​This schedule is subject to change. Please check back for updates. 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2026 | 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM

SESSION: Aquatic Connectivity | ROOM: TBD

Culverts, bridges, and similar in-water structures rank second only to dams in obstructing aquatic organism passage (AOP), severely fragmenting essential spawning and rearing habitats. While full barrier removal and replacement is always the preferred solution, these projects are resource-intensive and often require years to complete. Given the sheer number of culvert barriers across watersheds, many will remain unaddressed for the foreseeable future.

Weirs have long been used in fish passage design to control water surface elevation, reduce velocities, increase flow depth, and create resting opportunities for migrating fish. These same hydraulic principles can be adapted within culverts, where excessive velocity, shallow flow, and uniform conditions often impede aquatic organism passage. This presentation traces the evolution of that concept from traditional weirs to the development of a flexible weir system designed to improve passage conditions while maintaining conveyance capacity during high-flow events and reducing maintenance concerns associated with rigid internal baffles.

The presentation will review the engineering and biological rationale behind flexible baffle technology, including its ability to increase flow depth, reduce localized velocities, create hydraulic diversity, and provide staging and resting opportunities for fish and other aquatic organisms. It will also examine field observations and scientific findings related to passage requirements for both strong and weak swimming species and discuss the need for cost-effective retrofit solutions when full replacement projects are not immediately feasible.

Case studies from completed installations will illustrate design applications, construction methods, performance outcomes, and costs. Examples will include successful retrofits in concrete flumes and culverts where fish passage conditions improved at a fraction of replacement costs and with minimal disruption to transportation infrastructure. Particular attention will be given to the “1% solution” concept, demonstrating how flexible baffles can provide agencies with an affordable and practical tool for improving aquatic connectivity while longer-term replacement projects are planned, funded, and implemented.

Aquatic connectivity is a key restoration goal of the New York–New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program (HEP) and its partners. While connectivity assessments in New Jersey watersheds have traditionally focused on dams, the effectiveness of fish passage through transportation infrastructure such as culverts remains less well understood.

HEP has been evaluating barriers to fish passage in coastal New Jersey using methods developed by the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC). In the next phase of this work, HEP and Monmouth University are using environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques to validate NAACC aquatic passage scores. By comparing eDNA samples collected upstream and downstream of problematic culverts, researchers can identify which fish species may be affected by these barriers.

The findings will help improve understanding of aquatic connectivity challenges, support management of threatened migratory fish species, and guide prioritization of undersized or poorly designed transportation infrastructure for future remediation efforts.

Across the country, aging road-stream crossings are increasingly unable to accommodate changing hydrologic conditions, fragment aquatic habitats, and restrict terrestrial wildlife movement. As states accelerate efforts to identify and replace barriers to aquatic organism passage (AOP), opportunities are emerging to align these projects with broader climate resilience and terrestrial connectivity objectives.

Drawing on agency interviews, policy analysis, and a review of current design guidance, this presentation explores how road-stream crossing design, policy frameworks, and implementation practices can better support resilient, multi-benefit infrastructure outcomes. The research identifies common barriers to adoption, including perceived costs, design standards, permitting challenges, and institutional silos among transportation, natural resource, and resilience planning agencies.

The session will highlight promising approaches from state and regional programs, including design strategies that simultaneously reduce flood risk, improve aquatic organism passage, and support terrestrial wildlife movement. It will also examine policy and planning tools that help agencies justify investments by accounting for long-term resilience, safety, and ecosystem benefits.

Particular attention will be given to conditions in the Northeast, where increasing precipitation intensity, flash flooding, and diverse aquatic communities create both challenges and opportunities. Attendees will gain practical lessons, transferable strategies, and an overview of guidance aimed at accelerating implementation of road-stream crossings that function as both climate-resilient infrastructure and connectivity solutions. This research was funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

 

SESSION: Bats, Birds, Bridges | ROOM: TBD

Bridges frequently function as day roosts and, at times, maternity sites for bats. When those structures require demolition or rehabilitation, project schedules intersect with conservation obligations—necessitating humane, regulation‑aligned exclusion that avoids take, protects sensitive life stages, and maintains public trust. This presentation shares a practical, step‑by‑step approach our team uses to enable voluntary bat exit and prevent re‑entry, while coordinating efficiently with contractors and agencies. We outline our training framework for field crews and project managers; pre‑construction assessments (desktop screening, structure inspections, species identification); and timing strategies that avoid maternity periods and align with construction windows. Field‑tested methods include one‑way devices sized to joint/crevice geometry, adapting off-the-shelf versus proprietary exclusion materials, and a progressive sealing protocol that prioritizes low‑stress egress. We integrate dusk emergence counts and visual monitoring, daily QA/QC during active exclusion, and a stop‑work/contingency plan for unexpected findings.Case snapshots from three bridge projects illustrate outcomes: successful voluntary exits with no observed mortalities, reduced schedule risk through early planning and just-in-time execution, and documentation for interagency coordination. We highlight decision points transferable to other projects—device selection by structure and roost type, contractor sequencing to avoid re‑opening access points, and post‑exclusion verification prior to demolition or intrusive work. Attendees will take away a reproducible workflow that connects planning, field execution, and closeout: checklists for pre‑work surveys and timing, communication that aligns biologists and construction teams, and monitoring practices to demonstrate efficacy. The session emphasizes where engineering details (joint widths, abutment conditions, fascia treatments) intersect with ecological outcomes—and how continuous coordination can reduce conflicts, delays, and change orders.
Many of the remaining bridges built in the early and mid-20th century need to be replaced with bridges that can withstand climate change as well as improving safety for added vehicle, pedestrian, bicycle traffic. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) environmental planners have been navigating the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Massachusetts Endangered Species Act (MESA) for years prior to the bridge replacements with potential impacts to listed roosting bats in weathered granite abutments and listed sturgeon habitat in the larger rivers. In recent years, MassDOT has employed new technologies including drones, DNA analysis, acoustic monitoring, and side scan sonar (SSS) to determine presence/absence, time of year restrictions, map suitable habitat, and provide net conservation benefit research for these listed species. Specifically, MassDOT used SSS technology to map potential spawning and rearing sturgeon habitat in the Merrimack River during the replacement of two large bridges. SSS provided accurate substrate characterization of a 14-mile stretch and the most recent population estimate of endangered shortnose sturgeon that is safer for the surveyors and does not harm the sturgeon or impact their habitat (versus conventional methods such as SCUBA divers and gill-netting). Acoustic monitoring at the bridges of tagged sturgeon also helped expand the in-water work window. The cavernous, tall abutments of bridges, constructed almost 100 years ago from granite blocks, provide dark, cool and protected arial environments preferred by bats. Northern Long-Eared Bats are listed as threatened under the ESA and MESA. To determine whether the listed bats were present, MassDOT used a combination of drones and DNA sampling of guano to safely survey the abutment towers and the underside of both bridges for signs of probable presence and species presence/absence. Guano tested inside the abutments where no traditional surveys could be safely conducted did not result in the detection of any threatened species. The drone surveys conducted under the spans and within the towers that could not be safely surveyed showed no signs of bat presence. This presentation will compare and contrast the new technology with traditional survey methodology and how it has proven to be more cost effective, more accurate, and with much less impact and safer for surveyors and protected species during the permitting process.
Manmade structures, such as bridges, have long provided nesting habitat for the federally protected peregrine falcon. This is the case for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority’s (NJTA) Newark Bay Bridge (Vincent R. Casciano Bridge), which connects Newark City to Bayonne in New Jersey. The bridge is proposed for replacement as part of the larger Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension Program – an eight-mile corridor improvement project that aims to provide critical modernization and safety for passenger and commercial vehicles. Falcons have nested on the bridge for years, and the NJTA is proactively implementing conservation efforts for them. Dewberry will present the NJTA’s plan for protecting the falcons, including the construction of an alternate nesting platform built in October 2025, and an update on the falcons of the Newark Bay Bridge following the 2026 nesting season.

 

SESSION: SWTAP on Tap | ROOM: TBD

The Massachusetts State Wildlife Transportation Action Plan (SWTAP) formalizes the current framework MassDOT uses to incorporate natural resource priorities into transportation planning to benefit wildlife conservation, landscape connectivity, and driver safety. To create the SWTAP, MassDOT actively collaborated with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife), Division of Marine Fisheries, and other State Agencies. The SWTAP defines the formal framework to incorporate these considerations early in MassDOT’s Project Development process and implements a transparent process using existing data to identify high priority roadway locations for environmental conservation and/or driver safety improvements across Massachusetts. The outcome of this effort supports the safety, permitting, and state resource stewardship considerations identified by MassDOT. In addition, creates an example framework for the implementation of road ecology principles in the Commonwealth.
As a founding member of the Staying Connected Initiative, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has been working with partners to integrate conservation and transportation planning for decades. The recent publication of Vermont’s Wildlife Transportation Action Plan (WTAP), presented in a separate session, has created new opportunities to advance this work across the State of Vermont. In the past year, TNC has been using the WTAP to inform how it identifies and supports conservation projects that protect critical lands that support current or future use of structures on the WTAP by wildlife. This includes using the WTAP to inform the distribution of ~$1 million in grants to conservation partners for land protection, target outreach to private landowners for permanent protection and other conservation programs, and inform regional conservation plans. A key area of emphasis has been identifying structures that currently provide adequate passage for wildlife but would benefit from permanent protection. This presentation will highlight successful strategies, lessons learned, and future opportunities to activate the land trust community in supporting transportation infrastructure improvements for wildlife.
Vermont’s Wildlife Transportation Action Plan (WTAP)was created by an interdisciplinary team from our transportation and natural resource agencies and The Nature Conservancy to identify the most ecologically important structures for wildlife movement. The plan takes an all-system approach and reviewed every state owned or managed structure. The Vermont Conservation Design was used to prioritize infrastructure adjacent to forested road segments and within highest priority areas in our habitat connectivity network. An initial list of 1,129 structures were selected based on their position on the landscape. An additional 156 structures were chosen from areas that presented a unique opportunity to connect habitat along an otherwise uninterrupted stretch of highway. Finally, culverts were categorized by their inspection report ratings: good, fair, and poor. The result is a list of 67 "poor" condition structures that will likely require repair or replacement soon which are flagged for their potential for increasing wildlife connectivity across Vermont's landscape. Scores from the Agency of Transportation’s Terrestrial Passage Screening Tool allow for a better understanding of what structural improvements might be needed. The Wildlife Transportation Action Plan will be further used to better sync transportation infrastructure with land use planning and land protection work through the Vermont’s Staying Connected Initiative.



MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2026 | 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM

 

SESSION: Connectivity Co-Benefits | ROOM: TBD

Historically common throughout New Jersey, USA, bobcats (Lynx rufus) experienced a centuries-long decline driven by unregulated exploitation and widespread agricultural conversion. After persisting in remnant northern forests for decades, the species was widely believed to be extirpated from the state by the mid-1970s, despite belated legal protections. Subsequent natural recolonization from neighboring states resulted in increased sightings beginning in the 1980s, establishing a small but stable source population in the relatively continuous forests in the northwestern portion of the state. To date, however, a presumably suitable region with limited human development in southeastern New Jersey remains unoccupied. Natural recolonization of the southeast relies on dispersal from the northwest, requiring individuals to navigate an extensive, highly urbanized matrix dominated by high-volume interstates. To evaluate the feasibility of natural recolonization, we developed a spatially explicit, agent based model. Using GPS telemetry data from collared bobcats, we parameterized sex-specific correlated random walks and dynamic landscape permeability surfaces. We coupled these behavioral movement models with stochastic demographic rates and spatially explicit vehicular mortality risk and habitat suitability surfaces to simulate 50-year dispersal and colonization scenarios. Our simulations revealed that natural recolonization is primarily limited by vehicle-induced mortality rather than behavioral avoidance. While both sexes exhibited behavioral avoidance of local roads, major highways transformed high-capacity infrastructure into a demographic sink. In the northwest population, growth was suppressed yet positive, as a result of habitat saturation forcing obligate dispersal, effectively forcing animals into a lethal matrix and preventing population expansion. These findings suggest that natural recolonization of southeastern New Jersey is highly improbable without intervention.
The Town of Westborough, Massachusetts is advancing culvert improvements and ecological restoration along Jackstraw Brook, a designated coldwater fish resource located in a Cedar Swamp Area of Critical Environmental Concern. The project area is centered on 11 road stream crossings along three roadways of approximately 2000 feet of Jackstraw Brook. The legacy network of aging culverts have perched outlets, an absence of natural streambed material, restrict aquatic and terrestrial organism passage, and are hydraulically deficient, contributing to roadway overtopping and flooding. With future climate conditions expected to increase frequency and intensity of rainfall events, the flooding around this system is expected to worsen. The project will remove 5 existing road stream crossings and replace them with three appropriately sized culverts to balance and meet requirements for Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards, MassDOT small bridge requirements and future projected climate conditions. A segment of Jackstraw Brook will be restored to its historic alignment, reconnecting the surrounding wetland system currently fragmented by roadways. The project also improves municipal drinking water supplies by slowing down the Brook through the recharge area for two public wells and enhancing water quality through riparian and wetland connectivity. By evaluating an extended reach of the stream rather than isolated crossings, the project illustrates how a systems-based approach can deliver multiple co-benefits, including improved public safety, enhanced ecosystem function, restored aquatic and terrestrial connectivity, climate resiliency and long-term cost effectiveness.
In addition to disrupting aquatic and terrestrial connectivity in and alongside streams and rivers, road-stream crossings represent critical pieces of infrastructure that may be vulnerable to climate change. The Crossing Prioritization Tool seeks to help communities plan improvements that restore habitat for diadromous fishes, strengthen infrastructure against climate change, and keep communities connected. Save the Sound staff will provide a brief overview of the larger project behind the tool and lead a live demonstration showing how it can be applied in the Long Island Sound watershed. Developed by Save the Sound in partnership with Seatuck Environmental Association and The Nature Conservancy, the Long Island Sound Crossing Prioritization Tool was built by CivicMapper and is hosted on ArcGIS Online. It is intended to be a resource for municipalities, especially parts of municipal government that make infrastructure or environmental decisions for their communities, by making it easier to apply for grant funding. We also hope the tool will be a useful resource for agency partners and fellow environmental organizations working to accelerate river restoration and protect communities from climate change. The tool is currently live and contains field verified information for Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk Counties in New York. Save the Sound is currently in the process of looking for additional funding to expand the scope of the tool into Connecticut. This project was made possible with support from the Long Island Sound Futures Fund with the LIS Partnership, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), and seed funding from The Alexander Center for Ecological Action.
Relative to other regions, the northeastern states present distinct ecological and infrastructural conditions — such as resident aquatic and terrestrial species, topography, changing climate and extreme weather events, patterns of public and private land ownership, and the extent of new versus existing roadway infrastructure. These unique conditions influence the applicability of prevailing models for integrating wildlife infrastructure into transportation projects. Drawing on these novel factors, this presentation highlights research findings on the integration of wildlife considerations across transportation planning, project delivery, and maintenance at state agencies in the northeastern United States, with a focus on the Northern Appalachian region. The Appalachians are a globally important landscape for addressing climate change and conserving biodiversity, and maintaining a resilient, connected system is critical for aquatic and terrestrial species to persist amid climate-driven range shifts; in response, TNC is advancing a vision for a 2,000-mile “biodiversity superhighway” of connected lands and waters. However, surface transportation infrastructure poses a major threat through habitat fragmentation and wildlife mortality, making coordinated, multi-scale transportation planning essential to restoring connectivity and enabling species movement. The state of practice for integrating connectivity considerations throughout the transportation planning process was reviewed across staffing and capacity, professional development and training, policy, planning, research, and programming, all phases of project delivery—from pre-construction through post-construction—and emergency relief. Findings were compiled through a review of state-level transportation planning and design documents, resilience plans and strategies, wildlife action plans, and related reports, and were further elaborated through interviews with key representatives from transportation agencies responsible for building and maintaining the surface transportation system, as well as fish and wildlife divisions responsible for conserving wildlife and integrating wildlife considerations into planning and project delivery. An inventory of current actions being taken throughout the region revealed common approaches that agencies and public and private stakeholders can use to advance wildlife connectivity across transportation networks, while also highlighting where the greatest opportunities for progress remain. Although many states demonstrate meaningful advancement in areas such as policy development, long-range planning, and pre-construction design, consistent gaps persist in staffing and capacity, integration during programming (e.g., STIP), and especially post-construction monitoring and maintenance—stages that are critical to ensuring the long-term effectiveness of wildlife infrastructure. Successful frameworks and case studies for securing funding from diverse sources, fostering interagency collaboration, and overcoming departmental silos through effective intra-agency coordination offer a range of actionable strategies that meet states where they are in their level of integration while helping to address these persistent gaps.

 

PANEL: Culvert Investments | ROOM: TBD

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, otherwise known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, redefined what constitutes transportation infrastructure to include discrete funding for a number of new funding categories, including for culverts and other road stream crossings. Because of both the magnitude of investment, the relative lack of data tracked by States to assess the need for culvert upgrades, and the urgency for these investments in light of increased extreme weather events and biodiversity risks, State Departments of Transportation are beginning to hear increasingly from stakeholders and eligible entities about the need to fund one of the only assets in the built environment - culverts - that are not required to be inventoried by law. Because of funding and data gaps, including most acutely on non-State owned roads, IIJA inculcated eligibility for culvert deployments throughout the federal-aid highway program, including formula programs (e.g. the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, National Highway Performance Program, Bridge Investment Program, PROTECT formula), allocations (e.g. Emergency Relief Program), and discretionary grant programs (the National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Program, the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, PROTECT discretionary, BUILD). This expanded eligibility represents a significant policy shift and a massive opportunity to leverage federal investment, as culverts have historically been treated as minor drainage features rather than critical infrastructure assets. In reality, culverts play an essential role in maintaining roadway integrity and supporting safety outcomes, managing stormwater, and preserving ecological connectivity. Undersized, aging, or poorly designed culverts can lead to roadway washouts, localized flooding, and long-term maintenance challenges that impose substantial costs on State and local agencies. In addition, these structures often act as barriers to aquatic organism passage, fragmenting habitats and exacerbating declines in fish and wildlife populations. The lack of standardized inventory requirements has made it difficult for agencies to prioritize investments and quantify systemwide risk. Unlike bridges, which are subject to the National Bridge Inspection Standards, culverts are frequently undocumented unless they exceed a certain size threshold or are associated with known problem locations. As a result, many agencies are now grappling with how to develop scalable, cost-effective inventory and assessment methodologies that can inform project selection and support competitive grant applications. Emerging technologies such as remote sensing, hydraulic modeling, and geospatial data integration are beginning to fill these gaps, but adoption remains uneven across jurisdictions. At the same time, extreme weather is intensifying precipitation patterns, increasing the likelihood that legacy culvert designs will be overwhelmed by future flow conditions. This has elevated the importance of resilience-based design approaches, including the use of larger, embedded, or nature-based crossings that can accommodate higher flows and support ecosystem function. Looking ahead, the success of these funding opportunities will depend on coordination across federal, State, tribal, and local partners, as well as the development of clearer data standards and performance metrics. By elevating culverts within the broader infrastructure policy landscape, IIJA has created an opportunity to address longstanding deficiencies while advancing more holistic and sustainable transportation systems. This panel will review current funding opportunities and what is eligible for funding and not, in addition to what types of projects have been funded to date, and their relative success. Andrew Wishnia, Senior Vice President at Boundary Stone Partners, will moderate this panel, featuring the co-chairs of TNC’s Appalachian Initiative, Alissa Fadden (TNC) and Angela Sirois (TNC), Renee Callahan (ARC Solutions), and a panelist from the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials. The goal of the presentation is to both distill funding opportunities and the durability of this funding going forward, regardless of what transpires via a surface transportation reauthorization.

 

PANEL: Pollinator Habitat | ROOM: TBD

Globally, pollinator species have experienced sharp population declines in the 21st century, largely due to habitat loss and degradation. Beyond the ecological consequences, pollinator listings under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) present challenges for transportation agencies, including project delays, increased costs, expanded documentation requirements, and a greater need for Section 7 consultations. At the same time, the extensive network of roads and transportation rights-of-way (ROW) corridors spanning the United States present a valuable opportunity to create and connect pollinator habitat across landscapes and proactively reduce the risk of future pollinator listings. Section 10 conservation agreements offer a solution for addressing potential regulatory burdens associated with at-risk pollinator species. The Nationwide Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for the Monarch Butterfly on Energy and Transportation Lands (Monarch CCAA) is a voluntary Section 10 agreement, administered by the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), and is between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and energy and transportation companies designed to create and maintain habitat for monarchs on energy and transportation ROWs. Through participation in the Monarch CCAA, departments of transportation (DOTs) gain regulatory certainty and operational flexibility in the event of a species listing, in exchange for implementing conservation commitments that benefit target species. The panel session will consist of representatives from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT), and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). Panelists will highlight the experiences and lessons learned from implementing pollinator-focused objectives in their vegetation management plans and on participation in the Monarch CCAA. Learning objectives include: 1) exploring roadside vegetation best management practices that support pollinators in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, 2) discussing strategies for gaining leadership buy-in and public support for pollinator habitat initiatives; and 3) identifying approaches for integrating pollinator conservation into operations and maintenance activities for transportation agencies, including navigating changes to ROW management guidance. UIC, the Programmatic Administrator of the Monarch CCAA, will introduce the panel by discussing the conservation benefits of Section 10 agreements from the perspective of the Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group and share updates about providing updates on the companion Nationwide Agreement for At-Risk Bumble Bees. VDOT will share insights as an early enrollee in the Monarch CCAA, reflecting on how six years of participation have impacted their ROW management. MassDOT will discuss their enrollment strategy and lessons learned from their first full year of participation. Lastly, CDOT will present a case study about their research partnership with the University of Connecticut which analyzed habitat availability within CDOT ROW, how this influenced their enrollment approach for the CCAA, and early results from their first year in the Monarch CCAA.



MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2026 | 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

 

SESSION: Monitoring & Efficacy 1 | ROOM: TBD

Utilizing traditional track-count surveys and motion-sensor cameras to monitor wildlife use near transportation barriers can result in variable species detection rates and provides minimal insight into species behavior. The use of thermal cameras to detect more cryptic or nocturnal wildlife is becoming more commonly used in scientific research. Thermal imaging cameras have been documented to be effective in detecting warm-blooded animals as small as mice (Mus spp.) and as large as moose (Alces alces). The use of continuously recording thermal video for the study of road ecology, which in addition to detecting a wide array of species, would allow for the study of animal behavior including ideally detecting crossing attempts. Placement of this technology at targeted crossing locations can more effectively document a greater diversity of wildlife species than traditional motion-sensor cameras alone. Seasonal behavior and demographics of wildlife captured on camera can also be identified and quantified with the intent of assessing the indirect effects of a transportation corridor on local species vitality, especially if used pre- and post-construction of transportation infrastructure.
Drones are continuing to be integrated across the transportation industry, offering new ways to collect high-quality data while improving efficiency, safety, and decision-making. This presentation explores the practical application of drone-mounted thermal imaging for environmental work within transportation projects, focusing on three primary use cases: wildlife–vehicle collision (WVC) assessment, bat emergence counts and portal surveys, and stream and wetland delineations. Using examples from active and completed transportation projects, we demonstrate how thermal imaging can supplement traditional field methods to better identify wildlife movement patterns, locate high-risk WVC areas, and document species presence near transportation infrastructure. For bat surveys, thermal imagery offers added clarity when conducting emergence counts and portal assessments, improving survey accuracy while reducing field risk and disturbance. For waters delineations, thermal imaging offers an innovative way to identify stream and wetland boundaries to assist with more accurate project scoping, and with quality control efforts. The presentation emphasizes how thermal imaging can be added to our existing practices to enhance data quality, improve field efficiency, and informing planning, design, and mitigation decisions. Lessons learned, limitations, and best practices for integrating thermal imaging into environmental workflows are discussed, with a focus on how these tools can advance wildlife connectivity, regulatory compliance, and infrastructure planning outcomes across transportation systems.
Pennsylvania leads the nation for insurance claims resulting from deer versus vehicle collisions and is in the top 5 states that a motorist is at the greatest risk of striking a deer. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) created and maintains a Deer Encounters Dashboard utilizing data from computer-aided dispatch system (CADS) in 2018 to track locations and seasonal trends of deer encounters across the entire 566-mile PA Turnpike system. The dashboard also displays real time data. This presentation will focus on the implementation of the dashboard, the data it displays, and a brief synopsis of the wildlife corridor study which recently utilized data from the dashboard. The PA Turnpike Commission is also a stakeholder in the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Interagency Wildlife Connectivity Workgroup.
Wildlife crossing structures are widely used to improve habitat connectivity and reduce wildlife vehicle collisions, but their implementation and effectiveness has been primarily focused on large-bodied mammals. Less is known about how reptiles and amphibians use these structures in the southeastern united states despite their vulnerability to road mortality and their importance in many ecosystems. We conducted this study in Gorges State Park, located along the Blue Ridge Escarpment that forms the southeastern edge of the Appalachian Mountains in western North Carolina. In 2008-2009, four small culvert underpasses were installed beneath a two-lane park road to facilitate safe passage for wildlife, specifically timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), a species of conservation concern. From June 1st to November 1st 2022-2025, we monitored four underpass structures using cameras programmed for time-lapse and motion-trigger photo captures to evaluate wildlife use of the crossing structures to pass under the roadway. Wildlife exclusion fencing was installed at structures in 2023 and 2024 and incorporated into analyses to determine initial fence effects. Over four monitoring seasons, we recorded over 4,200 wildlife detections. Snakes were detected in all monitoring years (n = 233 total detections). A total of 37 timber rattlesnake detections were recorded, with detections occurring during all monitoring years. Additional species detected included copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix, n = 53), black racer (Coluber constrictor, n = 2), black rat snake (Pantherophis obsoletus, n = 5). Of snake detections, 56% were classified as structure-use detections, indicating movement into or out of the underpass opening. A high proportion (76%) of timber rattlesnake detections were identified as structure use detections, with multiple observations of use in all four monitoring years. Additional species detections of structure use include copperhead (n = 34), black racer (n = 2), black rat snake (n = 3), and ribbon snake (n = 1). Mammals accounted for the majority of confirmed crossings (n=389), with frequent crossings by armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), raccoon (Procyon lotor), bobcat (Lynx rufus), and rabbit (Sylvilagus sp.). Additional species included spotted skunk (Spilogale putorius) and gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus). Our results demonstrate that small wildlife underpasses can serve as an effective conservation tool for mitigating the impacts of roads on timber rattlesnakes while also supporting a diversity of other wildlife species. Structures were used by both common mammals (e.g., raccoons, opossums, and armadillos) and species of conservation concern (e.g., timber rattlesnakes, spotted skunks), indicating broad ecological value. This study provides a road crossing structure design for reptiles and other underrepresented taxa and highlights the potential for similar underpass systems to be implemented throughout the Appalachian Mountain region for the conservation of the timber rattlesnake and other wildlife species.

 

PANEL: Berkshire Wildlife Linkage | ROOM: TBD

The Berkshire Wildlife Linkage (BWL) spans western Massachusetts and forms a critical ecological corridor connecting the rural Green Mountains of Vermont to the Hudson Highlands of New York. As one of the region’s most critical large-scale wildlife corridors and a recognized priority of the Staying Connected Initiative (SCI), this landscape is key to habitat connectivity at a regional scale. The BWL engages state and federal agencies, regional planning organizations, watershed groups, conservation nonprofits, land trusts and other members of the conservation community to bring habitat connectivity to the forefront of local and regional planning and conservation action. The BWL partners advance land protection projects in key corridors, work collaboratively to get water and wildlife safely across roads and connect the people that live and work within the linkage to these special places. Working groups focused on municipal engagement and transportation improvements are key drivers to some their recent accomplishments, including coordinator providing practitioner trainings, sharing knowledge about funding resources, performing culvert assessments, developing a database to track current and proposed road-stream crossing projects, creating outreach materials for engaging with municipalities, advancing critical infrastructural improvement projects and building reports and geospatial tools to evaluate linkage priorities and assist with project identification and prioritization. These efforts demonstrate how consistent cross-sector partnerships can turn ecological goals into implementable upgrades. This panel will feature brief introductions from the SCI Coordinator and BWL members including MassDOT, MA Division of Ecological Restoration, The Nature Conservancy, and Berkshire Environmental Action Team who will describe the model of their partnership and outline recent successes of their working groups and partners. It will be followed by a moderated Q&A session discussing BWL’s approach to collaboration. This panel seeks to provide insights from the BWL working group model through highlighting the recent work and achievements of this partnership and discussing how various interest groups can leverage expertise and funding to achieve regional habitat connectivity goals.

 

PANEL: Voluntary Pollinator Agreements | ROOM: TBD

A recurring hot topic among American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and state Departments of Transportation is the discussion around the benefits and risks of joining voluntary conservation agreements like CCAAs. Voluntary nationwide programmatic agreements have become increasingly more common to support species recovery and protection, by providing willing partners like state DOTs the added benefit and assurances of reduced regulatory burden upon a species listing. This collaborative workshop will highlight DOTs and a discussion around the pros and cons of joining nationwide Pollinator Agreements. This will be an information sharing workshop, potentially as smaller, regional roundtable discussions to share best practices and lessons learned. Discussions will likely touch on transportation right-of-way maintenance and management practices that have proven difficult to balance the competing interests of roadside maintenance, safety, and pollinator benefits.

 

PANEL: Wildlife Crossings Prioritization | ROOM: TBD

Prioritizing the locations for wildlife road crossings is an essential task, and one that must be completed at various spatial scales corresponding to different levels of government jurisdictions and highway planning needs. We will present 3 case studies for wildlife crossing prioritization, covering the single highway scale, county level assessments, and a regionwide project covering multiple states. Wildlands Network and NPCA conducted a multi-year field-based investigation along 28 miles of Interstate 40 on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. Using roadkill surveys, roadside and structure cameras, and elk GPS tracking, they generated a set of recommendations for wildlife crossing installation across this critical stretch of highway. Implementing these priorities, especially after the destruction wrought by Hurricane Helene, requires close coordination with numerous agency partners. In the Rocky Mountain West, The Center for Large Landscape Conservation has engaged in county-level assessments for Gallatin County, MT, which includes critical migration routes for ungulates in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and in Blaine County, ID, which includes the main arterial road to and from Sun Valley. These assessments combine spatial analysis and field assessments, and require collaboration between municipal and county governments, state DOTs, state Fish & Wildlife agencies, non-profit conservation organizations and private landowners. At the regional scale, Wildlands Network has for several years been working on a crossing prioritization project covering the entire southeastern US, from Texas to Florida north to West Virginia. The effort requires synthesizing 3 key sources of data: wildlife vehicle collisions (mostly deer), structural connectivity priorities for general biodiversity (the habitat network), and the predicted ranges of road-sensitive threatened wildlife species. Scale-dependent lessons from all of these projects (and more!) will be discussed.



MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2026 | 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM

 

TRACK: Poster Session | ROOM: TBD

Aquatic organism passage (AOP) is critical for maintaining connectivity among stream habitats and supporting the movement, reproduction, and long-term persistence of fish communities. With approximately four million miles of roads and streams across the U.S., road-stream crossings such as culverts and bridges can pose barriers to AOP. The National Park Service (NPS) is concerned about the potential effects of reduced AOP at road-stream crossings on fish and other aquatic organisms on their units. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of using GIS to identify road-stream crossings within NPS units for evaluating potential barriers to AOP and their influence on fish community structure. Because comprehensive maps of road-stream crossings throughout National Park Service (NPS) units are limited, we developed a geospatial database to show potential road-stream crossing locations in five park units. Crossings predicted from this project were ground-truthed by visiting them in the field. All infrastructure was surveyed using the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) Aquatic Passability Assessment Protocol that provided a standardized method for evaluating crossing structures and assigning passability scores (full, reduced, or no AOP). Crossings classified as no AOP or full AOP were selected for fish community sampling to evaluate potential long-term effects of reduced passability on community structure. To sample the fish community, we conducted a single pass through 100m sections above and below the crossing. All fish were identified and released on site. Although not statistically significant, in the no AOP category, diversity was slightly higher downstream of crossing structures, suggesting restriction of upstream movement or subtle habitat differences associated with culvert characteristics. In addition, water temperature and other abiotic variables showed relationships with the presence of certain species (e.g. trout), indicating that local environmental conditions may interact with structural features to influence community composition. These findings highlight the value of pairing infrastructure assessment tools with biological and environmental data. Integrating NAACC scores, accurate mapping, and community sampling provides a more comprehensive framework for understanding how road–stream crossings influence aquatic connectivity and for refining prioritization strategies aimed at improving ecosystem resilience.
The bobcat (Lynx rufus) is threatened in the state of New Jersey. Significant habitat fragmentation presents connectivity challenges which may inhibit the continued recovery of the species. Bobcat range is currently limited primarily to the north of the state, with southernmost sightings converging on central New Jersey, a highly developed and urbanized area of the state. Localized opportunities for connectivity from the north of the state to suitable habitat in the south have not been explored. Road underpasses have the potential to facilitate the safe movement of bobcats between these areas of suitable habitat in an otherwise barrier-laden landscape. We are conducting a camera trapping study from 2024-2026 at 38 underpasses along six highways and interstates in New Jersey to examine their potential to facilitate bobcat movement, and to identify the spatial, physical, and temporal variables that affect their use. We will use a multi-model framework to assess bobcat movement in relation to the underpasses. Generalized linear mixed models will be created to consider covariates affecting bobcat crossing rates, culminating in two final predictive models. One will be based on habitat and physical characteristics of a crossing. The other will be based on the habitat and physical characteristics of a crossing as well as the crossing rates of species recognized as commensal due to shared observed preferences in passage use. Together, these models will influence road construction and mitigation in the state and inform management decisions to further the recovery of the species.
In 2024, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) received grant funding ($484,280) through the Federal Highway Administrations’ Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program. This project will be a collaboration between SHA and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and will run for 3 years (2025 through 2028). This planning project, led by SHA, aims to reduce Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions (WVCs) and increase habitat connectivity by identifying road segments with high rates of WVCs, establishing design guidance to reduce WVCs and improve habitat connectivity, sustaining statewide WVC reduction and habitat connectivity through equitable public engagement, and strengthening resilience via a long-term SHA–DNR partnership. The project objectives are to identify WVC hotspots & develop wildlife crossing design guidance, improve WVC incident recording practices, and to engage Maryland’s residents through outreach.
To ensure adequate aquatic connectivity for fish, amphibians, and other organisms, it is essential to have both established methodologies and sufficient workforce capacity to assess culverts and other stream crossings. A regional methodology has been established through the North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC), and the workforce capacity can be expanded by training students and members of the public in crossing assessment. This approach can help to alleviate the immense backlog of unassessed stream crossings on publicly accessible land. In 2024 and 2025, Save the Sound conducted culvert assessment training sessions with high school and college students in southeastern Connecticut, emphasizing both on both tidal and non-tidal crossings, using the NAACC protocol. Building on this effort, in 2026, Save the Sound will hire two seasonal Stream Barrier Technicians who will be trained and certified to assess culverts across southeastern coastal Connecticut, further increasing regional assessment capacity. Trainings like these provide workforce development for future environmental professionals and can also build a volunteer base for stream crossing assessments. This presentation will discuss the regional collaboration between multiple organizations and institutions and the involvement of students in assessing stream crossings, with the intention that this approach can be replicated in other regions.
When fish passage improvements were required at Red Brook Bridge in South Portland, Maine, the project presented significant technical challenges. The existing structure consisted of a 300-foot-long, 11.5-foot-diameter culvert located approximately 15 feet beneath Interstate 295. The culvert’s size and location made full replacement cost-prohibitive, while a pronounced outlet drop prevented upstream aquatic organism passage. In response to these constraints, the project team designed and constructed a bypass pool-and-weir fishway at the culvert outlet to restore connectivity. During the summer of 2025, post-construction monitoring was conducted using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag technology to evaluate fish passage effectiveness. This poster presents the fishway design and monitoring results, exploring the observed effectiveness of the design in passing the species of concern, brook trout.
Massachusetts is a road-dense and river-dense state, containing upwards of 25,000 road-stream crossings, most of which are undersized, degraded, and unassessed for safety and ecological resilience. As climate change in New England drives more frequent and intense storm events, road-stream crossings represent a critical area of vulnerability with regards to public safety, as well as a choke-point for aquatic and terrestrial species movement. The North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative (NAACC) Database provides a framework to assess and quantify the condition of these crossings, generating data that supports climate adaptation planning at municipal, regional, and watershed scales. Over the past two years, the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER) has been a statewide leader in efforts to enhance the completeness and accuracy of this database, resulting in the assessment of over 1,100 culverts, representing 3.5% of all culverts in the state. Enhancing the completeness of this database supports municipalities, watershed groups and regional governments in decision-making, prioritization, planning and funding for infrastructural improvements that reconnect habitat areas, improve fish and wildlife passage and support the state’s climate resiliency goals.  This poster will discuss data-driven insights and trends resulting from our work, as well as highlighting regional partnerships and capacity-building opportunities supported through this initiative.
Understanding how wildlife navigate their fragmented landscapes is fundamental to effective conservation and mitigation strategies. It is also challenging. Data from animal behavior, landscape attributes, and human infrastructure are required. We execute a wildlife ecology program in the western Hudson Highlands of southern New York. The bulk of our efforts have centered on a section of Interstate 87 (I-87), a 4-lane highway that receives >49,000 vehicles/day that contributes to the highest deer-vehicle collisions rate in the State. We have recorded mammal distributions (via camera traps), fisher (Pekania pennanti) and bobcat (Lynx rufus) behaviors (via GPS and accelerometer enabled collars), road mortality (via road-kill surveys and accident records), and mammal usage of under-highway culvert monitoring (via camera traps). Eight years of camera surveys have detected fisher and porcupine (Erethrizon dorsatum) west and directly adjacent to, but not east of I-87. Tracking data from seven bobcats (>112,000 locations, >350,000 behavior readings) reveal road crossing locations and a series of modified behaviors adjacent to the highway. Three years of monitoring 8 culverts also revealed species-specific patterns in proximity to I-87 and pass-through failure and success rates. Our year-long biweekly road-kill survey complemented a 23-yr record of deer-vehicle collision dataset: 2.7 white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) carcasses/mile and 19 mammal carcasses/mile occur annually. Our current efforts include estimating functional connectivity for bobcats, identifying landscape features associated with densities of successful and unsuccessful crossing locations, and extrapolating our culvert crossing information to other culverts for road permeability estimates. Our goal is to combine our multi-year datasets to form a robust understanding of landscape connectivity across our region that guides the design and implementation of mitigation efforts.
: In June of 2025 MaineDOT opened a new 6 mile highway connecting route 395 in Brewer to route 9 in Eddington. The main purpose of this new connector was to provide an improved travel route for local and regional commercial and passenger traffic. The new connector also allows for reduced heavy truck traffic volumes, which improved safety and mobility on Route 1A and 46. A key feature of this new highway is the wide range of habitat connectivity structures for aquatic and terrestrial organisms installed underneath the road. These structures include a bridge span with wildlife shelves, two large stream culverts, three terrestrial wildlife crossings, and two snowmobile trail crossings. Since the connector’s opening these crossings have been monitored using camera traps to document successful use. Data has been compiled from June to December across all the structures thus far. In total MaineDOT has been able to confirm the crossing of 328 animals across 19 taxa. All the structures have documented successful use of a wide range of taxa. The most common species documented are white-tailed deer of all age classes and both sexes. As part of the monitoring each crossing also has “refusal” cameras facing away to document animals that do not use the crossing. For the most part, animals that approach the crossing but do not use it are not doing so due to an aversion to the crossing. Most are simply walking by, usually grazing along the exterior of the fence and do not look inclined to use it. In some cases, body language does suggest an aversion to utilizing the crossing but based on photo evidence and continued use these seem to be one-off instances where other environmental factors are contributing to an aversion to utilizing the crossing. One instance of this was use of black bears at the southern snowmobile crossing. On 8/19/25 an adult black bear was documented comfortably using the crossing from the western entrance to the eastern exit. Three days later on 8/22/25 a black bear (possibly the same individual) was documented approaching the eastern side of the crossing. The refusal camera shows an alert bear, scenting the wind with large forward-facing ears. The bear approaches and backs out of the crossing twice before ultimately leaving the area. It’s unclear what may have caused this, but the previous use leads MaineDOT to believe it was something other than just the crossing. Aside from these crossings the connector is fully fenced and contains Maine’s first wildlife jump-outs to allow animals that enter the highway to exit safely. MaineDOT has been conducting roadkill surveys to document the effectiveness of the installed crossings and fencing at keeping animals out of the road. There are some hot spots in roadkill, mainly the gap in 8ft tall deer fencing that consists of a half mile of 4ft fencing. This shorter fencing was used as there is not enough space under the road to install a crossing and there was local concern of the 8ft fencing acting as a funnel sending deer over adjacent roads. In the 10months since the opening of the crossing there have only been 2 white-tailed deer collisions documented, and we have confirmed the crossing of 146 deer utilizing the crossing structures under the road. Though MaineDOT is only in their first year of post construction monitoring, there has already been documented success across the various structures allowing for improved safety for motorists and continued habitat connectivity.
Designated as Maryland’s state reptile, the northern diamondback terrapin is threatened by predation, habitat loss, and road mortality. Almost all terrapin road mortalities are with gravid females that leave their marshes to nest where high tide cannot reach them. As terrapins mature slowly, the loss of breeding-age females to vehicular collisions has devastating and cascading impacts on local terrapin populations. MD State Highway Administration is currently in the planning phase of work at two sites on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to study the effectiveness of different types of wildlife fencing at preventing terrapin road mortality. The results of this work will be used to guide future terrapin fencing implementation efforts.



TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2026 | 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM

 

SESSION: Monitoring & Efficacy 2 | ROOM: TBD

The Interstate 99 (I-99) project spans approximately 18 miles with a four-lane, limited access highway through Centre and Blair Counties in Pennsylvania and was open for traffic in 2007/2008. Early in the design phase it was recognized that the highway would create a barrier to wildlife movement between the forested ridge to the south and the agricultural valley floor to the north and, as such, wildlife-vehicle collisions were a significant concern. A Natural Resource Compensation Plan (NRCP) was developed to address wildlife movement by incorporating five wildlife crossing locations to facilitate the safe movement of wildlife between these habitats and reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions along this section of the I-99 corridor. A three-year wildlife mortality study was conducted from 2008-2010 in conjunction with a wildlife crossings corridor monitoring study. The wildlife mortality study was conducted to determine the number of wildlife mortalities along the I-99 highway, identify species, and indicate where the mortalities were occurring in relationship to the location of wildlife crossings. The wildlife mortality survey used a visual survey methodology performed from a vehicle. Wildlife mortalities were noted in relationship to highway mile marker signs located at one-mile intervals and divided by 1/10-mile sections. A 1-mile buffer was established around each wildlife crossing (1/2-mile in each direction around the crossing) to determine the number of mortalities that occurred within or outside of the 1-mile buffer. During the first year (2008) of wildlife mortality monitoring, 113 mortalities were observed with 46 mortalities occurring within the 1-mile buffer of the wildlife crossings. In 2009, 124 mortalities were observed with 47 mortalities occurring within the 1-mile buffer of the wildlife crossings. During the final year of the initial I-99 wildlife mortality monitoring study a total of 23 mortalities were observed with 7 mortalities occurring within the 1-mile buffer of the wildlife crossing. Species observed during the initial wildlife mortality study encompassed three species taxa including birds, mammals, and reptiles.The 2025/2026 study does not replicate the 2008/2010 study but rather provides a data point in time of wildlife mortality associated with the wildlife crossings in the I-99 travel corridor and determines if wildlife crossing locations have been effective in reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions. The 2025/2026 wildlife mortality monitoring study is currently in progress. Preliminary results from October 2025 through February 2026 include 51 individuals in the mammal family, of which twenty-five (25) mortalities were observed within the buffer area around a wildlife crossing. Preliminary data results indicate that fox (vulpes spp.), porcupine (Procyon lotor), Viginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), raccoon (Procyon lotor), eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), striped skunk (Mephitis mephitis), and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were identified during the period between October 2025 and February 2026. A comprehensive analysis for the complete study illustrating the total number of species and mortality locations relating to wildlife crossings will be presented.
The Interstate 99 (I-99) project spans approximately 18 miles with a four-lane, limited access highway through Centre and Blair Counties in Pennsylvania and was open for traffic in 2007/2008. Early in the design phase it was recognized that the highway would create a barrier to wildlife movement between the forested ridge to the south and the agricultural valley floor to the north.A Natural Resource Compensation Plan (NRCP) was developed to address wildlife movement and incorporated five wildlife crossing corridor locations that were selected based on several objectives including construction in areas that present minimal grade changes, locations that can provide a dual function of maintaining landowner access as well as wildlife travel, and areas that function as natural travel corridors for wildlife. To document if the crossing structures were providing the opportunity for wildlife movement, a trail camera study was conducted in 2008 and continued through 2010. Wildlife monitoring included three (3) years of continuous monitoring with trail cameras and wildlife track monitoring to determine species usage of wildlife crossing corridors. Species observed during the 2008-2010 study included white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), black bear (Ursus americanus), bobcat (Lynx rufus), wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), Canada geese (Branta canadensis), and numerous other small-mammal species. In Fall 2025, additional monitoring commenced at the five (5) wildlife crossing corridors within the I-99 travel corridor to determine if species composition and frequency of usage were consistent with the 2008/2010 study. The five (5) wildlife crossings are visited every two (2) weeks to download photos and video from the camera stations and to identify species utilizing the crossings. Monitoring is currently in progress, and the study will be completed in early September 2026. To date, numerous wildlife species including white-tailed deer, bobcat, wild turkey, coyote (Canis latrans), and several small-mammal species have been identified utilizing the corridors on a regular basis.
Land managers and transportation planners are increasingly planning for and funding projects for accommodating wildlife passage through culverts and overpasses. However, while many studies document animal usage of these structures, there has been less emphasis on identifying and connecting data regarding effective design features and their impact on animal movement patterns. By monitoring roadkill hotspots in conjunction with culvert crossing attempts, successes, and failures, we can explore landscape and infrastructure drivers of movement. Here, we monitored eight drainage culverts located under interstate I-87 in the Mid-Hudson region of Orange County, New York between 19 July and 20 October 2020 - 2022 and conducted bi-weekly roadkill surveys across three major arterial highways between 11 August 2022, and 3 August 2023. We identified significant roadkill hotspots with an adaptive network kernel density estimation model and subsequent permutation simulations. For our culvert passage rates, we used ordinal movements from a multi-camera setup to determine which culvert features led to higher successful passage rates. We then linked high-risk locations from our roadkill analyses to existing passage infrastructure locations to better evaluate the structural functionality of drainage culvert features. We used this data-informed efficacy of passage structures to inform a larger 8-year project on bobcat (Lynx rufus) functional connectivity. As part of this project, we have recorded >130,000 GPS locations from 7 bobcats and identified >500 sequences of bobcats from camera traps. By incorporating passage structure efficacy into bobcat connectivity models, we can better quantify the degree to which road permeability affects mammal functional connectivity within a densely populated suburban area.
Resource selection can be quantified at multiple spatial levels — such as within a home range or with territory placement — to understand the drivers of animal space use. However, studies often measure selection at a single level due to logistical constraints or limited understanding of how the hierarchical structure underlying selection can be combined. Resource selection at finer levels is conditioned on selection at broader levels, and this relationship enables differential selection patterns to be integrated across levels into a single measure of relative probability of use with multi-level resource selection functions (i.e., multi-level RSFs). American black bear (Ursus americanus) is found across diverse landscapes, and consequently, their selection may vary across levels which can complicate management action. In addition, individual variation, such as sex or body condition, may alter behavioral responses to landscape variables. Therefore, providing a single measure of selection that accounts for differences in selection patterns across individuals and levels would be beneficial. Here, we quantified multi-level selection using a step selection function within the home range at the 3rd-order and an RSF for home range placement at the 2nd-order across the bear range in Pennsylvania, USA. The extent of Pennsylvania’s monitoring program resulted in disparate resource availability and urbanization, leading us to believe that selection strength would likely vary across orders. Using 44 bears from 2024 and 133 from 2025, we generated models by sex and season, tested predictive ability using individual-based k-fold cross validation, and produced four sex-season utilization distribution maps. We additionally analyzed data from 35 individuals that were monitored from 2018 to 2021, which included bears with mange and those without, to allow us to compare across different measures of body condition. We found that selection varied by sex, season, and mange status, with some evidence of selection strength varying across the 2nd- and 3rd- orders. By taking advantage of the hierarchical nature of resource selection, we can account for differential selection patterns across spatial levels and generate more useful predictions for species management and conservation.

 

SESSION: Designing for Connectivity | ROOM: TBD

This presentation introduces the development of a GIS- and model‑based decision support tool designed to identify optimal locations for wildlife crossing structures and to prioritize these locations for fiscally responsible transportation planning. The tool aims to reduce wildlife–vehicle collisions, enhance roadway safety, and address wildlife mortality across multiple taxa. Originally developed for the Indiana Department of Transportation, the tool integrates a wide range of spatial datasets, including georeferenced wildlife‑vehicle collision records, species distribution models, movement corridors, habitat and land cover classifications, transportation infrastructure inventories, and traffic volume metrics such as Average Annual Daily Traffic (AADT). These inputs are synthesized within a GIS framework to support spatial prioritization and predictive modeling of effective crossing structure placement. Built with a modular architecture, the tool accommodates multiple modeling paradigms—such as rule‑based, statistical, and weight‑driven approaches—allowing for methodological updates without extensive redevelopment. Resulting outputs include ranked spatial recommendations and interactive geovisualizations that support transportation planning and ecological mitigation strategies. The presentation will cover the tool’s development process, data requirements, and key challenges encountered during framework construction. Species‑specific examples from the Indiana application will be included to demonstrate how weighting schemes were developed and how model outputs informed decision‑making.
Roadways present survival risks to wildlife moving across them and can function as major barriers, separating suitable habitats and isolating populations. Due to the continued expansion of urbanization, conflicts between motorists on the roadways and wildlife continue to increase. This conflict, commonly known as wildlife- vehicle collisions (WVCs), is especially true for turtle populations which are slow-moving, and are most active in late spring to early summer while searching for nesting areas. This study focused on turtle mortality and mitigation measures through a 2.14-mile segment of Interstate 84 (I84) between Ridge Road and the turn-around after Exit 32 near Stewart Airport. Interstate 84 is a high-volume roadway in Orange County, New York. The study area bisects wetland areas that are prime habitat for turtle species including snapping and painted turtles. The proximity of I84 to the wetland areas as well as the soft digging in the road shoulders increases the likelihood of turtle WVCs in the area. A series of letters from the public regarding turtle deaths along this stretch of the roadway led NYSDOT to conduct a turtle mortality study in the area to determine the extent of the issue. The turtle mortality study led to the development of a mitigation recommendation to reduce mortality which is awaiting funding for implementation. The I84 turtle mortality study involved a pre-study set-up period where the Main Office, Office of Environment (OOE), developed methods and materials needed to conduct the study. OOE coordinated Regional Environmental and Maintenance staff on the methods and logistics of undertaking the study along a high-volume roadway and reviewed construction methodologies of existing turtle fences with the state system. Once the field work was completed, OOE conducted post-field work GIS mapping and analysis to inform the Region where the most turtle strikes occurred along the roadway. OOE developed fencing recommendations based on the mortality study results, existing infrastructure, topography, and clear zones. While the turtle fencing has not been constructed yet, this identified the most critical locations to implement the turtle barrier fencing once funding is made available. We will also explore how other Regions have conducted turtle mortality studies and the subsequent implementation of turtle barrier fencing.
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The Department of Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Waterways Engineering and Wetlands, Division of Wetland Encroachments and Training (DWET) proposes to present a comprehensive overview of our recent collaborative education and training initiative focused on stream continuity. This initiative, a successful partnership with The Center for Dirt and Gravel Road and Bloomsburg University, aims to significantly enhance understanding and application of stream continuity principles across diverse audiences. This collaborative effort has resulted in the development of a multi-faceted educational program designed to cater to a broad spectrum of learners.

Key components include:
• • Educational Videos: Accessible and engaging visual content for public consumption.
• • Simplistic Overview Training: Foundational knowledge designed for ease of understanding by a wide audience.
• • In-depth Training Material: Comprehensive resources to equip individuals with a foundational understanding of stream continuity, suitable for various levels of expertise.
• • All developed materials are hosted on the DEP’s learning management system, the Clean Water Academy (CWA). CWA provides a free and accessible platform for public access and dissemination of this critical information. Furthermore, it serves as a vital resource for the continuous education of our own staff, ensuring their proficiency in stream continuity principles and enhancing the impact of in-field training.

Our presentation at this conference will provide attendees with the following:
• • Introduction to the Clean Water Academy: A demonstration of the platform and its features, highlighting its role in accessible environmental education.
• • Current and Future Training Initiatives: An overview of DWET’s ongoing and planned educational programs, showcasing our commitment to professional development and public awareness.
• • Stream Continuity Training Showcase: A detailed review of the newly developed stream continuity training module, offering attendees a direct experience of the quality and depth of training offered by DWET.

We believe that presenting our stream continuity education and training initiative at this conference will be of significant value to attendees, offering insights into effective, accessible, and collaborative environmental education strategies. We are confident that this initiative serves as a model for impactful knowledge dissemination and professional development in the field of environmental protection.

Prior to the release of any professional development trainings, DWET engages in rigorous collaboration with internal staff and external partners. This meticulous process ensures the highest standards are met, satisfying the training requirements of both our agency personnel and the general public. Our guiding principle is that well-designed training must be both accessible and beneficial to all learners, regardless of their prior knowledge or professional background.
This is not a typical abstract, but an offer for a class session to support a planned field trip: We have been working with Bryon Ruhl (PennDOT) and Kyle Clark (PAFBC) on providing a field trip during the NETWC conference. The field trip would look at some of the local sites around State College completed by the PA Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Program, with a focus on stream crossing replacements for AOP and stream continuity. I would like to also offer a class session as a sort of "primer" to the field trip. We run multi-day training on the topic, so any of the presentation format choices would work if there is something you need more than others. I would be glad to give you more specific information on our effort and what we would be discussing. For a brief primer, please see https://dirtandgravel.psu.edu/wp-content/uploads/Stream_Connectivity_in_PA.pdf I could also invite co-presenters for a longer session as we work closely with the PA DEP, Trout Unlimited, Fish and Boat Commission, and others. Please feel free to contact me to discuss options. (814-777-0066, [email protected]).

 

SESSION: Habitats and Highways | ROOM: TBD

TIME: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM AND 10:45 AM – 12:05 PM

The Habitats and Highways training is an introduction to road ecology. In this six-part series, participants will learn the basic scientific concepts, the range of infrastructure solutions, the larger scale of connectivity planning, the benefits of working with an inter-disciplinary team and an understanding of regional initiatives and funding. The training is hosted by the NETWC Steering Committee, and we encourage participation in all six sessions, but you're welcome to sign up for just one session or a few if that helps to round out your understanding. The trainings are augmented by a five-part video series developed by the Nature Conservancy and the Staying Connected Initiative. The six part training is available for continuing education credits for engineers. In this introductory session, you'll learn more about what is road ecology and why its so important for maintaining populations of fish and wildlife in the face of a changing climate.
In this second session of the Habitats and Highways training series, participants will learn more about the scope of the issue in conflicts between wildlife and roads. Going beyond the safety of an individual animal, participants will come to understand basic concepts in population ecology that are fundamental to this work. The Habitats and Highways training is an introduction to road ecology. In this six-part series, participants will learn the basic scientific concepts, the range of infrastructure solutions, the larger scale of connectivity planning, the benefits of working with an inter-disciplinary team and an understanding of regional initiatives and funding. The training is hosted by the NETWC Steering Committee, and we encourage participation in all six sessions, but you're welcome to sign up for just one session or a few if that helps to round out your understanding. The trainings are augmented by a five-part video series developed by the Nature Conservancy and the Staying Connected Initiative. The six part training is available for continuing education credits for engineers.
Designing effective transportation infrastructure is essential to alleviating to problem of roadkill and the larger issues of population isolation and genetic homogeneity that can result. In session 3 of the Habitats and Highways training series, participants will learn about the range of infrastructure solutions that are out there, from low-cost fixes to multi-million-dollar underpasses and overpasses that facilitate wildlife movement. The Habitats and Highways training is an introduction to road ecology. In this six-part series, participants will learn the basic scientific concepts, the range of infrastructure solutions, the larger scale of connectivity planning, the benefits of working with an inter-disciplinary team and an understanding of regional initiatives and funding. The training is hosted by the NETWC Steering Committee, and we encourage participation in all six sessions, but you're welcome to sign up for just one session or a few if that helps to round out your understanding. The trainings are augmented by a five-part video series developed by the Nature Conservancy and the Staying Connected Initiative. The six-part training is available for continuing education credits for engineers.
Beyond an individual road segment, habitat connectivity exists at a landscape scale with an entire network that consists of core forests, forested stepping stones, wildlife road crossings and the entire riparian and aquatic system. In session 4 of the Habitats and Highways training series, participants will learn more about planning and prioritizing at this landscape scale with examples of relevant models and mapping. The Habitats and Highways training is an introduction to road ecology. In this six-part series, participants will learn the basic scientific concepts, the range of infrastructure solutions, the larger scale of connectivity planning, the benefits of working with an inter-disciplinary team and an understanding of regional initiatives and funding. The training is hosted by the NETWC Steering Committee, and we encourage participation in all six sessions, but you're welcome to sign up for just one session or a few if that helps to round out your understanding. The trainings are augmented by a five-part video series developed by the Nature Conservancy and the Staying Connected Initiative. The six-part training is available for continuing education credits for engineers.

10:20 AM - 10:45 AM BREAK

Road ecology is an inherently multi-disciplinary endeavor. Working with inter-disciplinary teams is fundamental to the success of any project and multi-disciplinary partnerships at the state, provincial and regional level are important for success across larger landscapes. In session 5 of the Habitats and Highways training series, participants will learn more about the benefits of this interdisciplinary approach and how the Staying Connected Initiative is coordinating a multi-pronged approach to habitat connectivity across northeastern North America. The Habitats and Highways training is an introduction to road ecology. In this six-part series, participants will learn the basic scientific concepts, the range of infrastructure solutions, the larger scale of connectivity planning, the benefits of working with an inter-disciplinary team and an understanding of regional initiatives and funding. The training is hosted by the NETWC Steering Committee, and we encourage participation in all six sessions, but you're welcome to sign up for just one session or a few if that helps to round out your understanding. The trainings are augmented by a five-part video series developed by the Nature Conservancy and the Staying Connected Initiative. The six-part training is available for continuing education credits for engineers.
There is a lot going on right now with respect to habitat connectivity at the regional level. The Staying Connected Initiative has published the Pathways to an Ecologically There is a lot going on right now with respect to habitat connectivity at the regional level. The Staying Connected Initiative has published the Pathways to an Ecologically Connected Transborder Landscape. The Northeast Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies has convened a Landscape Connectivity Committee and the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers have passed two resolutions in recent years speaking to the importance of ecological connectivity across this binational region. In session 6 of the Habitats and Highways training series, participants will learn more about these efforts and how this work across the region promotes opportunity for more projects on the ground. The Habitats and Highways training is an introduction to road ecology. In this six-part series, participants will learn the basic scientific concepts, the range of infrastructure solutions, the larger scale of connectivity planning, the benefits of working with an inter-disciplinary team and an understanding of regional initiatives and funding. The training is hosted by the NETWC Steering Committee, and we encourage participation in all six sessions, but you're welcome to sign up for just one session or a few if that helps to round out your understanding. The trainings are augmented by a five-part video series developed by the Nature Conservancy and the Staying Connected Initiative. The six-part training is available for continuing education credits for engineers.
A primary goal of the SWTAP was to create spatial data products to inform and incorporate into MassDOT capital project planning. A GIS-based Optimized Hot Spot Analysis was used to identify statistically significant clustering of vehicular collisions with wildlife across Massachusetts, with the result then being fed into a co-occurrence raster analysis with several other data layers representing safety, ecological and modifying factors. This co-occurrence analysis was used to identify the locations where well-designed roadway projects can achieve multiple benefits for wildlife, ecosystems, and motorists’ safety. This GIS-based analysis is a transparent, repeatable process that can be updated with new data, as needed. The products created consisted of a polygon layer representing clusters of wildlife-vehicle collisions throughout Massachusetts’ six highway districts, as well as a comprehensive statewide layer showing the “High Opportunity Locations” identified during the co-occurrence process, to be used to inform decision-making and roadway project planning. This GIS-focused presentation will highlight the workflow and methods used to produce these products, highlight problems faced during the process and the solutions employed therein, and provide insight into how GIS can be used to augment and improve a transportation action plan such as this.
The MassDOT SWTAP identifies locations along roadways where well-designed roadway projects can have the greatest benefit to wildlife conservation, landscape connectivity, and driver safety. These locations were identified through a GIS-based co-occurrence analysis of data representing reported wildlife-vehicle crashes, terrestrial and aquatic connectivity, rare species distribution, high value habitats, protected lands, expert opinion, and traffic volume. Data layers were chosen for the analysis based on input from MassDOT and MassWildlife personnel. This presentation describes the collaborative approach used to choosing data inputs and provides a detailed look at the data chosen and how it was considered in the analysis, followed by a review of the analysis results. The results have been incorporated into MassDOT’s Project Development process, as a data layer in the agency’s GIS-based project review tool, and in a separate ArcGIS Viewer also created as part of the SWTAP effort. An overview of the functionality of these tools will also be provided.



TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2026 | 10:45 AM - 12:05 PM

 

PANEL: Partnering for Connectivity | ROOM: TBD

Habitat fragmentation from roads and other development remains a challenge across the Northeast, disrupting both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. At the same time, climate change is increasing the urgency to protect, reconnect, and restore landscapes to build long-term resilience. In response, regional initiatives are advancing collaborative, cross-sector approaches to improve connectivity and build climate resilience at multiple scales. This presentation highlights two complementary efforts led by the Housatonic Valley Association: "Follow the Forest" and "Clean, Cold, and Connected". These initiatives bring together public agencies, NGOs, and community members to coordinate protection of core forest habitats, stream connectivity, and terrestrial wildlife movement corridors. By aligning strategies, tools, and funding, these partnerships are driving forward on the ground conservation actions, ranging from land protection, culvert replacements, and floodplain restoration projects to innovative behavior change campaigns. Attendees will hear from program coordinators and partners and learn how collaborative conservation initiatives are improving habitat connectivity for wildlife—from brook trout and salamanders to bobcat and moose—while also reducing wildlife-vehicle conflicts and supporting safer, more resilient transportation networks and communities.

 

SESSION: Planning & Permitting | ROOM: TBD

This presentation will dive into the collaborative work being done in PA to educate that beneficial projects and regulations and permit conditions do not have to be at odds for stream continuity/stream simulation culvert replacements. The Pennsylvania DEPs stream and wetland regulatory program has worked hand in hand with the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission and the Penn State Center for Dirt and Gravel Road Studies on stream continuity road culvert replacements for many years. Permitting can be seen as a hurdle to beneficial projects; however, PA DEP has been working with partners to ensure it is not seen that way for these projects. Working to change mindsets and approaches requires both permitting and designer mindsets to change and understand the work being accomplished. Part of the breaking down regulatory barriers for stream simulation/stream continuity designs also involves highlighting how these projects restore degraded systems and minimize impacts and may reduce or eliminate necessary compensation.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has integrated state and federal natural resource priorities into the transportation planning process through interagency collaborations to ensure environmental priorities are considered from the earliest stages of project design. This presentation focuses on how early project coordination through MassDOT’s screening tool, MaPIT, can identify connectivity restoration opportunities for diadromous fish. In collaboration with the state and federal fisheries agencies, their geospatial tools can not only flag TOYs but identify potential restoration opportunities. Projects highlighted represent a range of infrastructure types including bridge, culvert, fishway and dam replacements. Project examples vary in development, from planning through completion. Each project serves as a case study in project execution, challenges, lessons learned, and how MassDOT continues to refine its approach to better integrate natural resources into project planning. These tools are also being leveraged to proactively identify DOT owned assets in need of replacement. These assets can be identified to pursue external funding opportunities as well as fulfilling the Commonwealths biodiversity goals.
Since the mid 1990's, PennDOT's Bridge Program in western Pennsylvania has been challenged by project conflicts with federal and state endangered aquatic species, specifically freshwater mussels and their critical habitats. These projects have also intersected with fish, hellbenders, bats, listed plants, and other threatened and endangered species. PennDOT and its partners developed a programmatic biological assessment agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to streamline these project conflicts. The agreement has been able to fast track biological assessment projects from what originally could take over a year down to as little as 45 days. The presenters will review the outline and performance of the current programmatic agreement, and also provide an update on the PennDOT Hunter Station Project with salvaged and relocated over 135,000 mussels including 90,000 endangered species to 7 states and the Seneca Nation.
Virginia is among the first states in the eastern U.S. to create a Wildlife Corridor Action Plan (WCAP) to align statewide conservation and transportation priorities for protecting wildlife corridors and promoting driver safety. To create the WCAP, the Virginia General Assembly enacted legislation in 2021 to establish a collaborative team comprised of the Virginia Departments of Wildlife Resources, Transportation, Conservation and Recreation, and Forestry. As the state team is now working on the four-year WCAP update, this presentation will provide updates on ongoing studies, including a large mammal predictive road risk model and benefit cost analysis. We will also discuss our approach to integrating other important species for corridor conservation including small fauna and aquatic species. Additionally, we will cover Virginia’s progress for identifying priority wildlife crossing projects, implementation strategies, and other crossing collaborative pilot initiatives across the Commonwealth.



WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 | 8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

 

SESSION: Last But Not Least | ROOM: TBD

CTDOT State Project 0104-0175 involves the replacement of Bridge No. 02713 which consists of four 60-inch round asphalt coated corrugated metal pipe culverts with a 28-foot wide by 7-foot high precast arch structure and associated roadway improvements. The project includes unavoidable impacts to both inland and tidal wetlands and requires compensatory mitigation. The proposed mitigation site includes restoration of approximately 10,000 sq. ft. of degraded salt marsh using Thin Layer Deposition (TLD), a novel mitigation approach for CTDOT. The proposed TLD location was one of the field sites visited by attendees at NETWC 2024. Construction of the site was completed over the winter of 2025/2026. Winter construction was mandated by species time-of-year restrictions in the permit authorizations. Numerous constructability challenges were encountered by the Contractor with placement of the soil material in winter conditions. The site is scheduled to be planted in the spring of 2026, and long-term monitoring will begin in 2027. CTDOT intends to share lessons learned from the permitting and construction of our first TLD site and report out on the feasibility of using this technique as tidal wetland mitigation in the future.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s (PTC) Pollinator Initiative grew from their stewardship goal to embrace a culture of sustainability and employ vegetation management strategies that create pollinator habitat, while supporting innovation and reducing operating costs. This Initiative led to the establishment of seven (7) pollinator habitats from 2022-2025 at administrative buildings, interchanges and service plazas across the state. These sites help support a diversity of pollinators, increase habitat connectivity, and improve stormwater management while also serving as outdoor laboratories to study seed mixes and management strategies that can be applied to the Turnpike’s Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management (IRVM) program. This presentation will focus on the results of the 4th Year (2025) monitoring season (with updates from the 2026 season) and highlight areas of success from several pollinator habitat sites. Additionally, application of PTC’s IRVM program at two maintenance sheds in 2025 will be discussed and how habitat management is being integrated within functional roadside vegetation zones to support long-term sustainability goals. The presentation will also expand on how lessons learned will guide future IRVM efforts and the integration of large-scale pollinator habitat along 565 miles of the PTC’s transportation corridor.
: Built in 1954, the Shoemaker Bridge has long served as a key connection between Interstate 710 (I-710), surrounding neighborhoods, and Downtown Long Beach. However, its aging structure and outdated design, including sharp curves on the on- and off-ramps and other nonstandard features, have led to safety concerns, a high rate of accidents, and structural deficiencies.To address these issues, the City of Long Beach is planning to construct a new, state-of-the-art, iconic bridge that meets current Highway Capacity Manual design standards, enhances safety, and strengthens neighborhood connectivity. The new bridge will be located just south of the existing bridge and will feature an elevated roundabout at its eastern end, providing direct connections to 7th Street and Shoreline Drive. The Shoemake Bridge and realigned Shoreline Drive will feature dedicated bike and pedestrian paths, enhancing mobility and improving connections between the east and west sides of the I-710 corridor.These projects are part of the Elevate ’28 Infrastructure Investment Plan, a historic initiative dedicated to enhancing Long Beach parks, community facilities, mobility access and streets. As the City set out to obtain environmental approvals for the proposed iconic Shoemaker Bridge, compliance with the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) was identified as an important issue to be addressed. As engineering professionals know, infrastructure projects situated within sensitive ecological areas can face complex and costly environmental approval hurdles. This white paper presents innovative solutions and a transferable process developed for the iconic Shoemaker Bridge that can be utilized for similar bridge projects facing challenges of both theoretical and actual avian interactions. In the case of the City of Long Beach’s Shoemaker Bridge Replacement Project, the vision was clear: solve a complex engineering task with multiple constraints, optimize construction funding, and create an iconic structural landmark. However, the Project faced significant regulatory hurdles regarding perceived impacts to migratory birds and potential avian collisions because of the cable stay bridge design. Rather than viewing these environmental regulations as a barrier, the City established a specialized TASC Force (Technology & Avian Safety Coalition) to launch a first of its kind comprehensive international study regarding cable-stay bridges.The Shoemaker Migratory Bird Treaty Act Compliance Study reports on the literature search conducted to analyze existing data on impacts related to cable stay bridges to identify best practices that could be used to balance infrastructure and nature, identifies processes to study migratory birds within the project area, analyzes U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) Best Management Practices (BMPs) and proposes a major multiple year study in conjunction with the local state university to create a comprehensive study of migratory bird habits in and around cable stay bridges.In order to create a truly effective international study, the City analyzed avian flight patterns, altitudes, seasonal activity, and bird species presence by integrating radar technology with on-site biologists. The methodology and resulting evidence-based data coupled with best practices for migratory birds cited by the regulatory agencies, led to informed design concepts and demonstrated high confidence of compliance with the MBTA. This paper serves as a comprehensive framework, detailing the project vision, technical approach, regulatory engagement, costs incurred, and design implications, offering a proven and proactive process for other complex projects facing similar challenges.
Transportation corridors are widely recognized as a major contributor to habitat fragmentation, disrupting wildlife movement, degrading ecosystem connectivity, and increasing the frequency of wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs). These collisions present a significant concern for both public safety and transportation system performance, particularly in regions with high wildlife densities. At the same time, state and regional transportation agencies are increasingly tasked with integrating environmental stewardship into infrastructure planning and design. In south-central Pennsylvania, planned capital improvements along the Interstate 81 (I-81) corridor present a critical opportunity to address these intersecting challenges. Despite this opportunity, the region has historically lacked a comprehensive, data-driven assessment to guide the placement and prioritization of wildlife crossing infrastructure.This study establishes a corridor-level planning framework to identify, evaluate, and prioritize strategic wildlife crossing locations along the I-81 corridor. The research integrates geographic information systems (GIS)-based spatial analysis, field verification, and wildlife movement monitoring to ensure that recommendations are both technically robust and implementation-ready. A primary component of the analysis involved the identification of WVC hotspots using spatial clustering of crash data, with particular emphasis on white-tailed deer due to their high involvement in reported collisions and associated safety risks. These hotspot locations were used as a baseline indicator of conflict zones between wildlife movement and transportation infrastructure.To better understand the ecological context of these conflict areas, multiple GIS data layers were incorporated, including land cover, forest fragmentation, hydrology, slope, and proximity to conserved lands and known habitat cores. These layers were synthesized to identify areas with high habitat connectivity potential, where wildlife movement is most likely to occur across the landscape. In parallel, an inventory and assessment of existing transportation structures—such as culverts, bridges, and underpasses—was conducted to evaluate their suitability for use or retrofit as wildlife crossings. Key evaluation criteria included structural dimensions, openness ratios, hydrological function, surrounding land use, and connectivity to adjacent habitat features.Field assessments were performed to ground-truth GIS findings and provide site-specific insight into existing conditions. These evaluations considered factors such as evidence of wildlife use, physical barriers to movement (e.g., fencing gaps or steep embankments), human disturbance, and maintenance conditions. Where feasible, wildlife monitoring techniques, including camera traps and track observations, were utilized to document species presence and movement behavior near candidate crossing locations. This combined approach ensured that both landscape-scale patterns and site-level constraints were incorporated into the prioritization process.The results of the study identified a series of high-priority locations where wildlife crossing interventions would provide the greatest benefit in terms of both safety and ecological connectivity. Many of these locations coincide with existing infrastructure that can be modified or enhanced, presenting cost-effective opportunities for implementation. Recommended strategies include retrofitting underpasses to improve suitability for wildlife passage, installing directional fencing to reduce roadway access and guide animals toward crossings, and incorporating wildlife considerations into planned roadway reconstruction or widening projects.This research underscores the importance of integrating wildlife connectivity into transportation planning at the corridor scale, rather than addressing WVCs through reactive or site-specific measures alone. By aligning infrastructure investment with ecological data, transportation agencies can achieve multiple co-benefits, including reduced collision rates, improved driver safety, and enhanced habitat connectivity. The framework developed through this study is both scalable and transferable, providing a replicable model for other regions seeking to incorporate wildlife crossing strategies into long-range transportation planning and project development processes. Ultimately, this work advances a more holistic approach to corridor management, recognizing the need to balance mobility, safety, and environmental sustainability within modern transportation systems.

 

SESSION: Partnerships, Funding & Communication | ROOM: TBD

From bears to salamanders to migrating songbirds, habitat fragmentation is both a top threat to Pennsylvania’s wildlife and helps put Pennsylvania at the top of list for animal-vehicle collisions each year. Despite this, Pennsylvania has lagged behind other states in creating an interagency, statewide plan identifying top priority locations for wildlife crossings, aquatic connectivity projects or other wildlife corridors. To build public and political support for a wildlife corridor plan for Pennsylvania, PennEnvironment drafted and released a first-of-its kind report & interactive map rounding up innovative projects from around the commonwealth that are already proving successful in reducing habitat fragmentation, paired with recommended policy solutions state leaders can take. The report received both widespread media coverage and interest from community groups was cited in the March 2026 announcement by Governor Shapiro's administration about a forthcoming interagency collaborative effort to do statewide wildlife corridor planning. Report author and PennEnvironment policy advocate Stephanie Wein will share grassroots communication strategies from the project, highlighting tips on how to communicate a sometimes-wonky infrastructure issue into one with widespread press coverage, public support and real political progress.
Transportation infrastructure, particularly roads intersecting waterways, creates barriers that impede the movement of aquatic organisms, fragments habitats and disrupts ecological connectivity. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Culvert Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP) Program leverages partnerships and targeted funding mechanisms to address these challenges. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries play a pivotal role in assisting FHWA to promote barrier reduction through technical assistance, and improved design for implementation of water crossings. By collaborating with local, state, and Tribal communities, and other federal agencies, FHWA supports projects that not only enhance habitat connectivity but also reduce flood risk and strengthen critical infrastructure. Effective communication and outreach strategies further amplify these efforts, fostering broad stakeholder engagement and ensuring that innovative solutions reach the communities most in need. These collaborative approaches advance safer, more sustainable transportation systems while supporting healthy aquatic habitats and community well-being.
Building on decades of collaborative, voluntary, interjurisdictional conservation work in the Northeast, the state and federal wildlife agencies in the Northeast region formed the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA) Landscape Wildlife Conservation Committee in 2022 to provide leadership on efforts related to large-scale collaborative conservation. Together with the other NEAFWA committees, the Committee identified 7 high priority landscapes and themes including the Appalachian Corridor Highlands and Streams and the Atlantic Coastal Resilience and Habitat Restoration Saltmarshes. The Committee has worked to foster strategic partnerships, reduce costs and barriers to multi-state conservation, build capacity to support interjurisdictional efforts, and leverage resources to support projects that enhance landscape conservation and connectivity across partnerships and landscapes. This presentation will provide an overview of the Committee, including areas of focus, projects leveraged across the region, and priorities moving forward. We will also explore opportunities for how the Committee and state fish and wildlife agencies can enhance partnerships with Departments of Transportation regionwide through NETWC and the Staying Connected Initiative and collaborate on projects to enhance fish and wildlife habitat and connectivity.
Advancing landscape connectivity in highly fragmented regions requires translating spatial prioritization into coordinated, cross-jurisdictional action. In Central New Jersey, the Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ) provides a science-based framework for identifying core habitats and movement corridors, yet implementation depends on aligning state, NGO, county and municipal actors around shared priorities and decision-making processes. We present a case study of an ongoing effort to operationalize CHANJ outputs within a priority “Central Corridor,” a region particularly vulnerable to losing any remaining functional connectivity, led by NJDEP Fish and Wildlife, NJDEP Green Acres, and regional partners including Duke Farms. Through a structured, multi-stakeholder collaboration, participants are engaging with parcel-level spatial data to identify gaps in protection, assess permeability through key road segments, prioritize high-value parcels under immediate development pressure, and target key road segments for wildlife road mitigation. Key outcomes include: (1) refinement of corridor-scale prioritization strategies that emphasize protecting vulnerable linkage zones; (2) identification of critical bottlenecks in implementation, including temporal mismatches between conservation acquisition and development timelines, and uncertainty in long-term stewardship capacity; and (3) development of a coordinated framework for data sharing and regional decision-making, including the use of shared geospatial infrastructure and a facilitated planning alliance model. This work highlights the gap between connectivity modeling and on-the-ground conservation, demonstrating how spatial tools, institutional arrangements, and funding mechanisms must be co-developed to achieve functional connectivity.

 

WORKSHOP: Stream Crossings | ROOM: TBD

Upgrading road–stream crossings presents a major opportunity to reconnect aquatic habitat, reduce flood risk, and strengthen infrastructure resilience. However, many communities and practitioners struggle with where to begin—both due to the technical complexity of these projects and the broad geographic scale at which problematic crossings occur. This session will offer a practical roadmap for initiating and advancing resilient, connectivity friendly road–stream crossing projects, including considerations for planning and coordination at a regional scale.The workshop will begin with strategies for identifying and prioritizing sites based on infrastructure vulnerability, channel condition, and ecological connectivity. We will also discuss approaches for engaging local partners and effectively communicating the benefits of climate ready crossings to decision makers and the public. From there, the session will outline key design and implementation considerations, including assessment of channel morphology, selection of appropriately sized structures, alignment with natural stream slopes and elevations, and the use of natural substrate to support ecological and geomorphic function. Participants will also gain an understanding of permitting pathways and construction management practices that help reduce delays, manage costs, and improve project outcomes. Additional attention will be given to methods for scaling these approaches across a broader region to achieve more consistent and effective implementation; including how to bring training and education to a wide audience. The session will conclude with a hands-on stream table demonstration illustrating how undersized or poorly aligned structures affect backwatering, sediment dynamics, and channel stability—and how Stream Smart aligned crossings maintain natural processes such as sediment transport, hydraulic continuity, and aquatic organism passage. By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear understanding of how to initiate Stream Smart projects, navigate design and permitting decisions, and communicate project value to both technical and community audiences.



WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2026 | 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM

 

SESSION: Lightning Talks | ROOM: TBD

TIME: 8:30 AM - 8:35 AM

In 2019, NJDEP Fish and Wildlife publicly released Version 1 of Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey's (CHANJ; CHANJ.nj.gov) interactive mapping tool and Guidance Document. Seven years later, in 2026, these products were updated and Version 2 has been released, including a revised CHANJ Core and Corridor mapping tool using more current land use-land cover base layers. The CHANJ team has also been tracking other spatially-explicit habitat and road variables related to our state's landscape connectivity status since 2019. We will discuss some notable changes and trends in that status from Version 1 to today, including progress points and shortcomings in the face of rapid urbanization.

TIME: 8:35 AM - 8:40 AM

New Hampshire is initiating several projects to restore habitat connectivity and significantly reduce roadkill mortality for at-risk turtles and amphibians. Road barrier mitigation projects will be implemented at four priority locations in New Hampshire. The project will have multiple benefits including reducing wildlife mortality and improving habitat connectivity, safety, flood resiliency, and culvert condition. The sites selected for restoration are conservation priorities based on over a decade of monitoring and planning. Working in partnership with local communities we hope to create a collaborative restoration program and provide restoration models to help shift the vision of what is possible in New Hampshire.

TIME: 8:40 AM - 8:45 AM

As a small environmental division of the South Jersey Transportation Authority the work the Roadway Environmental Advancement Initiative (READI) does relies heavily on the partnerships established with local environmental and transportation agencies. Partners including local counties, Fish and Wildlife agencies, the Xerces Society, and Conserve Wildlife inform our stewardship practices and local environmental needs. Projects such as the three wildlife culvert crossings established along the Atlantic City Expressway would not be possible without the resources, expertise, and aid from NJ Fish and Wildlife and their Connecting Habitats Across New Jersey program. In addition to providing stewardship for critical environmental needs in South Jersey, READI prioritizes outreach to various audiences across the state. READI continues to inform the traveling public through tabling at local events, presenting annually at elementary schools for Earth Day, and through extensive displays and signage. Informing the public of READI’s efforts facilitates awareness for initiatives such as native wildflower plantings and pollinator conservation, habitat restoration/mitigation for avian species, and more. SJTA utilizes public spaces such as the Farley Service Area to display these efforts and inform the public of its importance. At this display, plans are provided for the public to build their own bird houses in support of cavity nesting species impacted from loss of habitat such as the American Kestrel and Screech Owl. As of late, READI has been working to complete an exhibit in the Atlantic City Aquarium to inform greater audiences of the current and local environmental efforts. These forms of outreach not only provide awareness for local needs in habitat restoration/connectivity, wildlife conservation, and stormwater management. It also facilitates further partnerships with local organizations and agencies to increase the stewardship READI can conduct for both people and wildlife.

TIME: 8:45 AM - 8:50 AM

: This presentation provides an overview of the newly designated Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape (KRSL), formally recognized in May 2024 as part of the broader Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, established by the Department of War, USDA, and Department of the Interior. Sentinel landscapes are uniquely designated regions where conservation, working lands, and national defense interests converge. Spanning a 185-mile corridor of forested ridges and fertile valleys in Pennsylvania, the Kittatinny Ridge is identified as the state's most resilient landscape and serves as a crucial wildlife corridor. At the same time, it is home to critical military infrastructure, anchoring major installations like the nation's busiest National Guard Training Center at Fort Indiantown Gap and the Letterkenny Army Depot. Learn the core strategic priorities of the KRSL, which are designed to strengthen military readiness and mission sustainment while advancing environmental and community resilience. Key interrelated objectives include conserving natural lands to support economic and recreational opportunities, protecting night skies, bolstering sustainable practices for working farms and forests, and enhancing overall landscape connectivity. Furthermore, designation highlights the critical role of coordinated, cross-boundary collaboration. By establishing a unified framework that brings together a diverse coalition of federal agencies, state and local governments, and private partners, the KRSL partnership unlocks new federal resources to address shared regional challenges. Ultimately, this strategic partnership ensures the mutual, long-term success of military operations, working lands productivity, and natural resource conservation across the Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape.

TIME: 8:50 AM - 8:55 AM

MassDOT has continued to conduct acoustic surveys and bridge assessments to comply with the Endangered Species Act while creating flexibility for projects design schedules through the planning and permitting process. This presentation will be a brief update of our 2025 field season as well as a summary of 11 years of acoustic surveys and 4 years of bridge assessments across the Commonwealth. Through ongoing collaboration between the New England DOTs and USFWS Bridge assessment data was analyzed across the region to determine whether proposed or listed endangered bat species were utilizing transportation infrastructure. Based on this, the USFWS has provided regulatory guidance for bridges and culverts in the region. This demonstrates the importance of collaboration between transportation agency as well as regulatory agencies and apply science to influence policy.

TIME: 8:55 AM - 9:00 AM

MassDOT joined the Monarch CCAA in 2025 and completed their first season of conservation measures throughout their enrolled lands. MassDOT committed to performing conservation mowing on annual basis throughout their adopted acres. MassDOT’s decision to enroll in the Monarch CCAA was strongly based on minimizing regulatory risk and avoiding impacts to the construction program by streamlining Section 7 permitting. Additional benefits for MassDOT include cost savings through reduced mowing, public engagement about conserving a well-known species, and reducing emissions by decreasing the use of gas-powered mowers. The program also supports a 2023 Biodiversity Conservation Executive Order issued by the Massachusetts Governor which establishes a 25-year plan to halt biodiversity loss.   The presentation will include rationale for joining the CCAA, coordination with MassDOT leadership and Districts Maintenance Engineers to support the program, GIS analysis to determine enrolled and adopted acres, conservation measures implemented, and 2025 monitoring results.  

TIME: 9:00 AM - 9:05 AM

Effective wildlife connectivity is a cornerstone of resilient infrastructure and healthy ecosystems. Wildlife and Endangered Species Unit at MassDOT has carried out a comprehensive statewide initiative to document and evaluate improvements to stream crossings and terrestrial wildlife passages across Massachusetts. The project involved a massive data coordination effort, utilizing a team of over 20 contributors to aggregate design plans, restoration specifications, and photos for over 100 known improvements to wildlife and stream crossings. For stream crossings, we evaluated the structural compliance with the Massachusetts Stream Crossing Standards, specifically the 1.2x bankfull width requirement, along with the integration of streambed restoration specs and wildlife benches. Terrestrial structures, ranging from specialized small culverts for reptiles and amphibians to larger underpasses for mammals, were also mapped and analyzed to provide a holistic view of the state's connectivity network. We collected photographs of structures before improvements were made where applicable and also traveled to each site to photograph the complete structures. The results of this effort include an internal geospatial repository designed to guide future MassDOT engineering and restoration decisions, and a public-facing ArcGIS StoryMap. By highlighting key success stories through interactive mapping and visual storytelling, this project serves as both a technical baseline for practitioners and a tool for public engagement, showcasing the state's ongoing commitment to balancing transportation needs with ecological connectivity. 

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