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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE

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PROTECTION AND RESTORATION OF WILDLIFE

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CORRIDORS

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2020 GENERAL SESSION

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STATE OF UTAH

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Chief Sponsor: Mike Schultz

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Senate Sponsor: David P. Hinkins

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9     LONG TITLE
10     General Description:
11          This resolution relates to protecting wildlife and improving motorist safety.
12     Highlighted Provisions:
13          This resolution:
14          ▸     acknowledges that healthy wildlife and landscapes are crucial to Utah's quality of
15     life and economy;
16          ▸     acknowledges that protecting wildlife corridors will improve herd vitality of big
17     game species;
18          ▸     acknowledges and respects the rights of private landowners;
19          ▸     acknowledges that the United States is losing biodiversity;
20          ▸     acknowledges that wildlife-vehicle collisions pose serious safety risks to motorists
21     and wildlife and that states, including Utah, that implement wildlife crossings to
22     improve motorist safety and protect wildlife corridors have seen a decrease in
23     wildlife vehicle collisions;
24          ▸     acknowledges current efforts to protect wildlife corridors and road safety;
25          ▸     acknowledges the need for the protection and restoration of migratory routes for
26     wildlife through the Division of Wildlife Resources' Utah's Wildlife Migration
27     Initiative;

28          ▸     acknowledges that the federal government has initiated programs and awarded
29     grants to protect wildlife corridors for big game animals;
30          ▸     expresses the state's continued support for wildlife corridors and road safety; and
31          ▸     encourages studies related to wildlife migration corridors within the state.
32     Special Clauses:
33          None
34     

35     Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
36          WHEREAS, healthy plant and animal life are necessary to the quality of life in Utah
37     and to maintain vibrant and balanced landscapes to support outdoor recreational activities such
38     as hunting, fishing, animal watching, and similar activities;
39          WHEREAS, the Office of Outdoor Recreation reports that outdoor recreation
40     contributes more than $12.3 billion to the economy, employs more than 110,000 people, and is
41     the primary driver behind the tourism industry;
42          WHEREAS, protecting wildlife corridors has been shown to improve herd vitality of
43     big game species that are critical in supporting Utah's outdoor recreation economy;
44          WHEREAS, the rights of private landowners are recognized and respected and private
45     landowners should not be forced to participate in any state or local initiatives regarding the
46     protection of wildlife corridors, but instead the state and local governments should incentivize
47     private landowners to participate;
48          WHEREAS, 1 in 5 species is at risk of extinction in the United States and Utah is home
49     to many threatened or endangered species and to sensitive species;
50          WHEREAS, over the 14-year period from 1992 thru 2005, the Utah Highway Patrol
51     reported to the Utah Department of Transportation's Traffic and Safety Office that:
52               •     nearly 30,500 wildlife-vehicle collisions occurred during that period,
53     most reported being deer, elk, and moose;
54               •     the number of reported injury accidents during this period was 2,030;
55     and
56               •     the injury accidents include 18 reported deaths due to accidents with
57     wildlife;
58          WHEREAS, states, including Utah, that implement wildlife crossings to improve

59     motorist safety and protect wildlife corridors have seen a decrease in wildlife vehicle collisions
60     by 40% to 90%;
61          WHEREAS, the Division of Wildlife Resources and the Utah Department of
62     Transportation through the creation of a Wildlife Conflict Prevention Team are incorporating
63     wildlife migration patterns, crash data, and wildlife carcass data in highway corridor planning
64     to improve roadway safety for wildlife and motorists;
65          WHEREAS, the Utah Department of Transportation continues to install wildlife
66     fencing, has constructed a wildlife overpass and 50 wildlife underpasses statewide, continues to
67     identify potential locations for additional wildlife crossings, and has implemented new
68     monitoring technology to assess the effectiveness of existing crossings and better warn
69     motorists when wildlife is present;
70          WHEREAS, there is a need for the protection and restoration of migratory routes for
71     wildlife through the Division of Wildlife Resources' Utah's Wildlife Migration Initiative; and
72          WHEREAS, the current administration has initiated programs and awarded grants to
73     protect wildlife corridors for big game animals through United States Department of Interior,
74     Secretarial Order 3362:
75          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
76     Governor concurring therein, urges continued state investment in wildlife connectivity and
77     encourages state and local governments to adopt policies to protect and restore wildlife
78     connectivity and migration corridors.
79          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and Governor encourage the
80     Division of Wildlife Resources, universities, and others with expertise in the wildlife area to
81     study where wildlife migration corridors exist within the state and how best to protect these
82     corridors.
83          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Utah League
84     of Cities and Towns and the Utah Association of Counties and that these entities be requested
85     to provide access to the resolution to the relevant planning commissions and highway
86     authorities.