WASHINGTON – U.S. Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA) and Ryan Zinke (R-MT) introduced on Tuesday the bipartisan Wildlife Road Crossings Program Reauthorization Act. This bill would make the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Wildlife Crossing Program permanent and provide funding through 2031. The program provides competitive grants to states for projects that make roads safer for drivers and animals by reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, each year more than 1 million vehicles collide with large animals. These accidents not only kill millions of animals, including game and endangered species, but also result in $8 billion in damages, injure about 26,000 people and kill about 200 more. Wildlife crossings, including overpasses, underpasses and tunnels, reduce these types of collisions by more than 90%.
A May 2025 survey by Environment America Research & Policy Center found that 87% of those polled support increased investments in crossings.
In response, Andrew Rothman, wildlife campaigns director for Environment America, issued the following statement:
“For motorcyclists, delivery truck drivers, and families on road trips, wildlife crossings save lives. The age-old question of ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’ is changing to another question, ‘How do the wildlife cross the road?’ Increasingly, the answer for deer, elk, turtles, skunks and all sorts of animals is — with a wildlife crossing.”
Connor Ransom, conservation associate with Environment Virginia, issued the following statement:
“Bravo to Virginia’s Rep. Beyer, and also to Rep. Zinke, for introducing this bipartisan bill. It’s such a simple idea to save wildlife. Not only does it reduce roadkill and car damage, but it reconnects habitats so that animals can roam more freely to eat, mate and thrive.”
See Rep. Beyer’s and Rep. Zinke’s statements for more information.
