across the commonwealth.

Co-led by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, the work group will bring together 11 state agencies to identify priority wildlife corridors, recommend strategic infrastructure improvements, and create Pennsylvania’s first statewide wildlife connectivity plan using science-based data and mapping.

Pennsylvania ranks fifth in the nation for wildlife-vehicle collisions, making the initiative an important investment in both roadway safety and conservation. PennDOT recently secured an $840,000 federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program grant to support development of the strategic plan.

“Protecting Pennsylvania’s natural resources and keeping travelers safe go hand in hand,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll.

“This new work group will help us make smart, data-driven investments that reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions, improve transportation infrastructure, and protect the habitats that make Pennsylvania special.”

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Healthy, connected habitats are essential to sustaining Pennsylvania’s wildlife and outdoor recreation economy, according to Cindy Adams Dunn, DCNR secretary.

“By working across agencies, we’re creating a statewide strategy that will better protect wildlife, strengthen our public lands, and help ensure future infrastructure projects support both conservation and community needs,” she said.

The strategic plan will identify opportunities to improve wildlife movement across roads, streams, forests, and other landscapes while helping prioritize future investments in wildlife crossings, habitat restoration, and transportation infrastructure.

The effort builds on House Resolution 87 (2023), which called for a coordinated statewide approach to conserving wildlife corridors.

The Work Group includes representatives from the following state agencies: Department of Agriculture, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Department of Community and Economic Development, Department of Environmental Protection, Fish & Boat Commission, Game Commission, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, state Department of General Services, Department of Insurance, Department of Transportation and the Turnpike Commission.

The initiative builds on work already underway across the commonwealth. PennDOT has incorporated wildlife accommodations into major transportation projects in Armstrong, Butler, Somerset, and Centre counties, while DCNR has invested millions of dollars to reconnect habitats, remove barriers to fish passage, restore streams, protect forests, and conserve more than 17,000 acres of critical habitat in recent years.

The statewide strategy will serve as a blueprint for future investments that improve roadway safety, strengthen wildlife habitat, support biodiversity, and ensure Pennsylvania remains a national leader in conservation and outdoor recreation.