Maryland Enacts Habitat Connectivity Law to Improve Wildlife Health and Road Safety

Overview

On May 12, 2025, Maryland enacted HB 731 / SB 635 to improve habitat connectivity and reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions across the state. The bill establishes a Maryland Connectivity Coalition, strengthens oversight of wildlife crossings, and requires habitat connectivity to be considered in transportation and land use planning. The primary sponsors of the bill were State Delegate Sheila Ruth and State Senator Karen Lewis Young.

• Why It Matters: Habitat fragmentation from roads and other infrastructure is one of the primary drivers of biodiversity loss in the United States, with the movement of wildlife across roadways resulting in between 1 to 2 million collisions, 26,000 injuries, and $8 billion in damages per year. Projects like wildlife crossings that reconnect habitats can reduce roadway collisions, help mitigate climate change, and enhance outdoor access, while effectively paying for themselves through savings on medical costs, property damage, and lost wildlife.

Key Components of the Bill

Maryland HB 731 / SB 635 will improve habitat connectivity in several ways, including through:

• Inter-Agency Collaboration: The legislation formalizes the Maryland Connectivity Coalition to enable the State Highway Administration and the Department of Natural Resources to work together on identifying and advancing priority wildlife crossing projects. 
• Funding: Aligns state efforts with federal programs to help secure funding, building on Maryland’s successful federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program (WCPP) grant received in 2024. 
• Land Use Planning: Requires counties and municipalities to consider wildlife movement and habitat connectivity when developing comprehensive land use plans, and provides them with up-to-date information on state connectivity plans to support this work. 
• Transportation Planning: Requires the State Highway Administration to report their work on wildlife crossings in each consolidated transportation plan, including 1.) expenditures for wildlife crossings, 2.) plans for and progress on wildlife crossings, and 3.) performance metrics for completed wildlife crossings. 
• Public Awareness: Prioritizes education and outreach about wildlife collisions and the importance of habitat connectivity.

State Context: Wildlife Corridors and Biodiversity Conservation in Maryland

A previous version of the bill introduced in 2024 did not pass but helped spur the State Highway Administration to apply for funding from the federal Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program (WCPP). The agency was awarded a WCPP grant in late 2024, providing $388,000 to help identify hotspots for wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs) on state highways, establish design guidance to reduce WVCs, and build public awareness of the importance of habitat connectivity.

• In Their Words – Maryland State Delegate Sheila Ruth: “I’ve always been passionate about protecting wildlife, so after attending an NCEL webinar on wildlife crossings and habitat connectivity, I was excited to get to work. I’m thrilled that after two years of coordination between legislators, state agencies, and NGOs, this bill has been signed into law to formalize the coalition and take the next steps to protect wildlife and drivers in Maryland.”

• Building on Recent Progress: HB 731 and SB 635 follow several other recently enacted policies in Maryland that support biodiversity conservation, human health, and safety, including a bill in 2023 which added a wildlife biologist to the state wildlife commission, a bill in 2024 expanding the state’s definition of wildlife, and a bill this year improving criteria for pesticide use by certified pesticide applicators. 

Other State Action on Habitat Connectivity in 2025

So far this year, at least 23 states have introduced 52 bills related to wildlife corridors and crossings. Some of the policies introduced include:

**Indicates bipartisan support

• Corridor Conservation: **Indiana HB 1447 would require the designation and protection of important forest and habitat areas.
• Funding for Wildlife Crossings: New Mexico HB 2 appropriates $50 million for wildlife crossing projects.
• Mitigating Energy Infrastructure Impacts: Colorado HB25-1292 would mitigate the impacts of transmission lines on wildlife habitat, while Texas HB 553 would do the same for renewable energy generation facilities.
• Transportation Planning: **Oregon HB 2978 incorporates wildlife mitigation into highway design standards through coordination between the state transportation and wildlife agencies.
• Land Use Planning: **Colorado HB25-1093 allows localities to restrict the development of land that is adjacent to wildlife crossing structures.
• Aquatic Connectivity: Maine LD 836 proposes a $50 million bond issue for municipal culvert upgrades that connect habitat and improve resilience to extreme weather.

Additional Resources

• 2025 Wildlife Corridors and Crossings Legislation (NCEL)
• Maryland Connectivity and Crossings Act Fact Sheet (Wildlands Network)
• State of the States Habitat Connectivity Legislation Report (NCEL and Wildlands Network)
• Wildlife Corridors and Crossings Fact Sheet (NCEL)

Stay Up To Date on Habitat Connectivity Policy With NCEL

Stay current on wildlife and habitat connectivity policy trends across the country this year with NCEL’s Bill Tracking Map.