New York passes bill to boost wildlife crossings, road safety

Law directs agencies to create list of priority projects that aim to reduce accidents and foster animal connectivity

By Mike Lynch

Environmentalists are celebrating the passage of a bill that could lead to more wildlife crossing infrastructure and fewer accidents on roadways throughout the state. 

The bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) and New York Thruway Authority (NYTA) to assess highways, thruways and parkways “for potential wildlife crossings to improve wildlife habitat connectivity, reduce wildlife-vehicle  collisions, and increase public safety for New York motorists.” 

The agencies would then be required to create a priority list of 10 crossing sites within two years. That list would be pared down to five projects that the study would use for pursuing federal grants. 

Wildlife crossings can be in the form of culverts, bridges, wildlife underpass tunnels, wildlife overpass bridges and fencing to funnel wildlife to the structures. Wildlife advocates say these structures can help reduce habitat fragmentation and help animals cross the road safely in wildlife corridors.

The Adirondacks is part of numerous wildways, including the Algonquin Park to Adirondack Park corridor, and ones connecting to Tug Hill in the west and the Green Mountains of Vermont in the East. 

“It’s an extremely helpful policy to have in place not only for the protection of wildlife, but also for the protection of motorists because when you reduce wildlife vehicle interactions, inherently you reduce the risk to people of hitting wildlife becoming involved in an accident,” said Jessica Ottney Mahar, policy and strategy director with The Nature Conservancy. 

Passing with overwhelming support

The state Assembly passed the bill Monday just days after it gained approval in the Senate. Sponsored by Sen. Leroy Comrie, D-Queens, it passed the Senate by a vote of 58 to 4. Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, whose district includes the Adirondack Park, voted against it. He did not respond to a request for comment. 

In the Assembly, where the bill was sponsored by Assemblyman Robert Carroll, D-Brooklyn, it passed by a vote of 136 to 9, with five abstaining. 

It now makes its way to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk, where she must sign it to become law.

Peter Bauer, executive director of Protect the Adirondacks, called the legislation a milestone for state wildlife planning and management in New York. 

“This bill will help to significantly advance wildlife protections,” he said. “We look forward to the full implementation of this legislation to identify critical wildlife corridors in New York.” 

John Davis, rewilding advocate for the Adirondack Council, has advocated for such structures for years. 

“We think roadkill is a terrible and tragic problem across the country, including here in New York,” he said. “We think it is extremely important ecologically and also for public health reasons to install safe wildlife crossings on busy roads. They help reduce habitat fragmentation, reduce road kill and reduce the chances of human drivers having injurious or even fatal collisions with wildlife.” 

Accessing federal dollars

The bill comes as federal funds are available for wildlife crossing projects. 

Erin Sito, U.S. public policy director for the Wildlands Network, said there is an “unprecedented amount” of money for wildlife crossings through a variety of different programs.

“Right now there is billions of dollars that’s available because of the infrastructure investment and jobs act,” she said. “I’m just so excited that New York will finally be in a position to really tap into these after the bill passes with the governor.” 
Sito said New York would join Massachusetts and Pennsylvania in the Northeast in addressing wildlife crossings. Her organization released a report Tuesday that documented successful road crossing efforts over the past 25 years nationwide.

Photo at top: Bobcats crossing a road is an example of what happens to some species of wildlife when forestlands are fragmented. Photo by Gordon Ellmers