Editor’s Note: This is Part II of a two-part series. Part I, New Science Shows Challenges and Solutions, provides background on the growing importance of wildlife movement and connectivity in conservation efforts (particularly in Idaho), projects like the Rocky Point Wildlife Crossing Project that represent win-win opportunities for people and wildlife alike, and the intersection of wildlife movement and renewable energy. Continue reading below on the critical element of collaboration from various stakeholders to create effective solutions for both wildlife and human interests.
The Role of State Connectivity Action Plans & Federal Wildlife Guidance 
In 2018, Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, signed Secretarial Order 3362, which emphasized the need to protect and conserve vital habitat and migration routes for elk, mule deer, and pronghorn. Since then, fish and wildlife management agencies in eleven western states (including Idaho) have used that directive and associated grant funds to develop Action Plans that identify and prioritize areas of landscape connectivity for wildlife and determine what strategies should be used to conserve those areas.
Conference presenters showcased ways that Action Plans have been used most effectively to benefit wildlife. In part, the plans rely on regional wildlife movement mapping efforts to outline ways to avoid biodiversity impacts while making smart decisions about land management and infrastructure planning. In recent years, teams from USGS and other research groups have turned GPS radio-collar data into vivid, visual descriptions of seasonal western big game movements (like the Bear River Plateau mule deer migration). Thus far, they’ve documented 182 migration routes—including start and end dates—of mule deer (100), elk (57), pronghorn (20), bison, and moose. The effort has helped identify precise travel corridors, periods of habitat use, and stopover areas in 11 western states. The fifth volume of USGS’ Ungulate Migrations of the Western United States will be released this spring.
Other mapping efforts are attempting to assign an index correlating to a landscape’s ability to facilitate wildlife movement based on the area’s naturalness, structural features, and climate. The process will help to identify large areas where animals can be naturally connected, “stepping stone” areas adjacent to those large tracts, and zones of connectivity that link them together. Land managers could then use the maps in national forest planning or special-use designation processes.
Collection of data that shows WVCs per mile, injuries to motorists, vehicle damage, and profiles of land ownership adjacent to roadways is also critical to making informed decisions about prioritizing highway infrastructure and wildlife conservation efforts.
Another memo issued just last fall from Interior Secretary Haaland directed federal agencies like the Forest Service to include accommodations for wildlife connectivity, such as road decommissioning, in travel management and forest planning processes. It highlighted that wildlife corridors need to be considered, even on a project-specific basis, and that solutions are best developed with the input and assistance from local groups. Forest management plans guide decisions about future projects, provide long-term vision and serve as a social contract with the public. Encouragingly, some forest plans like those governing the Lolo and the Bridger-Teton in Montana already provided guidance on movement corridors and that infrastructure shouldn’t create barriers to fish and wildlife movement through ecosystems. ICL would like to see guidance from the Department of Interior incorporated into forest planning efforts in Idaho—many of which are long overdue.
An emerging body of evidence in the wake of Secretarial Order 3362 shows that coordination between state agencies, NGOs, and the general public gives the best chance for durable conservation outcomes. Other recent suggestions from support organizations like WAFWA to make these region-wide conservation efforts more successful include accommodations for species other than ungulates, better communications with Tribes, more research coordination , and letting science be our compass—NOT politics.

Nudging Local Government in the Right Direction
In many cases, especially in areas where animals make seasonal transitions between summer and winter range, integrity of a migration corridor may hinge on how a section of private land is being used. County and city governments can play a large role in preventing habitat fragmentation if comprehensive plans and responsible-growth initiatives account for ecosystem health. Common sense ordinances, zoning and development guidelines are tools that can ensure local governments are responsible partners in conservation. For example, Teton County’s planning language mentions stewardship, wildlife-friendly fencing, and protection of habitat “based on relative critical value.” The county has also enacted a Special Purpose Excise Tax to create a funding pool for land purchases, easements, and infrastructure that advance goals in their master plan to reduce WVCs.
The “Take Home”
Pew’s Corridors, Crossings, and Connectivity Conference demonstrated how effective “all-hands-on-deck” approaches are to ensure that wildlife species can get where they need to go—at a time when those prospects seem to be diminishing. These solutions can also help keep people more safe. The watershed event reinforced ICL’s long-held belief that maintaining the health of large landscapes to benefit people and native species in Idaho requires collaborative efforts from all stakeholders. We are hopeful that, as rapid growth continues in our state, right-minded discussions between Idaho’s legislature, state agencies, “wildlife-forward” NGOs, and the general public can lead the way to sensible solutions that protect Idaho’s wildlife heritage for generations to come.
You can stay updated on Idaho’s wildlife, and be alerted with ways to take action, by signing up for ICL Wildlife Campaign email updates. Looking to make an impact for Idaho’s wildlife today? Click HERE to TAKE ACTION and tell Governor Little, Senators Crapo and Risch, and Representatives Simpson and Fulcher to support congressional and state-based agency efforts to make highways in Idaho safer for both people and animals.