23 U.S.C. § 172: Wildlife-vehicle collision reduction and habitat connectivity improvement

The Secretary shall conduct a study (referred to in this subsection as the “study”) of the state, as of the date of the study, of the practice of methods to reduce collisions between motorists and wildlife (referred to in this section as “wildlife-vehicle collisions”). the report entitled “Wildlife Vehicle Collision Reduction Study: 2008 Report to Congress”; and the document entitled “Wildlife Vehicle Collision Reduction Study: Best Practices Manual” and dated October 2008; and the causes of wildlife-vehicle collisions; the impact of wildlife-vehicle collisions on motorists and wildlife; and the impacts of roads and traffic on habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species; and reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions; and improving habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species. wildlife-vehicle collisions; and habitat fragmentation that results from transportation infrastructure; survey current practices of the Department of Transportation and State departments of transportation to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions; and appropriate experts in the field of wildlife-vehicle collisions; and appropriate experts on the effects of roads and traffic on habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species. Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the study. the causes of wildlife-vehicle collisions; the impacts of wildlife-vehicle collisions; and species listed as threatened species or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); species identified by States as species of greatest conservation need; species identified in State wildlife plans; and medium and small terrestrial and aquatic species; an economic evaluation of the costs and benefits of installing highway infrastructure and other measures to mitigate damage to terrestrial and aquatic species, including the effect on jobs, property values, and economic growth to society, adjacent communities, and landowners; recommendations for preventing wildlife-vehicle collisions, including recommended best practices, funding resources, or other recommendations for addressing wildlife-vehicle collisions; and to address wildlife-vehicle collisions; and to improve habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species. to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions; and to improve habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species. make the series of courses developed under paragraph (1) available for transportation and fish and wildlife professionals; and update the series of courses not less frequently than once every 2 years. The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (referred to in this subsection as the “Secretary”), shall develop a quality standardized methodology for collecting and reporting spatially accurate wildlife collision and carcass data for the National Highway System, considering the practicability of the methodology with respect to technology and cost. survey existing methodologies and sources of data collection, including the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the General Estimates System of the National Automotive Sampling System, and the Highway Safety Information System; and to the extent practicable, identify and correct limitations of those existing methodologies and sources of data collection. the Secretary of the Interior; the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; Tribal, State, and local transportation and wildlife authorities; metropolitan planning organizations (as defined in section 134(b)); members of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials; members of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies; experts in the field of wildlife-vehicle collisions; nongovernmental organizations; and other interested stakeholders, as appropriate. develop a template for State implementation of a standardized national wildlife collision and carcass data system for the National Highway System that is based on the standardized methodology developed under paragraph (1); and encourage the voluntary implementation of the template developed under subparagraph (A). the date that is 18 months after the date of enactment of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021; and the date that is 180 days after the date on which the Secretary completes the development of the standardized methodology. the status of the voluntary implementation of the standardized methodology developed under paragraph (1) and the template developed under paragraph (2)(A); to reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions; and to improve habitat connectivity; the degree of the impact described in clause (ii); and the recommendations of the Secretary, including recommendations for further study aimed at reducing motorist collisions involving wildlife and improving habitat connectivity for terrestrial and aquatic species on the National Highway System, if any. the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions on the highway that pose a human safety risk; species listed as endangered species or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); species identified by a State as species of greatest conservation need; species identified in State wildlife plans; and medium and small terrestrial and aquatic species; and habitat connectivity values for terrestrial and aquatic species and the barrier effect of the highway on the movements and migrations of those species.