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Senate committee hears bill to create wildlife corridor and crossings accounts
Summary
A Senate Transportation Committee public hearing on SB 5203 focused on creating a coordinated strategy and two state accounts to fund wildlife corridors and crossings; supporters said crossings reduce collisions and position Washington to compete for federal grants.
Senate Transportation Committee members heard testimony on Senate Bill 5203 on Jan. 27, 2025, which would require the Washington State Department of Transportation and the Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop an integrated wildlife habitat connectivity strategy and establish two accounts to support corridor and crossing projects.
Committee staff member Danny Masterson told the committee, “WSDOT estimates the vehicles on state roads collide with at least 5,000 deer and 2,000 elk each year.” The bill would create a Washington wildlife corridors account to fund protection and management activities and a Washington wildlife crossings account to finance design, construction, restoration and related measures to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions.
Supporters from conservation and scientific organizations said the proposal is both a safety and…
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