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Wildlife road crossings, habitat planning to be focus of Shapiro administration working group

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Pennsylvania motorists have a 1-in-62 chance of colliding with wildlife each year, making the commonwealth the fifth-riskiest state in the nation for such crashes, according to State Farm.

To address the problem, the Shapiro administration announced that 11 state agencies will work together to develop a statewide strategy aimed at reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, improving public safety and reconnecting fragmented wildlife habitats.

The effort will be co-led by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

The working group stems from recommendations made by the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee after House Resolution 87, sponsored by Reps. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, and Jason Ortitay, R-Allegheny, directed a study of wildlife corridor connectivity in 2024.

The committee recommended creating an interagency working group, incorporating wildlife crossings into PennDOT’s long-term planning and improving coordination among state agencies.

PennDOT has secured an $840,000 federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program grant to develop the strategy. The plan will identify locations where wildlife movement can be improved across roads, streams and forests while helping prioritize future investments in crossing structures, habitat restoration and transportation projects.

State Farm estimates Pennsylvania drivers filed about 147,000 wildlife-related insurance claims between July 2024 and June 2025, the highest total in the nation. While West Virginia has the highest likelihood of such collisions, Pennsylvania leads East Coast states in overall risk.

In addition to PennDOT and DCNR, the working group will include representatives from the departments of Agriculture, Community and Economic Development, Environmental Protection, General Services and Insurance, along with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Game Commission, Historical and Museum Commission and Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

The initiative will build on projects already completed in Armstrong, Butler, Somerset and Centre counties, where wildlife accommodations have been incorporated into transportation improvements. DCNR has also invested millions of dollars during Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration to reconnect habitats, improve fish passage and conserve more than 17,000 acres.

Conservation advocates say Pennsylvania currently has about 30 wildlife crossings but needs more. Existing projects, including wildlife underpasses constructed along Interstate 99, have shown that crossings can reduce collisions while allowing animals such as deer, black bears, bobcats and coyotes to move safely between habitats.

Supporters say the new working group will help ensure wildlife crossings and habitat protection become part of transportation planning from the outset rather than being added after projects are underway. They are also urging Congress to renew the federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, which has provided funding for similar projects nationwide.

Source: PA Capital-Star

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