Plans are in the works for a number of Pennsylvania agencies to collaborate on recommendations for statewide planning for wildlife corridors, a development environmental organizations are applauding.
Cindy Adams Dunn, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, gave the update on wildlife corridors during a recent state budget hearing. She said her office will be bringing together various departments and organizations to look at what can be done to create corridors that connect fragmented habitats.
“These corridors are also good for climate resiliency. As the climate changes, all kinds of plants, animals, biota need pathways to move safely," Dunn said. "So it’s much bigger than simply wildlife crossing.”
Dunn said the effort will involve local governments, private landowners and conservation groups along with state agencies. It follows a study by PennEnvironment and bipartisan legislation followed by a state report on addressing habitat fragmentation.
Stephanie Wein, the clean water and conservation advocate at PennEnvironment, said statewide planning will benefit both Pennsylvania’s native species and drivers’ road safety. Pennsylvania is ranked one of the worst states when it comes animal-vehicle collisions on the road.
She said wildlife connectivity could involve a crossing under a roadway, but also land preservation or private landowners planting native species.
“It's just so exciting that we are going to have that sort of 10,000 foot view, collaborative interagency approach to creating wildlife corridors and wildlife crossings and addressing habitat fragmentation,” Wein said.
Wein said as it is now, this type of work can be catch-as-catch-can.
“But what if we actually ahead of time took a real look at what are the hotspots where we need to do habitat connectivity work," she said. "What are the hotspots that need crossings? Where are species being impacted by habitat fragmentation, and what are the things each agency is doing on its own and how can that be pulled together into a collaborative effort?”
