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Senate committee hears bill to codify wildlife-crossing priorities into NDOT planning
Summary
A hearing on Assembly Bill 486 asked the Nevada Department of Transportation to formally consider wildlife crossings in project planning; proponents described collision-reduction benefits and cost estimates, and NDOT staff outlined a prioritized list of top projects and funding challenges.
The Senate Committee on Growth and Infrastructure held a hearing on Assembly Bill 486 on measures to make wildlife crossings a formal consideration in Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) project planning.
Assemblymember Natha Anderson, sponsor of AB 486, told the committee the measure would require NDOT to consider wildlife crossing priorities when planning new projects and to preserve institutional attention to the approach. "By putting this into our statute, we can make sure that this is still something to be considered when making these plans," Anderson said.
The bill's proponents said wildlife crossings — overpasses, underpasses and associated fencing — have reduced vehicle collisions and associated costs where installed. Nick Clero, senior officer with The Pew Charitable Trusts, said Nevada already has dozens of crossings and that additional investment would reduce collisions and high per-crash costs. "According to NDOT, more than 500 wildlife vehicle collisions are reported each year, costing the state nearly $20,000,000," Clero said, and he added that underreporting likely makes the true totals much higher. Clero cited average national cost estimates per collision: about $20,000 for collisions with mule deer, about $75,000 for elk and about $110,000 for moose.
Nova Simpson, NDOT's wildlife crossing program manager, described the department's recent prioritization process. Simpson said NDOT scored the state by combining safety and carcass data with habitat and species layers, conducted GIS analyses and produced a top-30 list. "Just the top 30 we're looking at about $1,000,000,000," Simpson said when asked for a rough cost estimate for the highest-priority projects. Simpson also said NDOT provided seed funding last session and is pursuing federal grant opportunities.
Committee members and proponents discussed funding options, project timing and the benefits of fencing to funnel animals to crossings. Simpson estimated a typical project timeline of multiple years for data collection, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and construction — "anywhere from 4 to 5 years out from the time that that project is essentially instigated," she said, assuming funding is available.
Supporters at the hearing included conservation organizations and business groups. Christy Cabrera Georgeson of the Nevada Conservation League and Laurel Saito of The Nature Conservancy noted reductions in collisions and benefits to wildlife connectivity. Paul Enos of the Nevada Trucking Association and other industry witnesses said formalizing consideration of crossings in NDOT planning could allow more cost-effective additions alongside routine projects.
No formal committee vote was recorded during the hearing; the committee heard testimony and questions and closed the hearing without a legislative action on the floor of the committee.
The hearing record shows proponents emphasized both safety and long-term cost savings, while NDOT staff emphasized prioritization, federal grant pursuit and multi-year project timelines. The committee did not adopt any amendments on the record during the hearing.
