Bill > HB2456

This bill aims to ensure connectivity for Washington wildlife through safe passages. The key provisions of the bill are: 1. It directs the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Transportation to develop an integrated strategy to implement and update the Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Action Plan, which identifies and protects wildlife habitat connectivity corridors and builds appropriate crossing structures to preserve the state's natural heritage and improve highway safety by reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions. 2. It creates two new accounts - the Washington Wildlife Corridors Account and the Washington Wildlife Crossings Account - to fund strategic activities that promote the protection and management of wildlife corridors, as well as the design, construction, and monitoring of wildlife crossing structures. 3. It requires the Department of Fish and Wildlife to update the Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Action Plan every six years and provide biennial reports on the plan's implementation and funding needs. The bill aims to enhance ecological connectivity for Washington's wildlife, improve public safety, and preserve the state's natural heritage by reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and facilitating the movement of wildlife across the state's highways.