    [Senate Hearing 118-367]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 118-367

                        CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO
                          FACILITATE WILDLIFE MOVEMENT
                        AND IMPROVE MIGRATION CORRIDORS

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   before the

                          SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES,
                              WATER, AND WILDLIFE

                                     of the

                                  COMMITTEE ON
                          ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                               NOVEMBER 14, 2023

                                   __________

      Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works

     [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

            Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

                        U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    56-260 PDF                WASHINGTON : 2025

                   COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                      THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware, Chairman
              SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia, Ranking Member

    BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
    BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont             CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
    SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island     MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma
    JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon                 PETE RICKETTS, Nebraska
    EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts      JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
    DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
    MARK KELLY, Arizona                  DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
    ALEX PADILLA, California             LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
    JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania

                   Courtney Taylor, Democratic Staff Director
                   Adam Tomlinson, Republican Staff Director
                                  ----------

                 Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife

                       ALEX PADILLA, California, Chairman
                   CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming, Ranking Member

    BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
    SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island     PETE RICKETTS, Nebraska
    EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts      JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
    DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
    MARK KELLY, Arizona                  SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West
    THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware (ex           Virginia (ex officio)
        officio)
                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

                               NOVEMBER 14, 2023
                               OPENING STATEMENTS

    Padilla, Hon. Alex, U.S. Senator from the State of California....     1
    Lummis, Hon. Cynthia M., U.S. Senator from the State of Wyoming..     2

                                   WITNESSES

    Bonham, Charlton H., California Department of Fish and Wildlife..     3
        Prepared statement...........................................     8
        Response to an additional question from Senator Cardin.......    15
    West, Madeleine, Director, Center for Public Lands, Theodore
      Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.............................    20
        Prepared statement...........................................    22
        Response to an additional question from Senator Cardin.......    28
    King, Richard, Chief Game Warden, Wyoming Department of Fish and
      Game...........................................................    30
        Prepared statement...........................................    32
        Response to an additional question from Senator Cardin.......    39

                              ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

    Statements from:
        Pew Charitable Trusts........................................    61
        Western Governors' Association (WGA).........................    64

       CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO FACILITATE WILDLIFE MOVEMENT AND
                          IMPROVE MIGRATION CORRIDORS

                                  ----------

                           TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2023

                                   U.S. Senate,
             Committee on Environment and Public Works,
                Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:33 p.m. in
    room 406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Alex Padilla
    (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
        Present: Senators Padilla, Lummis, Carper, Ricketts,
    Boozman, Sullivan.

                OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. ALEX PADILLA,
               U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

        Senator Padilla. Good afternoon, everybody. This hearing
    will come to order. Welcome to the third hearing this Congress
    of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on
    Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife and the first hearing this year
    focused specifically on protecting wildlife.
        Before I set the stage for the topic of today's hearing, I
    will do one housekeeping item at the top. The time is just
    after 2:30 in the afternoon now. At four o'clock, there is a
    Rules Committee hearing, so somewhere a few minutes after four
    o'clock, I may excuse myself for a few minutes to cast a vote
    in the Rules Committee and then make my way back to the
    hearing. I appreciate Senator Lummis or whoever may hold the
    gavel for those few minutes while I come and go.
        Back to the topic of today's hearing, every day, every
    month, and every season in America, animals across the Country
    cross roads and highways, hop fences, and barriers and navigate
    human-made obstacles in order to survive. As our Country
    continues to grow both in population and in development, so do
    interactions between wildlife and humans. Yet, all too often,
    that can mean traditional wildlife corridors for migration are
    being cutoff by human-made barriers and that the biodiversity
    of the land around us is coming under threat.
        So, today, we will be examining the challenges and
    opportunities to facilitating wildlife movement and improving
    migration corridors across the Country. In California, we
    certainly do love our wildlife, and not just because we are the
    most biodiverse State in the Nation.
        We regularly hear stories of a new critter that has
    captured the hearts of Californians and the public's
    imagination, whether a surfboard-stealing sea otter off the
    coast of Santa Cruz or a band of newts so beloved they have
    attracted a newt brigade of volunteers to help them cross the
    road safely.
        It is the awe that we felt when the Yurok Tribe
    reintroduced the once nearly extinct and sacred California
    condor, or the passion with which the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation
    works to protect the Roosevelt elk in order to reduce human-elk
    conflicts.
        Perhaps none have reached the level of fame of the beloved
    P-22, the mountain lion here behind me, the iconic mountain
    lion of Griffith Park who was known for wandering around the
    Hollywood Hills. Born in the Santa Monica mountains of Southern
    California, P-22 had to cross two major freeways to get to his
    eventual home in Griffith Park, and even then, he became
    increasingly isolated by the habitat around him, severely
    fragmented by human development.
        A cultural icon of the Los Angeles area, photographed by
    the Hollywood sign, adorned on tee-shirts and honored in the
    Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Angelenos' hearts
    broke when last December, P-22 tragically passed away after
    being hit by a car. But the fascination surrounding P-22 helped
    spur a movement that led to the construction of the historic
    Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which, when complete, will
    allow more mountain lions to safely cross ten lanes of Highway
    101 and connect to their needed habitat.
        The truth is, while they might not all attract the same
    following as P-22, stories like this happen every single day
    across America, whether for daily or seasonal migration or
    being pushed away by a climate in crisis, wildlife face
    barriers to migration that threaten their lives and, in turn,
    threaten the vibrant biodiversity of our Nation and our outdoor
    recreational culture.
        To be completely truthful, the interruption of wildlife
    corridors and lack of adequate crossings threaten human lives,
    as well. Drivers in the United States face a 1 in 127 chance of
    hitting an animal in their lifetime, a statistic that increases
    to as high as 1 in 38 for drivers in West Virginia, for
    example.
        It is estimated that wildlife involved in crashes kills
    more than 150 drivers every year in America, with millions of
    auto claims made for animal collisions on top of that, and
    whether from vehicle repairs, medical expenses, towing or
    cleanup, crashes cost between $8 billion to $12 billion
    annually. We pay an enormous human toll when we fail to provide
    adequate crossings.
        Today, I am looking forward to having a bipartisan
    discussion about the ways we can improve habitat connectivity,
    boost biodiversity, and the resilience of our ecosystems and
    protect human lives. That can come in the form of investing in
    physical infrastructure and habitat connectivity projects like
    overpasses, underpasses, culverts, and more.
        To do that, we need better data gathering, with technology
    like GPS collars to better understand where, when, and how
    animals are migrating throughout the year and where the highest
    risk of vehicular collisions exists.
        It can also mean advancing nature-based solutions, like
    protecting some of our last remaining wilderness areas and
    improving management of the landscapes that species migrate
    across. Because wildlife migration will never be neatly
    confined to within one State, one county, or a city's borders,
    we know that we will have to work collaboratively across local,
    State, and tribal boundaries to share data, advance
    partnerships, and improve connectivity.
        In the past, this committee has come together in a
    bipartisan way to approve $350 million to the Department of
    Transportation to fund wildlife crossing projects and reduce
    wildlife vehicle collisions. While we still await the
    implementation of that funding, we have proven that there is a
    bipartisan interest to make progress, and, as I think we will
    learn more about today, to think even bigger than just
    individual wildlife crossings to boost wildlife connectivity
    across the Country. Often, we just need a roadmap to know what
    we should do next, and I am grateful to all of our witnesses
    for coming together to provide just that. I look forward to
    hearing from each of you today.
        With that, let me hand it over the Ranking Member Lummis to
    make her opening statement.

               OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. CYNTHIA LUMMIS,
                 U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF WYOMING

        Senator Lummis. Thank you, Chairman Padilla. One of the
    really fun things about having you as the Chairman and getting
    to be the Ranking Member with you is, of course, California is
    the most populous State, mine is the least, but how similar the
    problems are.
        Yours are more exacerbated by dealing with the amount of
    traffic that confronts your wildlife populations, and we have
    tremendous issues with regard to State ownership of land,
    Federal ownership of land, private ownership, tribal ownership,
    you know. It is just so fun to work with you on this committee,
    so I appreciate you.
        I want to thank each of the witnesses for agreeing to be
    here today.
        Wyoming is a haven for big game species: bison, elk, moose,
    pronghorn, mule deer, and many others whose habitat varies by
    season. Wildlife migration corridors allow these big game
    species to move between seasonal ranges, of which there are
    many in Wyoming. In many cases, a herd's migration route will
    encompass a mix of, as I said, Federal, State, tribal, and
    private property, which makes their management a challenge that
    must be addressed with a collaborative spirit.
        It is very evident in Wyoming, and we, I think, have done a
    really good job of creating a template for how these issues can
    be addressed. Wildlife corridors can span hundreds of miles in
    one direction, I am sure that is true in California as well,
    like elk and mule deer that travel between the greater
    Yellowstone ecosystem down to the red desert and back each
    year, so that means going from the Teton Range that goes up
    into Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park.
        Down through the Bridger Teton National Forest, I have a
    farm that abuts the Bridger National Forest, so I see a lot of
    these animals passing through. Then it runs down to residential
    areas near Pinedale, Wyoming, then to the checkerboard lands
    near the Upper Green River Basin. Checkerboard means the Union
    Pacific, and so there is Federal land mixed in with UP land and
    private land along the railroad. That includes State and
    private lands and Federal lands.
        Then, it ends up on Bureau of Land Management land in
    southern Wyoming. If you travel between Pinedale, Wyoming and
    Jackson, you will see overpasses for the antelope, because they
    don't like to go through a culvert. You will see underpasses
    under the roads for deer, because they don't want to go over.
        I think we have done a really good job, especially along
    that particular migration corridor, of addressing these issues.
    That has meant working with the National Parks Service, U.S.
    Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, State and private
    lands. Identifying and maintaining these corridors really takes
    collaboration among all stakeholders, and that has got to be
    even more difficult in California with your big populations.
        That is why I am so pleased we will be able to hear today
    from Richard King. Richard, thank you so much for coming.
    Richard is the Chief Game Warden and Chief of Wildlife Division
    at the Wyoming Department of Game and Fish.
        Mr. King has worked at the Wyoming Game and Fish for 21
    plus years, and his expertise in on-the-ground wildlife
    management will enhance today's conversation, because he has
    worked directly on the issues that I just discussed.
        In 2018, then Secretary Ryan Zinke over at the Department
    of the Interior signed Secretary Order 3362, which directs
    Interior's agencies to work with western States to enhance and
    improve the quality of migration corridors. The order
    rightfully keeps States in the driver's seat, as States have
    primacy over their wildlife. It also calls for the respect of
    private property rights, ensuring the continuation of a
    voluntary-based program.
        That is how I believe it should be done. I used to be
    involved with the Western Governors' Association. These issues
    come up at WGA a lot. California is a member of the Western
    Governors' Association, so we work with all the western States
    on some of these issues.
        Wyoming continues to lead the way in collaborating with
    Federal land managers, private land owners, and other
    stakeholders to complete important habitat conservation work in
    a voluntary, incentive-based manner. In 2020, Wyoming Governor
    Mark Gordon signed the Wyoming Mule Deer and Antelope Migration
    Corridor Protection Executive Order. This order, in conjunction
    with the Wyoming Game and Fish Commission's hard work,
    implements a designation process for migration corridors with
    public input and the best available science.
        I am proud of the Wyoming model, which relies on
    collaboration rather than coercion to benefit our State's big
    game species. We must continue to recognize the leadership role
    played by States while also respecting the rights of private
    landowners. As you said, Chairman Padilla, providing some
    funding through the Highway Bill, especially for States that
    have tremendous issues with regard to collisions between
    wildlife and vehicles is also an important part of this.
        Thanks again to our witnesses. I look forward to hearing
    your opening statements and our discussions afterwards.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you.
        Now, I would like to turn to our witnesses. I will
    introduce them, and they will proceed with their testimony.
        First, I am proud to introduce Chuck Bonham, who serves as
    Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
    California's habitat and wildlife diversity is unequaled by any
    other State, so Chuck's testimony and knowledge will be
    invaluable to us as we consider how to improve connectivity.
        Second, we will hear from Madeleine West, who serves as
    Director of the Center for Public Lands at the Theodore
    Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, having previously worked
    for the Western Governors' Association. Madeleine has spent a
    lot of time working closely with State wildlife agencies,
    hunting and fishing organizations, and private landowners on
    wildlife migration.
        Third, we will hear from Richard King, who, as you just
    heard, serves as Chief Game Warden at the Wyoming Game and Fish
    Department. He has served at the Department for an impressive
    25 years, and I am glad to have Mr. King with us today, given
    Wyoming's strong leadership in protecting migration and
    advancing partnerships.
        Senator Lummis. You know, Mr. Padilla, he is our Joe
    Pickett. Do you know who Joe Pickett is?
        Senator Padilla. Remind me.
        Senator Lummis. C.J. Box, who is an author from Wyoming,
    who has written numerous books about a game warden by the name
    of Joe Pickett, and it is a series of books about a Wyoming
    game warden, and he is a nationally acclaimed author. I will
    give you a copy of one of his books. Anyway, Richard is
    Wyoming's Joe Pickett.
        Senator Padilla. Very good.
        Senator Lummis. Without the flaws.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Padilla. So that is just building suspense for his
    testimony.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Padilla. We will begin with Mr. Bonham.

         STATEMENT OF CHARLTON H. BONHAM, DIRECTOR, CALIFORNIA
                    DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

        Mr. Bonham. Thank you, Chair, Ranking Member, Senator. My
    name is Chuck Bonham, and I am the Director of the California
    Department of Fish and Wildlife, which I think is the greatest
    job in the world.
        I boiled my testimony down to two words today. The first is
    connectivity, which is the underpinning of nature. All of life
    needs connection. As people, we need it, like our social
    connections in a chaotic world. Nature needs it too, but across
    the United States, we face a challenge where wildlife is losing
    the ability to migrate.
        From our largest animals, bears and lions, down to our
    smallest and everything in between, the reality is, all
    wildlife needs the ability to move: small mammals, birds,
    amphibians, invertebrates, plants, and reptiles. In California,
    we have 60 species of reptiles and amphibians, like the Mohave
    desert tortoise, the Arroyo toad, they need the freedom to
    move.
        That idea of freedom of movement applies to our fish, as
    well, iconic salmon and steelhead swimming upstream, running
    through culverts, bumping into barriers. Connectivity gives
    them the freedom to roam and produces benefits: gene flow,
    seasonal migration, pollination, foraging.
        In a scrambled world because of climate disruption, animals
    and plants face three basic choices. They can adapt, they die,
    or they can move. We, as people, have the opportunity to give
    them that movement through our decisions. Make no mistake, one
    huge cause of wildlife mortality is vehicle collisions. This is
    a glaring people problem, too, yet smart investments in our
    infrastructure can solve this problem.
        Then my second word for today: fixable. This is a fixable
    problem, underscore fixable. The data speaks for itself. You do
    a corridor project, pick a State, Oregon, Wyoming. After the
    project, the collision rates drop dramatically, 80 to 90
    percent. Our department in California has learned from other
    States.
        Mr. King in Wyoming was one of the first to forge an
    alliance between their game department and transportation.
    Arizona is doing innovative work on this. The same thing is
    happening on the Federal front, where recently, the Association
    of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, along with the Native American
    Fish and Wildlife Society and entities in Wyoming hosted
    convenings to talk about doing these projects with tribal
    rights in mind and landowner property rights in mind. It is
    doable; it is fixable.
        Your leadership has ensured the Bipartisan Infrastructure
    Law is providing $350 million annually through the Wildlife
    Crossings Pilot Program. In California, we are matching that
    investment and exceeding it. Just my little old department, one
    State department, is spending $90 million in the last 2 years
    to design and build crossings and fix fish barriers.
        When you factor in our transportation agency Caltrans, that
    number jumps exponentially in the investments we are making in
    California. We have gotten new laws that requires to inventory
    the corridor problems across our State highway system and
    create market incentives, where my department, through
    permitting, can grant to a developer or transportation agency,
    a mitigation credit when they include a corridor in their
    development. That is true voluntary, market-based resolution of
    a long-running problem.
        We see examples on the ground from Los Angelos, as the
    Senator mentioned in his opening remarks, to Riverside County,
    way up into the Redwood Forest, back down in the Mohave Desert,
    along the coastal zone near San Diego. These are projects that
    pop out as things people care about and want dealt with and is
    fixable.
        California is like other place. We have unrivaled diversity
    in every way: our people, our economy, and our wildlife. We
    actually have more types of animals and plants in California
    than any other State. Sadly, though, we also face the highest
    rate of imperiled species compared to all the other United
    States. A reason is the lack of freedom to roam: connectivity,
    my first word. My second word, it is fixable, we just to take
    these kinds of lessons to heart. We need to allocate the time,
    the energy, secure the funding, harness our people power, put
    our creativity on collaboration, the utilization of
    partnerships for science, for mapping, for engineering, design
    and permitting.
        These projects allow us to future-proof California, other
    places in the west, so the angler can know salmon in the river,
    the hunter can know bighorn sheep, and our people can know more
    mountain lions wandering under the Hollywood sign in
    California.
        Thank you for your time. I look forward to questions.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Bonham follows:]

    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Padilla. Thank you.
        Ms. West.

    STATEMENT OF MADELEINE WEST, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR PUBLIC LANDS,
              THEODORE ROOSEVELT CONSERVATION PARTNERSHIP

        Ms. West. Good afternoon, Chairman Padilla, Ranking Member
    Lummis, members of the subcommittee. I am Madeleine West,
    Director of the Center for Public Lands at the Theodore
    Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.
        Our mission is to ensure all Americans have quality places
    to hunt and fish. We work with partners to develop and advance
    policies at the State and Federal level that benefit fish and
    wildlife habitat. Wildlife corridor conservation is therefore
    core to our mission. Collaborative efforts to study how, why,
    and where a variety of wildlife species move and migrate are
    underway in many parts of the Country. My testimony focuses
    largely on big game species in the west, as that is where the
    majority of our work has been focused.
        Across the west, herds of elk, mule deer, pronghorn, big
    horn sheep, moose, and bison make seasonal movements year after
    year from their summer ranges to their winter ranges and back
    again. Healthy, robust big game herds contribute to a way of
    life for many in the west, and they contribute to a $454
    billion national outdoor recreation economy, particularly in
    rural communities, often close to public land utilized for
    hunting and other forms of recreation, but it is not only about
    economics.
        Big game species directly contribute to a critical
    ecological food chain by serving as prey for apex predators
    like mountain lions and bears, and habitat utilized by big game
    is also habitat that supports a diverse suite of species, such
    as waterfowl, riparian and aquatic species, even pollinators.
    By making sure those habitats are conserved and connected, we
    give a multitude of species greater ability to adapt and be
    resilient to the effects of prolonged drought, harsher winter
    climates, and a cycle of invasive annual weeds and wildfire
    that we so often see in my part of the Country.
        It is because of these broad ecological benefits that
    support for the conservation of big game migration corridors
    has persisted across three Presidential administrations
    continues to earn support from a bipartisan collection of
    western Governors. Back in 2008, the Western Governors'
    Association, with leadership from the State of Wyoming in
    particular, commenced a multi-year effort that brought together
    State, Federal, and tribal agencies, private landowners,
    industries, and nongovernmental organizations for the purpose
    of prioritizing the conservation of wildlife corridors.
        At that time, the Obama administration provided resources
    to the States to support this locally driven, bottom up
    approach. Then, as Senator Lummis noted, in 2018, the Trump
    Administration doubled down on this work with the signing of
    the Department of the Interior's Secretarial Order 3362 that
    focused on three distinct big game species and 11 of the
    western States. The order created several programs that provide
    grant funding and added capacity to State agencies, landowner
    organization, and NGO's for research and conservation projects.
        Then, after the Biden Administration began, the Department
    of the Interior explicitly embraced the Secretarial Order,
    consistently included this issue in their early priorities,
    actively continued to implement programs and support funding,
    and expanded those programs to Tribal governments and private
    landowners.
        Today, current programs focused on big game in the west
    garner broad support and offer a model for how the Federal
    Government can support State and tribal-led wildlife corridor
    conservation efforts more broadly across the Country. We
    believe this work should persist over time and be effectively
    scaled up to include additional wildlife species and
    geographies.
        Demand for each of these programs is high, with requests
    far exceeding available funding levels, yet these programs are
    discretionary and funding levels are sourced from reprogrammed
    funds, making them unreliable and inconsistent. Dedicated and
    consistent Federal funding would be very valuable.
        Importantly, it is critical that coordination between
    Federal, State, and Tribal agencies, as well as private
    landowners, and hunting, fishing, and conservation
    organizations continue and be fostered.
        In closing, we stand ready to work with Congress to advance
    this issue. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I look forward
    to answering questions.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. West follows:]
        [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Padilla. Thank you.
        Mr. King.

         STATEMENT OF RICHARD KING, CHIEF GAME WARDEN, WYOMING
                      DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME

        Mr. King. Good afternoon, Chairman Padilla, Ranking Member
    Lummis, and members of the committee. My name is Richard King,
    aka Joe Pickett, and I am Chief Game Warden with Wyoming Game
    and Fish Department.
        Each summer, millions of people visit Wyoming's portion of
    the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, making stops Grand Teton and
    Yellowstone National Park. These visitors are blessed with the
    opportunity to see a rich diversity of native wildlife on their
    summer ranges and can observe mule deer and prong horned does
    with newborn fawns and cow elk with their less-than-graceful
    calves among a backdrop of the snow-covered Teton Range. These
    does and cows capitalize on lush, protein-rich foods that this
    high country environment delivers, and in turn, provides the
    nourishment their offspring need to grow quickly.
        As quickly as the green wave hits this high country
    environment, winter returns, bringing snow and cold
    temperatures in a challenging environment, triggered by
    increasing snow and decreasing temperatures, migratory big game
    begin to move out along routes learned over generations. These
    routes will take them to lower elevation winter ranges, where
    forage is abatable on south-facing slopes and wind-swept
    ridges, although their odds of survival are largely determined
    by the fat stores they bring with them from their summer
    buffet.
        Along their routes to winter ranges, they will make short
    stops to rest in areas of high-quality habitat. These stopover
    areas may be relatively small and used only for a short
    duration, but are weighted heavily in the equation of survival.
    Some of the mule deer observed in Grand Teton in July will
    migrate through the private land of a fourth-generation dry
    land farmer in Teton County, Idaho. Some will migrate to the
    2.2 million acre Wind River Reservation, where tribal wildlife
    managers welcome the return and oversee the well-being of this
    natural resource, just as their ancestors have for thousands of
    years. Some of the deer will move through Yellowstone National
    Park, the Shoshone National Forest and eventually find winter
    refuge on many small parcels of private property, just outside
    of the fast-growing community of Cody, Wyoming.
        Regardless of their final destination, migrating deer will
    cross highways and other roads with rapidly increasing traffic
    volumes, exposing people to greater and greater risk of a
    collision.
        In Wyoming, our biologists, working closely with scientist
    at the University of Wyoming and elsewhere have entered the era
    of big data, and we can now describe the routes used by
    migratory wildlife in detail. This ability to trace these
    movements allows us to visualize the importance of State,
    Federal, tribal, and private land. The intact migrations we
    observe in Wyoming today reflect the habitat stewardship that
    has occurred and continues to occur on these lands.
        Former Governor Mike Sullivan described Wyoming as a small
    town with unusually long roads. I would add that Wyoming is a
    small town with unusually long migrations, and Wyoming's
    approach to policy starts with the recognition that our strong
    sense of community shapes the way we work together. Governor
    Mark Gordon's Migration Corridor Executive Order, which
    supports conservation of migration habitat while recognizing
    private landowner rights and multiple use opportunities, was
    created after carefully listening to and incorporating the
    ideas of private landowners, industry partners, including oil
    and gas producers, and scientists who have devoted their
    intellect to the study of animal movement.
        Nearly a century ago, Aldo Leopold observed that
    conservation will ultimately boil down to rewarding the private
    landowner, who conserves the public interest. Wyoming is
    finding abundant opportunities to team up with private
    landowners whose working lands provide a critical linkage in
    the migration chain. Through our partnership with the USDA, for
    example, we know that voluntary, incentive-based programs with
    built in flexibility and agility to meet individual landowners
    needs is paramount.
        The intact landscapes that support migration provide
    important ecological functions and benefit a wide diversity of
    wildlife, from predators to pollinators. The management
    abundance and quality of our wildlife resources are deeply
    intertwined with important components of the State's economy,
    including agriculture and tourism.
        The study of animal migrations in Wyoming allows us to
    prioritize conservation efforts and highlights the need to
    focus our attention on working lands. These working lands are
    integral in maintaining landscapes where animals can move
    freely between important habitats, and landowners in Wyoming
    are eager to help conserve the ecological functions their lands
    provide. Conservation opportunities on working lands require
    strong relationships, and State and Federal and private
    resources applied in a flexible and agile manner.
        I greatly appreciate your interest in wildlife conservation
    and the opportunity to share some of Wyoming's experience with
    you. Thank you, and I look forward to our discussion.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. King follows:]
       [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Padilla. Thank you very much. Thank all three of
    you for your testimony.
        We will now turn to questions. Before I begin, I just want
    to thank Senator Ricketts for being here, and we have also been
    joined by Senator Boozman for this worthwhile conversation.
        As we begin questions, I want to start with one relative to
    public opinion as it relates to wildlife and wildlife
    migrations. Polling has shown that an overwhelming majority of
    Republicans, Democrats, and Independents support restoring or
    preserving wildlife habitat connectivity and migration
    corridors.
        First, Director Bonham, are you seeing that level of
    support in California?
        Mr. Bonham. Absolutely, and the reason is pretty simple.
    People get it. The experience people have with our wildlife
    ranges, but they all intuitively connect with this idea of
    connectivity.
        I see it in three ways, as examples. The photo that you had
    behind you of P-22, the mountain lion, that lion was in the
    middle of Los Angeles. An apex predator in one of the largest
    cities in the world, stuck in an island surrounded by roads,
    that animal could look across 10 lanes of highway and see other
    mountain lions, but they cannot connect. As a result, the
    population that is stranded in the Santa Monica Mountains is
    breeding out to extirpation.
        As a result of his death, and I am the individual that made
    the hard decision to euthanize that animal, a movement has
    emerged. Citizens like Beth Pratt, foundations like the Wallis
    Annenberg Foundation, 3,000 people who donated to the cause,
    and now we will have a crossing over 10 lanes of highway,
    300,000 people travel that daily, but there are different
    examples.
        In 2022, our department sold almost two million licenses
    for hunting and fishing. I am a fly fisherman. I have been to
    your great State, Ranking Member, for that passion. You stand
    in a river; you know a salmon and a trout need connectivity.
        If you are a hunter, and you hunt big game, you know desert
    bighorn sheep need broad landscapes that they can move around
    for their survival. Whether you are a hunter or an angler or a
    Hollywood celebrity, you know what freedom to roam means, and
    that is why it is, I would say, a nonpartisan issue in my
    experience in California.
        Senator Padilla. Mr. King, a followup question: can you
    speak to the support for Wyoming's habitat connectivity efforts
    and why these methods might be so broadly supported?
        Mr. King. Absolutely, thank you for the question. In
    Wyoming, we do enjoy broad support for preserving migration
    corridors and the work we are doing to ensure safe passage
    across highways and roadways in Wyoming. It is really easy to
    get behind conserving wildlife.
        Wyoming's wildlife is important to the people that live
    there. It is also important to the millions of people that
    visit every year, and it is easy to get behind those actions
    that help safe passage of people along our roads and highways.
    It is definitely a win-win situation.
        I would just highlight the work of our State's first
    overpass for pronghorns that was built in 2012 that was
    mentioned already. That was a fantastic project where pronghorn
    that have been crossing there for thousands of years were able
    to continue to do so, and yet the safety for folks traveling on
    that highway has been increased significantly. The support is
    definitely there.
        Senator Padilla. Finally, Ms. West, based on your work and
    research, why do you believe there is such strong bipartisan
    support for this issue, and why is it important to TRCP?
        Ms. West. Thank you, Senator. I can sit here and say that
    this is the top conservation issue for hunting and fishing
    organizations and conservation issues broadly right now,
    because abundant wildlife populations of big game species and
    small game species, even, like waterfowl, are important to the
    TRCP and our partners and the 14 million hunters in this
    Country, but it is more than just animals that you can hunt.
        Many non-hunted species benefit from high quality habitat,
    healthy habitat, connected habitat, indirectly. The work that
    has been done for big game in indirectly supporting other
    species, and that is why so many non-hunting conservation
    organizations have supported this work over the years.
        That is why this work is relevant to the 148 million people
    who enjoy wildlife watching in this Country. A new report from
    the Fish and Wildlife Service recently came out with numbers
    from 2021, and 148 million people enjoy watching wildlife in
    the Country, so it is an easy issue for the American public to
    get behind.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you. I will now recognize Senator
    Lummis and ask her to chair in my absence for a few minutes
    while I run over the Rules Committee and back.
        Senator Lummis.
        [Presiding.] Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        When I turn it over to you, Senator Ricketts, I hope you
    will talk a little bit about your work as Governor and member
    of the Western Governors' Association on these issues at WGA,
    but before that, I want to ask a couple of questions.
        Mr. King, I know last week, you were involved in a meeting
    on these subjects. Department of Interior was there, USDA,
    conservation community. Could you describe what you heard from
    those who are working so hard on this issue?
        Mr. King. Thank you for the question. Last week in Jackson
    was a great opportunity for folks that are working hard on the
    ground to preserve wildlife migrations. They were able to get
    together in this forum that was put together by the Greater
    Yellowstone Coordinating Committee.
        One of the first things I observed was just how important
    that forum is. It was really important to get folks together
    who are on the ground trying to do this work. The value of that
    forum was invaluable. I heard a lot about the importance of
    private lands, and I wanted to stress that point today.
        Private lands are very important in a State like Wyoming
    where half the State is privately owned. Our partnerships with
    private lands is absolutely critical, and I heard the
    practitioners at last week's meeting stress that point.
        I also heard that time is of the essence. The west is
    changing rapidly, and we need to respond rapidly. The
    opportunities are there right now. I heard that government
    leaders need to work closely together, so there is a lot of
    great work going on amongst different departments and different
    agencies. The more often that they can come together and
    support one another's efforts, the better off wildlife will be.
        I heard the importance of things like conservation
    easements and other tools that are being put on the ground. I
    heard a lot from nongovernmental organizations who are really
    working hard to raise funds and to help in this effort. What I
    heard from them is that they need things to move more quickly,
    and they need speed and agility in the programs that they are
    trying to put forth for wildlife conservation.
        Last, I heard just how powerful Secretarial Order 3362 has
    been in providing funding and support for Wyoming's efforts and
    other States, as well. Again, it was a wonderful format. I
    appreciate it. Thank you.
        Senator Lummis. So, could you go into a little more detail
    about Secretarial Order 3362 and how that affected what Wyoming
    is already doing?
        Mr. King. Yes, thank you. Secretarial Order 3362 really
    was, first off, it was designed well. It was designed with
    input from States and other agencies and entities. It has
    provided us an opportunity to really maximize the great work
    that Wyoming has been doing for a long time. It has provided
    directed funding to efforts like fence conversions, where we
    are able to convert hundreds of miles of fence into wildlife-
    friendly fences that allow for passage and migration. It has
    allowed us to address cheatgrass concerns, for example, which
    is really a plague in our State right now.
        Senator Lummis. It is.
        Mr. King. Secretarial Order 3362 really has complemented
    Wyoming's work. It is the right approach for us. Our State-
    based action plans are driven by efforts that are already
    underway in the States, and we really appreciate the help and
    support that is provided.
        Senator Lummis. Thank you. Ms. West, can you speak to how
    TRCP works with State wildlife agencies and private landowners?
    Before you answer, I want to put in a plug for the Partnership
    of Rangeland Trusts. These trusts are, I think, another way to
    really plug in to what is the West's most significant
    conservation easement organization, the groups involving
    California, the Montana Land Reliance, the Wyoming Stock
    Growers Land Trust, Colorado Cattlemen's Land Trust, Kansas, I
    don't know if Nebraska is involved in this, but those land
    trusts, I think, can be a good partner in these efforts, as
    well.
        That said, Ms. West, I am interested in your response.
        Ms. West. Thank you, Senator. We work closely with State
    wildlife agencies in the western States, as well as private
    landowner and landowner organizations, like Wyoming Stock
    Growers. This work is only happening because of the work that
    State wildlife agencies and private landowners are doing on the
    ground.
        We are not an on-the-ground conservation organization. We
    do not hold conservation easements. We are not a land trust. We
    are a policy organization, and so we look at how we can add
    capacity and support for the priorities that States and private
    landowners have. In the context of wildlife migration
    corridors, when the States have shown leadership around this
    work, we have been working actively to make sure that support
    for Secretarial Order 3362 continued when the Biden
    Administration came in that the funding for the several
    programs that have really been funneling money to States for
    research and data collection and added capacity for
    conservation projects continues and grows.
        We have been working to make sure that those programs are
    eligible for private landowners, like the grant program
    administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation,
    which funds not only State wildlife agencies and Tribal
    wildlife agencies, but also private landowner groups and NGO's
    doing conservation work, like land trusts. We have been
    supportive of USDA expanding their work in this area into a
    private land pilot program in Wyoming, and now also Montana and
    Idaho.
        I am here today just to talk about the wild success of
    these programs to date in supporting State and private
    landowners and acknowledge that with additional funding, more
    benefit could be happening.
        Senator Lummis. I have encouraged the USDA and will
    continue to do so. If they are going to involve themselves to
    actually help land trusts, they have to be more permissive.
    Their restrictions make landowners not want to participate, and
    that just dries up tremendous opportunities for conservation.
        I have a question for you as well, Mr. Bonham, but my time
    has expired, so I will come back to you in round two. The floor
    is now with Mr. Ricketts.
        Senator Ricketts. Great, thank you very much, Ranking
    Member Lummis. I also want to thank the Chairman as well for
    having this important hearing. Thank you to our witnesses for
    coming to describe your experiences with wildlife management.
        In Nebraska, we have a number of wildlife species that are
    migratory, and in fact, we have that central flyway migratory
    corridor that goes through our State that includes the
    migration of the sandhill crane. The sandhill cranes have been
    coming through Nebraska for millions of years. About a million
    of them come to Nebraska and land in the Platte River Valley.
    That is about 80 percent of the world's population of sandhill
    crane.
        As Governor, I actually named the sandhill crane as our
    State migratory bird. Actually, we talked a little bit about
    some of the risks to people when you have wildlife crossing
    streets and there are car accidents.
        Ms. West, you talked about some of the economic upsides,
    but tourism is another one that doesn't involve hunting as we
    get thousands of tourists to come in and watch those
    migrations. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It
    is actually a really fantastic thing to see. I was also
    encouraged to hear you all talk about the need to have
    cooperation with the Federal, State, local, NGO's, also, but
    speaking with private landowners, because that is necessary
    that we have a Federal land policy that includes all that.
        In Nebraska, 97 percent of the State is privately owned. I
    often say our farmers and ranchers are the original
    conservationists because they wanted to pass on their family
    farm or ranch to the next generation. We have to have Federal
    land policy that includes collaborative cooperation in
    collusion with those private landowners to be successful. I
    have been concerned about some of the Federal programs that
    have really gone beyond that and have presented overreach.
        Maybe Ms. West, you can start us off, just talk a little
    bit about how can private landowners be engaged and
    incentivized to participate in these migratory corridor
    programs?
        Ms. West. Thank you, Senator. First of all, seeing the
    sandhill cranes in Nebraska is definitely on my bucket list.
    They are nice in Colorado, but not as good as in Nebraska, so I
    have been told.
        Some of the best wildlife habitat and corridor habitat is
    on private land in this Country because private landowners have
    done so much proactive, voluntary conservation work on their
    own to have outstanding habitat quality. The programs in place
    now, the discretionary programs started under Secretarial Order
    3362, offer a number of avenues for voluntary private
    landowner-driven research and funding and conservation
    opportunity.
        The program administered by the National Fish and Wildlife
    Foundation that I mentioned, their Big Game Migration Corridor
    Program, has funded, I will get you the actual number, but
    somewhere in the realm of 170 different projects on private
    land for conservation. That is one opportunity available to
    private landowners, is to apply to that competitive grant
    program.
        Also, a discretionary program at the Fish and Wildlife
    Service is their Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, which
    has a long history of working with voluntary private landowner
    incentives to fund conservation projects. They have received
    about $3 million since the Secretarial Order was signed five
    and a half years ago. That is another opportunity. The USDA
    pilot program that we have been talking about is an opportunity
    for private landowners to access a variety of existing Farm
    Bill programs that have eligibility specifically if you are in
    good quality or marginal quality migratory habitat for big game
    and want to access those programs.
        Senator Ricketts. Thank you, Ms. West.
        Mr. King, talk to me a little bit about with your corridor
    program, a couple things: how has the State had an opportunity
    to participate with the Federal Government and private
    landowners on this, and what do you do when you have
    conflicting priorities with a land corridor and private
    property use? How have you handled some of those priorities and
    the differences and conflicts and resolved them?
        Mr. King. Senator, thank you for that question. Wyoming has
    been very fortunate in that we have tremendous landowner
    support. We have landowners whose property, they recognize the
    value of the ecological functions that they provide on their
    property. We have been able to partner closely with them.
        Some of our leadership was recognized early on. For
    example, the USDA came to us and offered up the opportunity to
    create a pilot program wherein the power of USDA programs could
    be well-matched with what the State was already doing. That
    pilot program has been proven to be tremendously successful. I
    think some of the things that we have learned from that is that
    those programs need to be adaptable and agile and be
    implemented quickly to benefit landowners.
        The second part of your question, I am sorry, was?
        Senator Ricketts. Just about how you, if you have competing
    interests for a land corridor versus private property use, how
    do you resolve some of those?
        Mr. King. You bet. As I mentioned in my testimony, in
    Wyoming, we have found that it is really important that our
    boots on the ground folks are working closely with all entities
    that are involved.
        What we have found that works best is that when folks come
    together, they first identify the common need or theme that
    they are focused on addressing, and then we can find creative
    solutions to make sure that all stakeholder needs can be met. I
    think that the development of our Governor's executive order,
    for example, is a great example.
        We talked to all the people that might be impacted and
    affected by that order and developed a framework that could
    work for everybody. At the end of the day, what is most
    important is to make sure that we are talking to one another
    and hearing each other's concerns and then putting our creative
    thoughts together.
        Senator Ricketts. It sounds like a lot of upfront work and
    upfront communication.
        Mr. King. Absolutely.
        Senator Ricketts. Right. Thank you very much.
        Mr. King. Thank you.
        Senator Ricketts. I yield back.
        Senator Lummis. Mr. Boozman.
        Senator Boozman. Well, thank you very much for being here.
    Thank you, Senator Lummis, for all of your work in this area. I
    know that you are a leader and doing a tremendous job.
        While most of the discussion today has been focused on
    western issues and big game, I wanted to bring up a topic that
    is important to both of us, and that is that there are a lot of
    similarities between the Central Valley of California and the
    Arkansas Delta and Grand Prairie with our bird migratory
    corridors.
        I am referring to you, Mr. Bonham. Can you discuss the
    important of collaboration between the agriculture industry,
    State wildlife agencies, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on
    water supply and management capability issues?
        Mr. Bonham. I can, Senator, thank you for the question.
    W.H. Auden wrote that thousands have lived without love, but
    not one without water. That is true for the conflict we often
    see in California's Central Valley, which was Senator Ricketts'
    question. I have found, if you sit at the table long enough,
    and you put in the sweat equity talking about issues, there is
    a way to find balance.
        The balance we are pursuing in the Central Valley is a
    combination of things. Our species that migrate in our rivers
    need water, but they also need habitat restoration. There is
    strong common ground between the agricultural sector and my
    department and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to do actual
    hands-on restoration projects. Plant trees, improve riparian
    corridors, restore floodplain habitat access for salmon, and
    also encourage agricultural communities to engage on voluntary
    redistribution of water that maximizes the time of year.
        Voluntary agreements that incentivize habitat restoration
    as a package through discussion and collaboration produces a
    much more durable result, more regularly sometimes than the
    regulator can do through the power of its authorities. I say
    that as a regulator at the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
        Senator Boozman. Very good. I am a member of the Migratory
    Bird Conservation Commission, and they do a tremendous job
    preserving America's waterfowl for future generations, and that
    is something I know that we are all very passionate about. At
    the turn of the 20th century, over-hunting, neglect for
    wetlands, the list goes on and on, really decimated the U.S.
    waterfowl populations.
        The Migratory Bird Commission was created in 1929 and has
    been a tremendous success. It has surely been successful due to
    effective cooperation between State and local governments and
    the Federal Government. How do we take some of the other
    programs or create new programs that build on that model? You
    can all jump in and just kind of, again, it is a good model.
    They have been very, very successful.
        Mr. Bonham. If I might, Senator, I think the Secretarial
    Order 3362, which has been raised several times, is a perfect
    example of federalism. It happened here in Washington, but out
    at the State level, it is our State agency, Mr. King's State
    agency, that has the data, that has the relationships, that has
    the staff that sit on the back of the tailgate, shooting the
    breeze at the end of the day, trying to figure out solutions.
        When you combine what is going on at our agencies at the
    State level with guidance and policy direction from above, you
    integrate funding sources, and you really incentivize
    partnerships, you can fix the problem. That is playing out in
    this wildlife corridor space. I think it is the integration of
    the local knowledge, the State data and science, the guidance
    from D.C., a soft touch, not too much of a hard touch, and an
    infusion of investment where everyone is matching funds, public
    and private, and we are doing projects.
        Senator Boozman. Very good.
        Ms. West. Thank you, Senator. I concur with Mr. Bonham.
        I will just add, there are a number of regional and locally
    driven organizations working, like the Migratory Bird
    Commission. There are a series of joint ventures supported by
    the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but really, that bring
    together State and NGO and landowner organizations in that
    region to address the issues to migratory birds in that
    specific region and come up with solutions.
        When it comes to migratory bird corridor conservation,
    migratory birds are very similar to big game. They need to
    travel from their summer ranges long distances down to their
    winter ranges, and they need places to stop along the way.
    There has been a significant amount of data collected about
    migratory birds and waterfowl, but not to the same extent as
    there has been for some terrestrial species.
        If the existing Secretarial Order programs and the funding
    that they catalyze and the capacity that they have brought to
    organizations to do research and mapping was expanded to
    include birds, I think that would go a long way to helping our
    understanding for what they need to really thrive into the
    future.
        Senator Boozman. Very good. One of the things that you all
    can help me with is that you mentioned, Mr. Bonham, the
    importance of water. I think we all agree with that. In fact,
    if you look at what is asked for regarding conservation from
    the USDA programs, when you get out west, 60 percent have to do
    with water. I want to preserve that and make sure that in the
    next Farm Bill that we have the ability to continue on, carbon
    sequestration, all of those things are so important, the
    different deals, but water is a big deal.
        Again, it depends, so much of the Farm Bill is regionality,
    different regions, you can't do a one-size-fits-all, so I need
    your help regarding that. The other thing that I need your help
    on--will you not yell at me if I ask more?
        Senator Lummis. You go right ahead. Mr. Boozman, of course,
    is the Ranking Republican on the Senate Ag Committee. He has
    been working for the last year on this 5-year Farm Bill.
        In about an hour, the U.S. House will be voting on a
    continuing resolution that will include, as I understand it, an
    extension of the Farm Bill, so Senator Boozman can continue
    with his good work. I want to thank you so much for your
    outstanding work on the Farm Bill and wish you well. With that,
    you may proceed.
        Senator Boozman. I appreciate it. Again, nobody is more of
    a champion than you. We had the opportunity to be in Wyoming
    and had a great visit. It was very, very successful.
        The only thing that I wanted to say, also, that I think is
    so important, when we look at the USDA programs, and this isn't
    about the people or whatever, they do an excellent job. We make
    these things way too complex. The grant process, it shouldn't
    be that if you are interested, that you have to get a grant
    writer to do it.
        By the time you get it done, it takes forever, and then
    once it is actually received and said you are good to go, it
    might take 2 years before it is implemented. That is an area
    that, again, these are low-hanging fruit that we need to work
    together to make these programs more successful and I think are
    really important.
        Mr. Bonham. Senator, if I might, I 100 percent agree. I
    come to my position from the private sector. I have been at it
    12 years, so I can't use this excuse much longer. We make it
    too complicated for those that are entering our pathways, and
    this is showing up in wildlife corridors as well.
        At the end of the day, when you build a crossing, it is a
    construction project. You have to deal with procurement,
    design, build, and contracting, and we could save a ton of time
    through efficiencies just in the management of projects. That
    translates, as well, into the farm world, as you know. Thank
    you for your leadership on the Farm Bill. We are confident that
    the tools in that bill, like easements, will help us both in
    the water space and in the wildlife corridor space.
        Senator Boozman. Thank you, Senator Lummis.
        Senator Lummis. Thank you, again, for your work on the Farm
    Bill and on these issues.
        Senator Boozman. Thank you. We appreciate all of you today,
    very, very much.
        Senator Lummis. Senator Sullivan.
        Senator Sullivan. Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to thank
    the witnesses for being here. I am somebody who is an avid
    outdoorsman; I was the former Commissioner of the Alaska
    Department of Natural Resources, and I support proactive
    approaches to conserve wildlife while keeping public lands open
    to all, Alaskans and Americans, and managed for multiple uses,
    but in my State, too often, we have outside groups who come up
    and tell everybody how we should be running our State.
        They especially tell the Native people in Alaska how to run
    their lives. We call those groups eco-colonialists. I hope
    there are no eco-colonialists here, because it is kind of
    people with power come up from the lower 48, condescendingly
    telling Alaska Natives who have been living there for tens of
    thousands of years what is good for them, a lot of eco-
    colonialists. There are a lot of eco-colonialists in the Biden
    Administration. The pick and choose approach to consultation is
    just remarkable to me, particularly, again, as it relates to
    Native people.
        Ms. West, I want to describe to you that the following
    Federal processes as coordinated efforts between Federal,
    State, and Tribal agencies, private landowners, and other
    organizations, as you State, are needed in your testimony.
    Assume a hypothetical, one that included no outreach or
    consultation to any federally recognized Tribes, despite this
    being required by law, so that is kind of category A.
        The other, category B, included 36,000 public comments, 50
    letters to federally recognized Tribes, 30 public hearings, and
    30 consultation meetings. Which one of those pursuant to your
    testimony would you think is the better approach, with regard
    to just Federal management, but also respecting Alaska Native
    people? Do you have a sense? It is a pretty easy question.
        Ms. West. Senator, in your hypothetical scenarios, I would
    pick option B.
        Senator Sullivan. B, good. That is a good answer. I think
    every American would.
        The person who doesn't, though, is Secretary Haaland, so
    what I just described was Secretary Haaland's outreach, lack of
    outreach, to any Alaska Native groups on their ANWR and NPRA
    proposed new regulations, none, zero. This is the
    Administration that overturns all of the Trump records of
    decisions in Alaska based on no consultation, and then they
    don't consult. The hypocrisy is just unbelievable.
        The second example, B, that you liked, that was the Trump
    Administration's approach to the Ambler Road. Again, the
    ironies here are just incredible.
        Let me just open it up to all of you, Mr. King, Ms. West,
    Mr. Bonham, can you explain from your perspective how it is
    important to do consultations? Again, this Administration, they
    talk environmental justice, they talk racial equity, but they
    have a giant asterisk.
        If it is for Alaska Natives, they don't get any justice, no
    racial equity. Why? Because a lot of those groups want to have
    resource development and want to build roads, want to develop
    their economy. The Biden Administration is like, hell no. Hell,
    no.
        What do you think about consulting, especially with
    federally recognized Tribes, but other stakeholders and how
    important that is in the process that is all about the core
    element of this hearing, which is improving migration
    corridors? I will take it from any of you.
        Mr. King, do you want to start?
        Mr. King. Senator, thank you for that opportunity. I would
    highlight this chart and graph that we brought. This highlights
    some elk migrations out of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
    That ribbon graph at the bottom demonstrates how they move in
    and out of so many different land jurisdictions during their
    seasonal migrations. I think it just highlights the point you
    are making, that there are a lot of folks involved in
    conserving wildlife in the States.
        Senator Sullivan. Yes.
        Mr. King. As we look to conserve wildlife, you can't just
    focus on one aspect. You can't just focus on Federal lands; you
    can't just focus on State lands. You have to incorporate the
    entire ecosystem. That requires a lot of outreach and a lot of
    boots on the ground and a lot of conversations, and looking for
    those ways where we can put creative solutions into action.
        We won't find those creative solutions unless we are
    sitting at the table, talking face to face. We have seen in
    Wyoming that is absolutely critical to getting work done, is
    just sitting down with folks, finding out the common themes,
    common threads, and then being creative about the best
    solutions for everybody.
        Senator Sullivan. Great. Go ahead.
        Mr. Bonham. Senator, if I might, I am Chuck Bonham from the
    State of California. I am flying home this evening, assuming I
    can make it from here to DCA, to, tomorrow morning, preside
    over a wildlife conservation board meeting, where my department
    will return ancestral lands to the Fort Independence Indian
    Community, one of four Paiute Tribes in the Owens Valley on the
    east side of our Sierra, Nevada.
        I am looking forward to that. It took many years of
    conversation to realize the harms my predecessor has produces
    and how to cure them.
        Senator Sullivan. Did you learn about those through
    consultations with those groups and respecting those groups?
    Again, the Feds, in my State, the Alaska Native people, they
    get ignored, right? That is almost 20 percent of the population
    of Alaska, they talk a big game on racial justice, racial
    equity, environmental justice, and then they ignore, Deb
    Haaland ignores the Native people of Alaska more than any other
    Secretary of Interior, probably, in history.
        Mr. Bonham. I appreciate that feedback, but from
    California, I can tell you, having spent a lot of time at the
    table with federally recognized tribes, Klamath River Basin,
    including the Yurok Tribe, the Karuk Tribe, and the Klamath
    Tribes that the Department of the Interior and the State of
    California and the State of Oregon have figured out the way to
    do a corridor project.
        Next year, we will open up access of 400 plus miles of
    habitat for salmon and steelhead in the third-largest producer
    of salmon on the west coast, the Klamath River. I understand
    your frustration in Alaska, but I am also thankful for your
    question, because today, on corridors, wildlife corridors are a
    fixable problem around the United States with time, energy, and
    partnerships.
        Senator Sullivan. Good.
        Ms. West, do you have a comment at all?
        Ms. West. Thank you, Senator. I will just add, the beauty
    of the migration corridor programs that were put in place by
    Secretary Zenke and Secretarial Order 3362 is that it puts the
    Federal programs at the service of the States and the tribes
    who are leading on the work.
        The States and tribes raise their hands and volunteer or
    actively, I should say, pursue Federal funding and capacity to
    advance their priorities, their migration corridor priorities,
    get capacity from the U.S. geological survey to collect data on
    movement, and turn that into maps, where perhaps they don't
    have the internal capacity, but they have access to experts as
    USGS who can do the work with them collaboratively.
        There are a number of programs in place that really are at
    the service of the States and tribes who are leading on this
    work, and that is what I think is very unique about this effort
    and why it has garnered a lot of support.
        Senator Sullivan. Good, thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I would just ask, and I know the big Chairman is here as well,
    not just the subcommittee chairman, but this is a really
    important issue.
        My State is being slammed. The Department of Interior keeps
    reversing previous Administration records of decisions because
    there wasn't enough consultation, and then, they don't consult
    at all. It is unbelievable. It is so hypocritical you can't
    even believe it.
        I would love to have a hearing on it and bring Secretary
    Haaland here and say, why do you ignore the Native people of
    Alaska? You just ignore them. She does it all the time, and she
    does it because they want to develop their resources, and she
    doesn't want to let them. It is an outrage. I appreciate the
    witnesses for their good, thoughtful testimony on this topic.
        Senator Padilla.
        [Presiding.] Senator Lummis, for a comment, before
    recognizing Senator Carper.
        Senator Lummis. Thank you. I might point out that Mr.
    Bonham ran Trout Unlimited before he was at the California
    Department of Wildlife, and Trout Unlimited really has an
    extraordinary reputation in this Country for work on
    collaborative efforts and with private landowners. When you
    lead an organization like that and then go into a government
    agency, I think it is already in your DNA to work with private
    landowners.
        As a fisheries aficionado, it is just great that you have
    chosen to go into government service for this time, but I just
    want to thank you for your service at TU. It really is
    outstanding and has a great track record. Thank you, Mr.
    Chairman. I yield back.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you all for recognizing and
    respecting the California way.
        With that, Senator Carper.
        Senator Carper. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. My thanks to you and
    Senator Lummis for pulling this together to talk and listen
    about some of the challenges and the opportunities to
    facilitate wildlife movement and to improve migration
    corridors. Our thanks to the witnesses. Where do you all live?
    Mr. Bonham, where do you live?
        Mr. Bonham. I live in the Bay Area. My home office is in
    Sacramento, and I am very familiar with InterState 80 as a
    result.
        Senator Carper. I bet you are. I used to be stationed at
    Moffatt Field Naval Air Station during the Vietnam War and
    after that. I have a son that lives out there not far from you.
        Ms. West.
        Ms. West. Senator, I live in Denver, Colorado.
        Senator Carper. OK, thanks.
        Mr. Bonham. Senator, I live in Laramie, Wyoming at the
    7,200-foot elevation of I-80.
        Senator Carper. OK. We are glad you are here. Thanks for
    joining us and giving us a chance to consider something that is
    important to us in Delaware and across the Country.
        We have heard a fair amount about successful programs that
    are focused on big game migration in western States. I want to
    talk a little bit about eastern States, and Delaware is one of
    those, although I have lived all over the Country.
        What can eastern States like Delaware, like my native State
    of West Virginia, and others learn from what has worked out
    west, and maybe what is not? I like to say, find what works,
    and do more of that. Find out what doesn't work, and don't do
    that.
        Ms. West, why don't you lead us off? What can we learn?
        Ms. West. Thank you very much, Senator. I think we can
    learn that when the Federal Government supports bottom-up,
    locally driven conservation priorities, it can be a wonderful
    combination that leads to success. What we have seen with big
    game in the west is a series of Federal program that
    incentivize State and tribal agencies to do wildlife
    conservation work. They build capacity when those agencies
    don't have the staff or expertise necessary, and that has led
    to significant conservation outcomes.
        These programs are easily scalable to include additional
    geographies, like the beautiful State of Delaware and
    additional species, all the programs with the strike of a pen
    you could expand the scope of the work, and it would be
    applicable. I would say even conservation that focuses just on
    big game still supports healthy habitat for a myriad of other
    species, even amphibians and reptiles and avian migrating
    species, because healthy connected habitat for big game
    supports a broad array of other species.
        That is why this issue has been so broadly supported, even
    by organizations that work primarily outside of the west by the
    National Audubon Society and others that focus all across the
    Country on these priorities.
        Senator Carper. Thank you. Mr. Bonham?
        Mr. Bonham. Senator, I think a lesson you can learn, which
    is 100 percent applicable in Delaware, if you build it, they
    will come. You don't have to have a lion or a grizzly----
        Senator Carper. I think I have heard that somewhere before.
        Mr. Bonham. Yes. I hope it is not trademarked, because they
    will be calling me.
        You don't have to have a lion; you don't have to have a
    grizzly bear to love wildlife crossings. In 2017, in Riverside
    County in California, we completed the Clinton Keith Wildlife
    Crossing Project. So it was designed for one particular animal,
    but now it is supporting butterflies, birds, deer, coyote,
    foxes, and get this, the Quino checkerspot butterfly, a
    federally listed endangered species. We thought about it back
    then for one animal, but we built it, and they all came. I
    think that is a lesson available to every State when it comes
    to wildlife crossings.
        Senator Carper. Good. Mr. King, I was sitting here looking
    at this, the order of your name reversed, instead of calling
    you Richard King, we could call you King Richard.
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. King. Yes, sir.
        Senator Carper. Not completely on a serious subject.
        Mr. King. I appreciate your consideration in asking for
    help in terms of lessons learned. While I am not familiar as
    much with the east coast as much as I am with the west, one, I
    do know that you have a lot of private property. And I know
    that is where the conservation values really lie. There are
    lots of opportunities on private lands.
        In Wyoming, what we did was we went to private landowners
    and asked them, what do you need, and how can we help, and what
    will encourage and incentivize you to provide these
    conservation benefits on your private land? Then we built
    programs and partnerships to provide that. So my recommendation
    is simply to have boots on the ground and meetings face to
    face, and meeting landowners where they are, and recognizing
    those significant values that private lands play in conserving
    our Country's wildlife.
        Senator Carper. Good, thank you.
        Mr. Chairman, do I have time for one more question, please?
        Senator Padilla. Mr. Chairman, of course.
        Senator Carper. Thanks so much.
        A question on wildlife corridors and endangered species,
    this will be for each of you again. The habitat loss and
    fragmentation is one of, I believe, five major drivers of
    global biodiversity loss. My question would be, how can the
    study of conservation of wildlife corridors help threatened and
    endangered species, or prevent species from becoming endangered
    in the first place? Mr. King?
        Mr. King. Thank you. It has been mentioned by Mr. Bonham
    that connectivity is key. When we can connect habitats
    together, we can maximize the effectiveness of the conservation
    efforts that are occurring on those properties. So part and
    parcel and key to conserving our Country's wildlife is that
    connectivity, and making sure that healthy habitats are
    connected. Really, it is that simple, but it is difficult to
    do.
        Senator Carper. Thank you. Ms. West?
        Ms. West. Thank you, Senator. I would agree, and just add
    that by investing in connecting habitat now, you are really
    preventing the decline of species into the future. It is a
    proactive step to invest in our species before they become
    eligible under the Endangered Species Act. Once they are
    imperiled, it is much more cost ineffective, rather expensive
    and time consuming to try to recover them.
        But if we can look at habitat connectivity and the movement
    of wildlife species and create that interconnectedness and give
    species more ability to adapt to changing habitat conditions
    over time, we are setting them up for future success and we are
    preventing declines that are very difficult to reverse once we
    get there.
        Senator Carper. Thanks. Mr. Bonham.
        Mr. Bonham. Senator, same answer, different words. I forget
    if I have mentioned, I have actually been director 12 years,
    which makes me the longest serving ever, and I think now the
    longest serving State director.
        Senator Carper. Does it seem longer?
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Bonham. I have lived through catastrophic wildfires,
    epic, biblical drought, and so many things. I believe this is a
    non-partisan issue, corridors, because everyone understands
    what it means to have safe passage to a safe place. Climate
    disruption has scrambled the natural world. We have some salmon
    that we used to call spring run, the time of year they would
    swim back upstream. They are no longer spring run, they are
    fall run, because their life strategy is adapting to climate
    change.
        They need the ability to go from point A to point B, safe
    passage to a safe place. Because they are either going to die,
    adapt, or we can provide freedom to roam. That is why I think
    this hearing is so important.
        Senator Carper. Great. One of you said that you think the
    subject matter here is, can and should be bipartisan. We have
    plenty of partisan issues that we deal with all the time. It is
    nice to have one that can help draw us together, so thank you.
    Thanks for joining us.
        Thanks, Mr. Chairman, and thank you, Senator Lummis.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Continuing that theme and spirit of bipartisanship, I have
    a question. We have heard a bit about Secretarial Order 3362,
    which focused on improving migration corridors for big game
    species. It is important to note that this order was issued
    under the Trump Administration and was continued under the
    Biden Administration, showing the broad support for wildlife
    movement corridors.
        My question is more specifically about mapping. Ms. West,
    since the order was issued, how has research and mapping
    improved, and have these improvements led to on-the-ground
    projects? How can Congress further support these efforts?
        Ms. West. Thank you, Senator.
        The timing of the signing of the Secretarial order
    coincided with a massive advancement in GPS technology in
    general. So it really was the perfect timing to be providing
    funding for increased data collection and mapping work. Even 10
    years ago, GPS collars would only show you where and how
    animals moved with a little blip every 12 hours. Now you can
    get hourly pinpoints that help you really see specifically how
    and where and why the animals are moving across the landscape
    and using different components of their seasonal habitat along
    the corridor.
        That is just incredibly valuable information when you are
    trying to figure out how to spend limited conservation dollars
    on the ground. You can justify the need much better with this
    really accurate data, and you can demonstrate a greater return
    on investment for the conservation funding that you have spent,
    whether it is on fence removal, oftentimes we talked about
    working with private landowners.
        If you go to a private landowner and you show them the maps
    and the actual data and they can see how their fence might be
    impeding a corridor, they had no idea before. Once they know,
    that is when the roll up your sleeves and find a solution work
    that my fellow panelists have talked about can really happen.
        So the Secretarial Order catalyzed that in a few different
    ways, funding through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
    grant program can support that work. But also the U.S.
    Geological Survey and their corridor mapping team brought not
    just resources in terms of money to the table, but actual
    technical capacity and expertise to many State agencies that
    don't have that level of GIS capacity. So they have been able
    to map 66, I believe it is 66 different migration routes and
    corridors just in 11 western States in the last 5 years. So
    that is pretty significant information.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you.
        Mr. Bonham, anything from California's efforts to improve
    the data that you would like to share?
        Mr. Bonham. Yes. Mapping results in direct action in the
    field. Here is an example. Our Department of Fish and Wildlife
    has worked with academics and also the National Park Service in
    the Mojave Desert. I-15 connects Los Angeles to Las Vegas, I
    hear the Olympics are coming to Los Angeles. It is a highly
    transited area.
        There is a private company, Brightline West, building a
    high-speed rail to connect Las Vegas to Los Angeles. We have
    desert bighorn sheep on either side of both the highway and the
    future rail, not good for the sheep. The mapping, working with
    tribes, Federal and State agencies, allowed us to identify
    three specific spots along that corridor where we now have a
    public-private partnership, I believe the commitment of two
    States, Senator Padilla's leadership. Next year, we are
    building three over-crossings over I-15.
        So when people go back and forth between Los Angeles and
    Las Vegas, they can see a crossing and realize, desert bighorn
    sheep and a host of other species will be able to use it,
    because of the mapping.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you.
        Senator Lummis.
        Senator Lummis. Thank you. First of all, I want to thank
    you all for coming and testifying today. Your expertise is very
    much appreciated and needed by us.
        My question is this. Think about your audience here. You
    are talking to the U.S. Senate, which does not have your level
    of expertise or your boots-on-the-ground experience on this
    issue. But we want to know what we can do to help you do your
    jobs better, and that is my question to each of you. First of
    all, please use some time to say what you wish you would have
    been asked that you weren't. And also say what you want us to
    know that would allow us to help you.
        Mr. Bonham.
        Mr. Bonham. I could use your help on three things. Then I
    will tell you what I wish you had asked me.
        First, I do think there is value in considering
    memorializing the Secretarial orders, in the sense that
    congressional direction motivates. Second, Ranking Member
    Lummis, it is not just a money issue. But these are
    construction projects, and they cost. The Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law sent $350 million to the Federal Highway
    Administration. My department is spending $90 million. We are
    going to need an infusion of capital when it is warranted.
        Third, one of the biggest challenges is collaboration
    between government entities. For far too long, Richard and I
    have been talking in the Wildlife space, and we need to have
    this conversation with the Transportation space. We need to be
    encouraged, cajoled, persuaded, motivated. It is the two
    entities, Wildlife and Transportation together, that can change
    this dynamic.
        Here is what I wish you would have asked me. When would I
    liked to come to Jackson and go fishing with you on the Snake
    River?
        Senator Lummis. That can be arranged. I love to fish, even
    though I am a lousy fisherman.
        Mr. Bonham. Me too.
        Senator Lummis. No, I suspect that is not true. You are
    welcome any time, and I would relish the opportunity. Thank
    you.
        Mr. Bonham. Thank you.
        Senator Lummis. Ms. West?
        Ms. West. Thank you. Senator, I will just say, I know a
    number of outstanding anglers that we could provide to make the
    trip valuable for you both.
        Thank you for the opportunity. I would have liked to have
    been asked a little bit more about where the funding for the
    work to date focused on big game has come from. It has been,
    the programs under Secretarial Order 3362 have been
    discretionary in purpose and have been funded with reprogrammed
    funds, which means every year, my good colleagues who are
    relying on this funding and their colleagues in other States
    and tribes, wonder if there will be another year of funding.
        For 5 years, that has been fine, I think, and everyone has
    been grateful for that assistance. But we are at a point where
    I think we can claim success and it would be really valuable to
    the project proponents who are working on crossing projects, or
    fence removal projects, to be able to plan years out, to have
    some dedicated, reliable funding so they can work on multi-year
    projects. Because research for all kinds of wildlife takes more
    than 1 year of data collection to really have a good sense for
    how things are going.
        So I think I would want you to note that. And also, back to
    Director Bonham's testimony and opening remarks, that this is a
    fixable issue. I may go so far as to say it is mostly a money
    problem, not that we have limited amounts of money in this
    Country, but we have the foundation of strong leadership at the
    local level and at the State government level. We have people
    rolling up their sleeves to do good work, and if they had more
    resources, more good work could be done. Thank you.
        Senator Lummis. Thank you. Mr. King, and excuse me if I
    have to bug out halfway through your statement for another
    meeting, but thanks so much for coming.
        Mr. King. Thank you for the invitation, and that you for
    the opportunity. I would State simply that recognition that the
    States really are the right entity to lead these efforts, we
    have great data, we have good wildlife managers. We know what
    we are doing. We have a proven track record. I think just a
    simple recognition that because of the importance of State-led
    conservation efforts, and the importance of private lands that
    more regulation probably isn't the answer, but more cooperation
    certainly is.
        So anything we can do to ensure that all entities are
    working together and are pulling in the same direction is
    critically important for us.
        I think last, just to reiterate that recognizing that this
    really is a multidisciplinary effort. It does involve
    transportation departments; it does involve wildlife agencies.
    It does involve extractive natural resources producers and
    private landowners. There are a lot of people that play a role
    in wildlife conservation. The recognition that we can achieve
    great things if we work together is probably the simple
    message, I would leave with you today.
        Senator Lummis. Thank you, witnesses. I yield back to the
    Chairman with my thanks for this panel of witnesses and this
    topic. It is timely. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your
    leadership on this issue.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you, and thank you for your
    partnership.
        I have just one last round of questions before we will
    begin to close this hearing. As you have heard from our
    witnesses, States are pioneering new ways to make our
    infrastructure more resilient and responsive to wildlife needs.
    We also know that is just one piece of the puzzle. We also have
    to protect the natural landscapes around us and ensure that we
    have landscape scale connectivity.
        A question for Mr. Bonham. How important is Federal and
    State land acquisition to creating connectivity for wildlife?
    What other ways can the Federal and State governments work
    together to support connectivity?
        Mr. Bonham. Senator, thank you for the question. Land
    acquisition done willing seller, willing buyer, which need not
    always be fee title, sometimes can be conservation easement, is
    an integral part of a corridor project. Because it is just not
    the physical infrastructure you are designing, you are thinking
    about the ingress and egress to the structure for success
    criteria on your design.
        That means you need to take a look at the landscape mosaic,
    sometimes it is private, sometimes it is public. Sometimes you
    can find a partnership with a land trust that in turn is
    working with a private landowner who already wanted to do
    something with the property to benefit wildlife.
        Two examples. If you have ever driven from San Jose,
    California out to Santa Cruz, you are on Highway 17. People go
    back and forth. One of the most notorious curves is called the
    Laurel Curve. We have now a functioning under-crossing, which
    is actually like an over-crossing, because it is an elevated
    highway. The Santa Cruz Land Trust, working with landowners,
    has conserved either side. So it is like an hourglass, allowing
    animals to move into the connectivity structure. Within hours
    of opening it, a bobcat wandered through.
        Same thing is true for the Highway 101, P-22 Wallis
    Annenberg crossing. The Santa Monica River's Mountain
    Conservancy, in conjunction with the National Park system, has
    made sure the properties on either side will remain open space
    to facilitate the crossing.
        Other landscape things include a lot of the initiatives you
    are taking with Secretary Crowfoot and Governor Newsom around
    conserving 30 percent of our biodiversity in California by
    2030. Sometimes that is landscape-scale conservation through
    national monuments and other things.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you.
        Ms. West, what other tools does the Federal Government have
    to conserve areas for wildlife corridors?
        Ms. West. Thank you, Senator. When it comes to public land
    management, so when these wildlife corridors overlap with
    federally managed public lands, we like to think of it as an
    all tools in the toolbox approach. It really does depend on the
    particular corridor, what the species needs to move.
        Where I live in Colorado, there is a lot of mule deer. They
    don't migrate in nice, beautiful lines like they often do in
    Wyoming. They sort of move in more blobs down off the top of
    mesas down into the valleys where there is food in the winter.
    I completely lost my train of thought, I am sorry. What was
    your question?
        Senator Padilla. What other tools does the Federal
    Government have?
        Ms. West. Thank you. I am sorry, I got so distracted by
    Wyoming and the lovely mule deer herd. So the tools in the
    toolbox are different when the species migrate in different
    ways. When you have a large landscape, the management tools
    really need to be about keeping the landscape permeable, so
    that species can move through. That means you don't have to
    have a fence around the whole area and prevent the animals from
    moving through, because there is not a road to protect them
    from. It means that as long as you have development limited in
    the density of the structures, they still have a pathway to
    move through.
        So you can have roads, but they are limited in density, or
    they have crossing structures on them, or if it is renewable
    energy development, for example, you can have a solar array,
    but instead of having one large 2,000-acre solar array, you
    chunk it out into pieces so the animals can move through it.
        Where in Wyoming they have done amazing work mapping, not
    just the migration corridor but along the path where the
    animals stop over, where they might have bottlenecks because of
    geographic features, you want to be more protective in those
    important areas that are really critical for movement. If you
    cutoff a bottleneck, then you have cutoff the whole corridor.
    So there is a whole variety of tools in the toolbox and the
    science and the mapping really help support what the best tool
    is.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you.
        Finally, for Mr. King, we have talked about the
    partnerships. From your experience, what kind of Federal and
    State, for that matter, might encourage private landowners to
    participate more in the establishment of protection of
    corridors?
        Mr. King. Thank you, Senator. There are some great projects
    that are underway. I mentioned that our USDA partnership is one
    such program, where we are able to stack together different
    programs from the Farm Bill, for example, different NRCS and
    FSA programs. Really, anything that can incentivize and keep
    working lands as working lands is critically important.
        So those Federal programs, if they can be designed in such
    a way that they are attractive to private landowners, and those
    private landowners can take advantage of those programs and
    continue to keep their working lands as working lands, that is
    I think where we will see the best success.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you very much.
        There may be additional questions you will receive in
    writing, either from my office or other members of the
    committee after the hearing. I want to thank you all for your
    participation here today in a very thoughtful and productive
    discussion.
        I also want to thank Chairman Carper, Ranking Member
    Capito, as well as Subcommittee Ranking Member Lummis and all
    our colleagues who participated today, and I am sorry I missed
    remarks by Senator Boozman, who reminded us of the importance
    of waterways in this conversation as well, and the potential
    use of the Farm Bill as a vehicle to advance some of the ideas
    that have come up today.
        As you have heard today, all across the Country, the same
    roads, highways, bridges, and other human development that make
    our Nation increasingly interconnected, both for people and our
    economy, have the effect of disconnecting the wildlife around
    us. By fragmenting migration routes, we endanger the lives of
    countless animals, we risk decreasing the rich biodiversity of
    our Nation, we undermine our thriving outdoor recreation
    economy, and we even increase the risk to human life.
        Because migration patterns will never adhere to State or
    local or tribal boundaries, it is clear that in order to
    protect ecosystems and better co-exist with the wildlife around
    us, we need to come together in a bipartisan way to support
    State, local, tribal, and private landowner efforts to restore
    wildlife corridors and improve connectivity.
        As I mentioned earlier today, just last Congress this
    committee came together to approve $315 million in grants
    through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to reduce the number
    of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Yet while this funding has the
    potential to usher in a future of safer, more resilient
    infrastructure across the Country or future proofing, as
    Director Bonham put it, the Department of Transportation has
    yet to implement it.
        So first, we need to continue to conduct oversight and
    ensure this funding is administered as intended. I look forward
    to the full committee's upcoming oversight hearing on the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Law where we can do just that.
        But as you heard from Ms. West, Congress can also take a
    major step forward in improving habitat connectivity by
    providing authorized funding streams for Federal agencies to
    implement Secretarial Order 3362. Rather than force Federal
    agencies to pull funding from their general funds, it is
    Congress' job to provide the specific and stable funding needed
    to address these issues over the long term.
        We must also improve collaboration across jurisdictions. I
    spend a lot of time in this committee talking about
    California's leadership and how the Nation can learn from
    California's progress. But as Director Bonham pointed out in
    his testimony, and as we heard from Mr. King, we can all learn
    a thing or two from Wyoming's leadership in designating
    wildlife corridors and building partnerships.
        And we must include what we learn from tribal governments
    which often have cultural and spiritual connections to the
    wildlife they seek to protect. I am proud that Senator Lujan,
    my colleague from New Mexico, is advancing a separate effort on
    that front.
        Finally, my hope is that after today's hearing, we can take
    some of the bipartisan momentum around habitat connectivity,
    incorporate some of the ideas that we have heard today and come
    together to move a bipartisan bill that supports voluntary
    conservation efforts throughout the Country, whether that
    includes Federal funding for State and local research and data
    gathering, or on-the-ground projects that restore wildlife
    corridors, bipartisan progress is possible.
        I look forward to working with any and all of my colleagues
    who are ready to continue this important work.
        Once again, I want to thank you all for being here and with
    that, this hearing is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 4:11 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
        [Additional material submitted for the record follows:]
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