Montana Bill Would Connect Habitat and Help Reduce Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions

On March 28, 2025, The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted comments to the Montana House Transportation Committee expressing support for bipartisan legislation that would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and improve habitat connectivity. Montana House Bill 855 would establish an account, administered by the state’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, to fund construction of wildlife crossings in the state by leveraging competitive federal grants for transportation projects.

Montana has the nation’s second-highest per capita rate of wildlife-vehicle accidents. The average Montanan faces a 1-in-53 chance of hitting an animal each year, and from 2008 to 2020, more than 29,000 large-animal collisions cost the state an estimated $212 million annually. Passing H.B. 855 would enable the state to invest in wildlife crossings that can help reduce those costs, protect drivers, and conserve Montana’s diverse wildlife.