Transportation projects: barriers to wildlife movement.

Assembly Member Schultz's wildlife protection measure requires local transportation agencies to incorporate wildlife passage features into new highway projects and lane additions located in designated connectivity areas, extending California's existing wildlife protection framework beyond state-managed highways. The requirements apply to projects initiated after January 1, 2028, in areas ranked 3-5 on the Department of Fish and Wildlife's Terrestrial Connectivity scale or identified in updated general plans as wildlife connectivity zones.

The bill establishes specific criteria for when wildlife passage features must be incorporated, while exempting routine maintenance, repairs, and projects that create bicycle lanes or sidewalks within existing rights-of-way. Lead agencies may satisfy the requirements through compensatory mitigation credits if approved by the Department of Fish and Wildlife. Projects on the state highway system where Caltrans serves as lead agency remain governed by existing wildlife protection regulations rather than these new provisions.

Local agencies implementing required wildlife passage features may receive state reimbursement for associated costs if the Commission on State Mandates determines the requirements constitute state-mandated expenditures. The bill's findings note that transportation infrastructure can fragment wildlife habitats and impede animal movement patterns, particularly as climate change affects species' ranges and resource needs.