Stewart Bill to Create Wildlife Corridors to Protect Animals, People Headed to Senate Floor

On February 19, Senator Mimi Stewart’s wildlife corridor bill passed the Senate Finance Committee and is now headed to the Senate floor.

“Sen. Mimi Stewart’s bill to create wildlife corridors to protect animals and people on New Mexico roads passed is headed to the Senate floor after it passed the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday.

“Without carefully planned wildlife corridors, New Mexico roads are incredibly dangerous for animals and people alike,” Stewart said. “By using overpasses and underpasses, among other tools, we can keep animals off our roads and ensure drivers and their passengers get where they’re going safely.”

SB 228 authorizes the Department of Game and Fish and the Department of Transportation to work together to create a Wildlife Corridor Action Plan and a Prioritized Wildlife Corridors Project List. The departments’ work would specifically look at barriers to wildlife migration and make recommendations to eliminate those barriers in ways that protect animal and human safety. Funding for this effort is included in the DOT’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget.”

Read the full release on Senator Stewart’s website.