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House approves bill creating wildlife‑crossing coalition; fiscal note reduced in amendment
Summary
Annapolis — The Maryland House passed House Bill 731 on March 8, 2025, directing state agencies to form a coalition to study wildlife‑crossing designs intended to reduce vehicle‑wildlife collisions and habitat fragmentation.
Annapolis — The Maryland House passed House Bill 731 on March 8, 2025, a measure creating a coalition to study wildlife crossing designs and corridor strategies intended to reduce vehicle‑wildlife collisions and habitat fragmentation.
A member on the floor described the measure as establishing a Maryland connectivity coalition managed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the State Highway Administration (SHA) to examine wildlife crossing designs and better coordinate planning. The floor explanation said the bill had been amended to remove a fund and that the amended approach would likely cost “a little over, dollars 100,000,” with staffing or coordination provided through an existing department position.
Several delegates asked practical questions about how the coalition’s recommendations would work on the ground, with one delegate asking, “How will the wildlife know to use them?” Floor speakers said the projects would be design‑based (paths or structures used elsewhere) intended to reduce collisions and improve safe movement for animals as habitat is altered.
One delegate raised the state’s large budget deficit — cited on the floor as about $3.3 billion — and said that with that deficit lawmakers must prioritize spending; that speaker said they would vote against the bill for fiscal reasons.
After debate and the roll call, the clerk announced there were 101 votes in the affirmative and declared House Bill 731 passed on third reading and final passage.
