The North Carolina General Assembly opens this week, so we need your help now to encourage your legislators to support funding for wildlife crossings. We are asking legislators to set aside funds for needed wildlife crossing infrastructure across the state, potentially including the treacherous stretches of highways 64 and 264 that have taken the lives of multiple endangered red wolves, including 2323m/ Airplane Ears in 2023.
North Carolina residents, please contact your representatives today and urge them to support $10 million for targeted funding for wildlife crossings in the state budget this year. A sample below can aid in messaging.
If you don’t know who your NC representatives are or how to reach them, please visit this site.
Here is a fact sheet with more details on this effort.
Thank you for speaking up for wildlife!
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Sample Message to Representative:
Dear Representative/Senator ____
I am a constituent of yours from __City___, North Carolina, and I am urging you to support $10 million in targeted state funding for wildlife crossings. Wildlife and motorists across our state need added protections on roadways; according to State Farm, North Carolina is a high-risk state for animal-vehicle collisions, coming in at 16th in the nation. Estimates show that these collisions cost NC a total of $424,460,520-$509,066,100 per year.
Wildlife crossings can take various forms based on location, from simple fencing around underpasses and culverts to overpasses spanning the roadway. Properly designed wildlife crossings pay for themselves in costs saved for emergency and medical assistance, property damage, and value of animals lost.
Please support targeted state funding to improve motorist safety, reduce collision costs, and protect valued natural resources.
Thank you,
Your name