What is a wildlife corridor, and how will the President’s announcement help save biodiversity?

Wildlife need room to roam. From mule deer and monarch butterflies to the Florida Panther, grizzly and right whale, wildlife need to travel across landscapes and seascapes to find mates, food and good habitat. Last week, in a speech on “Conservation Day” at the White House, President Biden announced a new guidance to protect and conserve wildlife corridors.  

What does this mean for wildlife? The federal government manages vast areas of important wildlife habitat. Now agencies and departments such as the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, National Parks Service, NOAA Fisheries and the Department of Transportation will be encouraged to develop policies to conserve, enhance, protect, and restore corridors and connectivity during planning and decision-making. Additionally and importantly, these agencies will be asked to coordinate to safeguard wildlife movement.

The memorandum also recognizes that States, Tribes, territorial and local governments are important partners with Federal agencies, and that coordination with them will support these connectivity efforts.

Connecting landscapes is one of the most effective tools we have to address the biodiversity crisis. As President Biden likes to say, this new policy is a “big deal” for wildlife!