This bill – patroned by Del. Debra Gardner, and supported by the organizations listed below – should be a no brainer for a bunch of reasons. See below for a press release from Wildlands Network and you’ll see why, including this startling statistic:
“Virginia sees over 60,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions annually, costing an average of $41,000 in state and personal costs per incident. However, just one underpass + fencing can reduce crashes in a hotspot segment by 96%!”
Need more reasons? How about these:
- “Enhancing public safety by reducing the risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions.”
- “Supporting ecological connectivity through thoughtful infrastructure design.”
- “Improving flood resilience by aligning wildlife-friendly designs with flood protection priorities.”
- “Utilizing data-driven strategies to pinpoint collision hotspots to ensure we place crossings where they are most needed and effective.”
Good stuff – let’s get this done!
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