Support Wildlife Corridors in PA!

Support Wildlife Corridors in Pennsylvania!

Our friends at the Endangered Species Coalition ESC are asking for help in working to pass House Resolution 670. The resolution directs the Pennsylvania budget and finance committee to conduct a study which will identify best practices for establishing conservation corridors and identify existing and needed corridors. Please read their statement below and sign the petition!

Endangered Species Coalition

 HR 670 Petition Request from ESC

We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction. We have lost 1 in 4 bird species in the last 50 years, half of the mammal species are rapidly decreasing, and many have said that we’re witnessing an insect apocalypse. At this rate, ⅓ to ½ of all species could become extinct by 2050.

Habitat loss and fragmentation are the biggest drivers of species decline and extinction worldwide. Fragmentation reduces the ability of wildlife to migrate, find mates, establish new territories, and may limit their access to food and water. Fragmentation also limits wildlife’s ability to adapt to climate change. As the climate warms, wildlife will need to move to more suitable habitats. Connections northward and upward will be particularly important as our climate warms, to provide pathways to cooler climates, including mountain ranges.

Fragmented landscapes also present a danger to wildlife and humans. They increase the number of wildlife-vehicle crashes as more animals are forced to cross roads to access habitat. Here in Pennsylvania, we have the highest number of deer-related crashes in the country.

But we can live in a world where wildlife and humans live side by side, where we connect wild spaces for big mammals and small birds alike to move through the landscape safely. We can combat fragmentation with conservation corridors – intentionally connecting habitats, be they national parks, state parks, or private land. Right here in Pennsylvania, we have an opportunity to be a leader in our region. Our ecology is unique, located at the intersection of several ecological regions and river basins, and has several naturally existing corridors. These landscapes mean that our state is an important player in creating habitat for numerous species important to the Mid-Atlantic region.

That’s why we’re working to pass House Resolution 670. The resolution directs the Pennsylvania budget and finance committee to conduct a study which will identify best practices for establishing conservation corridors and identify existing and needed corridors.

Can you help wildlife in Pennsylvania by signing this petition asking your state representative to support HR 670?

Can you join me and take action? Click here: Support Wildlife Corridors in Pennsylvania!

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