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8 Cosponsors:
9 Carl R. Albrecht
10 Joel K. Briscoe
11 Scott H. Chew
12 Susan Duckworth
Joel Ferry
Timothy D. Hawkes
Phil Lyman
Michael K. McKell
Derrin R. Owens
Douglas V. Sagers
Keven J. Stratton
Christine F. Watkins
Logan Wilde
13
14 LONG TITLE
15 General Description:
16 This resolution relates to protecting wildlife and improving motorist safety.
17 Highlighted Provisions:
18 This resolution:
19 ▸ acknowledges that healthy wildlife and landscapes are crucial to Utah's quality of
20 life and economy;
21 ▸ acknowledges that protecting fish and wildlife corridors will improve herd vitality
22 of big game species and preserve connectivity of fisheries;
23 ▸ acknowledges and respects the rights of private landowners;
24 ▸ acknowledges that the United States is losing biodiversity;
25 ▸ acknowledges that wildlife-vehicle collisions pose serious safety risks to motorists
26 and wildlife and that states, including Utah, that implement wildlife crossings to
27 improve motorist safety and protect wildlife corridors have seen a decrease in
28 wildlife vehicle collisions;
29 ▸ acknowledges current efforts to protect wildlife corridors and road safety;
30 ▸ acknowledges the need for the protection and restoration of migratory routes for
31 wildlife through the Division of Wildlife Resources' Utah's Wildlife Migration
32 Initiative;
33 ▸ acknowledges that the federal government has initiated programs and awarded
34 grants to protect wildlife corridors for big game animals;
35 ▸ expresses the state's continued support for fish and wildlife corridors and road
36 safety; and
37 ▸ encourages studies related to wildlife migration corridors within the state.
38 Special Clauses:
39 None
40
41 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
42 WHEREAS, healthy plant and animal life are necessary to the quality of life in Utah
43 and to maintain vibrant and balanced landscapes to support outdoor recreational activities such
44 as hunting, fishing, animal watching, and similar activities;
45 WHEREAS, the Office of Outdoor Recreation reports that outdoor recreation
46 contributes more than $5.5 billion to the economy, employs more than 75,000 people, and is
47 the primary driver behind the tourism industry;
48 WHEREAS, protecting fish and wildlife migration corridors has been shown to
49 improve herd vitality of big game species, and preserving connectivity is crucial to the
50 long-term resiliency of Utah's fisheries, both being critical in supporting Utah's outdoor
51 recreation economy;
52 WHEREAS, the rights of private landowners are recognized and respected and private
53 landowners should not be forced to participate in any state or local initiatives regarding the
54 protection of wildlife corridors, but instead the state and local governments should incentivize
55 private landowners to participate;
56 WHEREAS, 1 in 5 species is at risk of extinction in the United States and Utah is home
57 to many threatened or endangered species and to sensitive species;
58 WHEREAS, over the 14-year period from 1992 thru 2005, the Utah Highway Patrol
59 reported to the Utah Department of Transportation's Traffic and Safety Office that:
60 • nearly 30,500 wildlife-vehicle collisions occurred during that period,
61 most reported being deer, elk, and moose;
62 • the number of reported injury accidents during this period was 2,030;
63 and
64 • the injury accidents include 18 reported deaths due to accidents with
65 wildlife;
66 WHEREAS, states, including Utah, that implement wildlife crossings to improve
67 motorist safety and protect wildlife corridors have seen a decrease in wildlife vehicle collisions
68 by 40% to 90%;
69 WHEREAS, the Division of Wildlife Resources and the Utah Department of
70 Transportation through the creation of a Wildlife Conflict Prevention Team are incorporating
71 wildlife migration patterns, crash data, and wildlife carcass data in highway corridor planning
72 to improve roadway safety for wildlife and motorists;
73 WHEREAS, the Utah Department of Transportation continues to install wildlife
74 fencing, has constructed a wildlife overpass and 50 wildlife underpasses statewide, continues to
75 identify potential locations for additional wildlife crossings, and has implemented new
76 monitoring technology to assess the effectiveness of existing crossings and better warn
77 motorists when wildlife is present;
78 WHEREAS, there is a need for the protection and restoration of migratory routes for
79 wildlife through the Division of Wildlife Resources' Utah's Wildlife Migration Initiative; and
80 WHEREAS, the current administration has initiated programs and awarded grants to
81 protect wildlife corridors for big game animals through United States Department of Interior,
82 Secretarial Order 3362:
83 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
84 Governor concurring therein, urges continued state investment in wildlife connectivity and
85 encourages state and local governments to adopt policies to protect and restore intact fish and
86 wildlife connectivity and migration corridors and promote road safety.
87 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and Governor encourage the
88 Division of Wildlife Resources, universities, and others with expertise in the wildlife area to
89 study where wildlife migration corridors exist within the state and how best to protect and
90 enhance these corridors.
91 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah League
92 of Cities and Towns and the Utah Association of Counties and that these entities be requested
93 to provide access to the resolution to the relevant planning commissions and highway
94 authorities.