How does the mountain lion cross the road? » Yale Climate Connections

Transcript:

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law set aside a trillion dollars to repair or rebuild infrastructure like roads and bridges.

This funding provides an opportunity to not only make the country’s infrastructure more resilient to climate change but to help wildlife adapt, too.

Renee Callahan of the nonprofit Arc Solutions says roads and bridges often prevent wildlife from moving to more suitable habitat as the climate changes or escaping from extreme events such as wildfires.

Callahan: “If the animals are not able to move out of an area that is being impacted, then those animals are going to perish.”

The law could help because it includes funding for special over- or underpasses that give animals a safe place to cross roads.

And it sets aside money to renovate or replace bridges and culverts – tunnels that funnel water under roads. Often, culverts are being widened, so more water – and fish – will be able to get through.

Callahan: “When you think about the opportunity to make … that opening larger, there’s an opportunity, almost by definition, to improve aquatic connectivity.”

So as the law makes the country’s infrastructure more resilient, wildlife can benefit too.

Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media