EBS STAFF
House Bill 855 passed the senate on April 17, proposing to create a dedicated special revenue account for wildlife crossing infrastructure across Montana. The bill awaits signature from Gov. Greg Gianforte.
The bill establishes the Fish, Wildlife & Parks Wildlife Highway Crossings and Accommodations Account, which will collect revenue from specialty license plate fees and could generate $160,000 per year, according to a news release from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Katie Zolnikov (R-Billings), who told the House Transportation Committee during the bill’s introduction that 70% of Montana drivers have been involved with a vehicle-wildlife collision, a problem the bill aims to address by funding solutions like fencing, overpasses and underpasses.
“By establishing the Wildlife Highway Crossings and Accommodations Account, Montana is making a commitment to increasing public safety on Montana’s roadways while conserving wildlife,” Ryan Chapin, Montana field manager at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, stated in the release. “We join the Treasure State’s motorists and hunters and anglers in thanking Representative Zolnikov for her leadership on this bill and the legislature for swiftly advancing this life-saving legislation.”
Montana Department of Transportation Director Chris Dorrington testified in support of the bill, according to reporting by Daily Montanan. He noted that vehicle-wildlife collisions are expensive for residents, but infrastructure solutions can also be very costly. “MDT cannot meet future accommodation needs just with the current funding in place,” he said during the house committee hearing.
If House Bill 855 is successful in raising money, agencies like MDT can begin to chip away at the deficit in wildlife crossing infrastructure across Montana.
