In 2019, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed into law the Wildlife Corridors Act, Senate Bill 228, a first-of-its-kind legislation in America. The law mandated that New Mexico’s agencies develop monitoring protocols, analyze economic benefits, identify movement barriers and create maps to better conserve migratory habitats used by big game animals like elk, mule deer and pronghorn.
In accordance with the law’s directive, the New Mexico Department of Transportation and the New Mexico Department of Game & Fish just released the final Wildlife Corridors Action Plan. Among other things, the plan highlights 10 wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots, five of which were identified using collision data and five of which were identified using ecological data such as GPS, telemetry and linkage modeling. In addition, the plan provides project recommendations and cost-benefit analysis for each.
Across New Mexico over the course of one year, there are roughly 1,200 wildlife-vehicle collisions costing nearly $20 million in total, a figure that does not incorporate the economic impact of loss of work, school or productivity resulting from these accidents. Roadways also contribute to habitat fragmentation, disrupting migratory movements and impeding access to the important seasonal ranges on which wildlife rely for their survival. Three of the top 10 hot spots are on U.S. 550 north of Cuba, on Interstate 25 at Glorieta Pass, and U.S. 285 within and outside of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.
With the upcoming change in seasons, big game are not only moving across roadways and other man-made barriers, but they are also migrating across New Mexico’s sweeping and iconic landscapes, which is why we need the promulgation of state policy that complements SB 228 by identifying and protecting the travel corridors used by big game.
The statewide migration policy would facilitate the development of agency and interagency policy, rules, best management practices and other guidance. It would also direct relevant state agencies to actively engage with federal agencies including the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management on land management and project-level planning by providing data, information and recommendations about aquatic and terrestrial wildlife movement and sensitive habitat areas.
If two things are for sure, it is that New Mexicans love their wildlife and love to travel, and now it is reassuring to know our state leaders and agencies are taking big steps to protect public safety and wildlife.
