This story was reported and written by our media partner Capital News Service.
Virginia, which ranks among the top 10 states for wildlife-vehicle collisions, could soon have a voluntary grant fund for wildlife corridors that better protect drivers and animals.
Del. Shelly Simonds, D-Newport News, introduced House Bill 597 this legislative session, to create a nonreverting grant fund in the state treasury, supported by voluntary contributions, to be used for wildlife corridor and wildlife crossing projects.
Because the fund is nonreverting, any deposited money would remain available across fiscal years, including the use of voluntary contributions and grants rather than general tax increases.
If passed, the director of the Department of Wildlife Resources will administer the fund in collaboration with the state’s Transportation, Conservation and Recreation, and Forestry departments. Eligible applicants would include state agencies, local governments, metropolitan planning and nonprofit organizations, regional transportation authorities, Indian tribes and academic institutions.
“There’s already this wildlife corridor action plan,” Simonds said. “Now, the question is having some funding that’s stable to try to implement some of these goals.”
The fund could also receive voluntary contributions through the Department of Motor Vehicles and individual state income tax checkoffs, as well as donations and grants and any future appropriated funds.
The DMV would provide an electronic donation option and clearly state contributions are optional. The income tax checkoff would follow existing rules for entities entitled to voluntary contributions, including a $10,000 minimum contribution over three years.
“It's a really appropriate opportunity for people to be able to donate to a fund when they're renewing their driver's license or doing operations at the DMV,” Simonds said.
Simonds added the proposal supports collaboration between agencies and data-sharing to help local-level planning, while also training staff on the cost and safety benefits of wildlife crossings.
“Sometimes moving the needle on issues like this takes time, but we are here,” Simonds said. “We are all committed to doing this.”
Improved data collection helps determine where wildlife crossings are most effective, as many collisions go unreported, said Connor Ransom, conservation associate for Environment Virginia, the state chapter for a national organization.
Ransom suggested expanding tracking systems statewide, like VDOT’s carcass removal data, to provide a clearer picture and improve planning.
A dedicated fund could help Virginia leverage federal matching grants for wildlife crossing projects, allowing state contributions to be paired with federal dollars and maximizing the impact of voluntary donations without requiring large allocations from the state budget, Ransom said.
Virginia already has wildlife crossing projects near the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Chesapeake, under the Fairfax County Parkway at Fort Belvoir, and on Interstate Highway 64 west of Charlottesville, where fencing helps guide animals to underpasses.
Simonds also introduced HB 596, which focused on implementation rather than funding. The bill directed the secretary of Natural and Historic Resources, in coordination with the secretary of Transportation, to convene an interagency group to advance priorities in the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan.
HB 596 did not advance out of the House rules studies subcommittee. A budget proposal of $100,000 was connected to the bill.
HB 597 follows earlier wildlife corridor legislation by Sen. Dave Marsden, D-Fairfax. Measures establishing the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan in 2020 and requiring agencies to incorporate corridors into planning in 2021 were enacted, while similar grant fund proposals in 2024 and 2025 did not advance.
HB 597 was assigned on Jan. 20 to the Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Agriculture and Natural Resources, where it remains under consideration.
Capital News Service is a program of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Robertson School of Communication. Students in the program provide state government coverage for a variety of media outlets in Virginia.