Background

In February 2007, Western Governors unanimously approved resolution (07-01) Protecting Wildlife Migration Corridors and Crucial Wildlife Habitat in the West that instructed WGA to develop and conduct a process to “identify key wildlife migration corridors and crucial wildlife habitats in the West and make recommendations on needed policy options and tools for preserving those landscapes.”

In response, WGA began the Wildlife Corridors Initiative, a multi-state and collaborative effort to improve knowledge of and management for migratory corridors and crucial habitat. Promoting best practices for development where it occurs, reduction of harmful impacts on wildlife, and integrating migratory and crucial habitat into planning decisions are the overarching objectives for implementation. The initiative will be structured to make both scientific and policy recommendations to the Governors through a Science Committee and five Working Groups.

• Oil & Gas Working Group -- initial recommendations (2007)
• Energy Working Group
• Transportation Infrastructure Working Group
• Land Use Working Group
• Climate Change Working Group .

The Oil & Gas Report was adopted by the Governors in November 2007. Each of the other working groups has been working to develop recommendations that will be compiled into a report to be presented to the Governors for consideration at the June 2008 WGA Annual Meeting in Jackson, WY. Additionally, the Science Committee was established to provide a science-based framework for the policy recommendations, and to improve states’ understanding of corridors by identifying gaps in data and proposing recommendations for filling those gaps.