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SB 635

Wildlife - Protections and Highway Crossings

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jim Rosapepe and 1 co-sponsor

Creates a statewide Wildlife Connectivity Fund and Maryland Connectivity Coalition to prioritize and fund wildlife crossings, reducing vehicle-wildlife collisions.

Referred Rules and Executive Nominations
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Bill Summary · SB 635

SB 635 — Wildlife: Protections and Highway Crossings

Status: Introduced (Senate); committee actions pending. Introduced Jan 25, 2025. Effective date in fiscal analysis: July 1, 2025.

Purpose / Intent

Establish a coordinated, statewide approach to improve wildlife habitat connectivity and reduce vehicle–wildlife collisions by creating the Maryland Connectivity Coalition (MCC), a dedicated Wildlife Connectivity Fund, and requirements for State and local planning, project prioritization, reporting, and public outreach.

Key provisions

  • Maryland Connectivity Coalition (MCC)

    • Creates MCC to foster collaboration among State & federal agencies, NGOs, regional coalitions, and other stakeholders.
    • Membership includes the Secretary of Natural Resources (DNR), the State Highway Administrator (SHA) or designees, one member each appointed from the House and Senate, and other agency/NGO/private representatives selected by DNR and SHA.
    • SHA (or its designee) must serve as chair.
    • DNR and SHA must adopt rules governing membership, roles, meeting procedures, and other coalition operations.
    • MCC duties: develop project prioritization criteria, performance metrics (e.g., collision reductions, connectivity improvements), meet quarterly to share data and recommend fund disbursements, and publish information on a public website (purpose, membership, meeting agendas/minutes, criteria, data, completed and in‑progress crossings).

  • Wildlife Connectivity Fund

    • Establishes a special, nonlapsing Wildlife Connectivity Fund administered by DNR in consultation with SHA.
    • Fund sources: State appropriations, interest, donations, and other money designated for the Fund.
    • Fund used to protect terrestrial/semiaquatic threatened or endangered species and to reduce vehicle–wildlife collisions through wildlife crossings and related measures.

  • State Highway Administration (SHA) authority and reporting

    • SHA has final decision‑making authority regarding placement, funding, and design of wildlife crossings on State highways.
    • SHA must include wildlife‑crossing information in each Consolidated Transportation Program (CTP): TTF expenditures for crossings, planned/in‑process projects, and measurable outcomes/performance metrics.

  • Local planning and coordination

    • Counties and local jurisdictions must consider wildlife movement and habitat connectivity when enacting, adopting, amending, or executing comprehensive plans.
    • Maryland Department of Planning (MDP) shall coordinate with DNR and SHA to provide jurisdictions updated connectivity information and planned crossings.

  • Data handling, public outreach, and donations

    • DNR to develop and maintain a website for MCC and to accept donations to the Wildlife Connectivity Fund; MCC website must provide educational materials and project information.

Who is affected

  • State agencies: DNR and SHA take lead responsibilities; both will adopt implementing rules.
  • Local governments: required to consider wildlife connectivity in comprehensive plans (planning process impact).
  • Motorists and wildlife: intended public safety and conservation benefits through reduced collisions and improved habitat connectivity.
  • NGOs/private donors: potential partners and funders via donations; MCC includes NGO representation.

Fiscal and procedural notes

  • Fiscal estimate (Maryland Department of Legislative Services): SHA Transportation Trust Fund expenditures may increase by ~$50,000 annually beginning FY2026 (consultant/staffing support for MCC activities). No direct revenue effect; local government fiscal impact expected to be minimal.
  • Coalition meetings: quarterly (may be canceled for lack of agenda).
  • Reporting: SHA to include required CTP reporting on wildlife crossings.
  • Implementation/timing: bill provisions in analysis reference an effective date of July 1, 2025 (verify enacted version and official effective date).

Potential impacts

  • Positive: Creates a formal multi‑stakeholder process to prioritize and evaluate wildlife‑connectivity projects; aims to reduce vehicle–wildlife collisions and protect threatened species.
  • Tradeoffs: SHA retains final project authority (centralized decision‑making); modest recurring State costs anticipated for coalition support; local planning processes will need to incorporate additional considerations.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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