Latest news with #ThePewCharitableTrusts
Forbes
3 days ago
- Health
- Forbes
New Mexico Okays $50 Million For Wildlife Crossings To Improve Safety
A cougar (also known as a mountain lion) in New Mexico. New Mexico lawmakers have approved $50 million to pay for wildlife crossings to improve roadway safety and also passed legislation to create a strategic reserve fund for freshwater. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed Senate Bill 37: Strategic Water Reserve Fund on April 7 for the Interstate Stream Commission to manage and conserve water to support recharging the state's aquifer and minimize groundwater depletion. The new law, to take effect June 20, also allows for purchasing and leasing surface water and water rights. The initial funding designated for the water reserve was $5.2 million. 'Advancement of the Strategic Water Reserve crucially expands the ability for the state to buy, lease, or accept donations of water rights for the benefit of a broad array of cultural and environmental values. The reserve is integral to keeping water in rivers and aquifers and conserving important habitat along the shore while honoring landowner water rights,' said Patrick Lane, senior manager of the intermountain West at The Pew Charitable Trusts. 'New Mexicans fully recognize how important clean water is for their well-being – from growing corn to providing a swimming hole on the weekend, it's never been more important to carefully conserve and manage the state's freshwater resource, and the legislature's action puts more tools in the toolbox for New Mexicans to use for this purpose.' On April 11, the governor enacted into law House Bill 5 (General Appropriation Act of 2025) that directed $50 million to fund an existing legislative effort to alleviate vehicle and wildlife collisions. The New Mexico Wildlife Corridors Action Plan, finalized three years ago, has identified numerous 'hot spots' on roadways throughout the state that have the highest numbers of vehicles and wildlife collisions. Lane also applauded the funding for the wildlife crossings. 'This is the largest amount any state has ever appropriated for terrestrial wildlife crossings in a single year. Other states can look to New Mexico as a model for planning and construction of wildlife crossings to protect human and animal lives,' he said. 'Migratory wildlife such as elk, deer and pronghorn have deep ties to New Mexico's culture and identity. They also support a robust recreation economy that families and communities rely on. Wildlife crossings enhance and conserve these wildlife populations, while making a tangible contribution to driver safety across the state.' He predicted the wildlife crossing allocation will save lives on N.M. roadways for people and animals as well as protect the state's wildlife heritage. Also lauding the N.M. allocation was Marcel Gaztambide, Southwest field manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. He noted in a recent social media post: 'With over 1,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions taking place in New Mexico every year, this investment in the safety of New Mexico's drivers and wildlife was desperately needed.' Pronghorn in Southwestern New Mexico The New Mexico Department of Transportation and New Mexico Department of Game and Fish were directed by the state legislature to develop an action plan for wildlife crossings. The plan identified both collision hot spots and priority projects to deter roadway accidents with animals. It focuseA list of priority projects are identified in the Plan that includes both wildlife-vehicle collision (WVC) hotspots and wildlife corridors. It identified 20 species of concern as most vulnerable to collisions. These consisted of four reptiles (ornate box turtle, Gila monster, Mexican garter snake and Western massasauga rattlesnake). The mammals on the list were: The species of concern were also identified for posing a risk to motorists. Other factors putting the wildlife in that category included being killed in collisions to such an extent that it does/could lower population levels in New Mexico or the roads create barriers to important interconnected habitats. Gila monster in the Southwest. Gila monsters in New Mexico mostly live west of the Continental Divide in the southwestern areas with rocky terrain such as in Chihuahuan Desert foothills and canyons. These lizards are the largest in the United States. They can weigh a pound and span as long as nearly two feet. These rare creatures are listed as endangered under the New Mexico Wildlife Conservation Act and also protected by state laws in Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah. According to the National Park Service, 'They may be out digging, hunting, basking, etc. on the surface for only a few hours of a few days per year; about 98% of the year is spent out of sight. They live in burrows, packrat nests, or caliche caves and dens, sometimes sharing their abodes with other reptiles such as snakes or desert tortoises.' Although Gila monsters have venom in their lower jaws, their bite is painful but rarely fatal. Their black and pinkish skin patterns are hard to see in barren landscapes, which could contribute to their mortality rates. The New Mexico Wildlife Corridors Action plan identified Gila monsters as a species in greatest conservation need. 'Highways through Granite Gap and Antelope Pass in the central Peloncillo Mountains are known sites of numerous roadkill records," the report stated. Roadway mortality is thought to be due to more traffic in the border area in southwest New Mexico Another creature to make the list as most in need of conservation and threatened is the the white-sided jackrabbit that also lives in the southwestern part of the state. These jackrabbits are only known to live in two valleys in Hidalgo County, which borders Arizona. This animal population was thought to be diminishing due to overgrazing by livestock on shrubs and grasses in New Mexico. However, significant population decreases of white-sided jackrabbits are likely linked to increased vehicle traffic in there due to more human activity and motorists along the U.S.-Mexico border. For instance, sharp reductions in white-sided jackrabbits populations had been noted on one main county road "yet no degradation of grassland quality or significant shrub invasion is evident,' the report stated. A cougar (mountain lion) prowling at night in New Mexico. Cougars in New Mexico are mostly found in the foothills and mountains in the central northern and southern parts of the states as well as in western areas. Adult males cougars can weigh from 150 to 200 pounds and are often eight feet long. Also known as mountain lions, cougars are among the largest cats in North America. The state estimates there are 3,500 cougars living there with the population declining in part due less habitat and vehicle collisions. Cougars tend to avoid roads and seek to cross using underpasses. There were 135 cougar-vehicle collisions recorded in New Mexico from 2009 to 2018 mostly along Interstate 25 (north of Albuquerque to the Colorado border) as well as on the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, in/near the Sacramento Mountains and along U.S. Route 180. During the same time period, vehicles collided with just over 500 black bears mostly while traveling along mountain roadways. Among the top 30 wildlife-vehicle collision hot spots in New Mexico, 'one stands out' due to 49 motorists crashing into black bears on the I-25 corridor (from south of Raton to the Colorado border). Other top areas with high black bear-vehicle collisions include U.S. 64/U.S. 84 just south of Chama (7 collisions), I-25 around Glorieta Pass (6 collisions), Tijeras Canyon along I-40 (6 collisions), and I-25 south of Wagon Mound (5 collisions). A black bear. Similar to cougars, black bears have been found to avoid crossing roads by using underpasses and culverts. State wildlife researchers from New Mexico and Arizona noted 169 cases of black bears crossing the roads via underpasses. In contrast to these animals, New Mexico's pronghorns prefer to use overpasses to tackle crossing roads. The state is thought to have from 47,000 to 49,000 pronghorn. From 2002 to 2018, the state recorded 221 wildlife-vehicle collisions. 'Roads, traffic, and right-of-way fences affect pronghorn through direct mortality and by affecting their behavior, while fences along roads and even traffic restrict or alter their movements. Pronghorn prefer to crawl under fences rather than jump over them, and they struggle with multiple strand fences when the bottom wire is too low,' the report noted. 'Mitigation of road-caused fragmentation and mortality is possible with the use of overpasses. Because of their keen eyesight and use of distance for predator avoidance behavior, pronghorn prefer overpasses to underpasses when crossing roads.' Top 10 Wildlife/Vehicle Collision Hotspots in New Mexico per Number of Crashes Per Mile The NMDOT has been involved in several wildlife crossing projects in the state as well as creating mitigation strategies to provide safer traveling for motorists and animals. For example, it has created escape ramps that provide an area for deer and elk to jump over to avoid vehicles. The department has also installed game fencing, such as an eight-foot-tall woven wire fence along I-40 near Edgewood to direct wildlife to pass under bridges instead of darting into traffic. Another use of technology is installing double cattleguards where side roads intersect with highways to prevent large animals from walking into vehicles at roadway turnouts. NMDOT built a pair of 32-foot-wide arched wildlife underpasses wildlife crossing at the I-25 pass in Raton after finding 102 dead deer during a two-year period there installed over six miles of game fencing, wildlife escape ramps, and double cattle guards. Built a pair of 32-feet-wide arched wildlife underpasses after finding 102 dead deer within a two-year period at the I-25/Raton pass in Colfax County. Within two years after the safe crossings were built there was a 60% drop in the number of dead deer from vehicle collisions found there. In another wildlife crossing project, NMDOT targeted U.S. Route north of Aztec close to the Colorado border due to deer-vehicle crashes. The state dropped the number of collision to improve roadway safety by more than 80% after putting larger box culverts for safe underpasses to replace three metal culverts. Guard fencing 8-feet high was constructed for three miles to guide the animals to the crossing areas and block the road. Double cattle guards were also placed as a deterrence. Red line showing location of U.S. 550 Highway Wildlife Crossing Project in New Mexico. NMDOT is working on a new transportation safety project on U.S. Highway 550 in Sandoval County as to curb vehicle crashes primarily with six types of animals (such as deer, black bears and elk) in its most hazardous area in need for wildlife crossings. At issue is a 17-mile long stretch of road in which 1.21 reported wildlife-vehicle collisions occurred per mile during a 10-year period. Most (58%) of the vehicles crashed into elk. Male elks can weigh 700 pounds or more and the females can weigh 500 pounds. The state is working to build large overpasses for the safe movement of wildlife there since elk are reluctant to pass through tunnels/culverts go over small bridges. Currently, the project is in design development and will be completed in four phases that will involved 16 miles of U.S. 550. Design plans for Phases 1 and 2 are expected to be finished by the end of this year. To accommodate various animals likely to cross that part of the road, NMDOT is planning to build a wide single-span overpass with natural vegetation planted (to match the terrain) that would rise over four existing travel lanes and shoulders of US 550. In addition, arched underpass structures would be enable animals to travel below the road level. Wildlife fencing would guide the animals to crossing areas and double cattleguards would be placed to restrict access to the highway. Based on Federal Highway Administration figures that are nearly 20 years old, from 1 million to 2 million collisions between large wildlife animals and vehicles happened through the United States each year—killing 200 people and causing injuries to 26,000 others. The property damage then was estimated at $8.3 billion. Most crashes were single vehicles on two-lane roads. Most of the wildlife struck by vehicles dies immediately or soon afterwards. State environmental and transportation agencies are increasing their efforts to boost both motorist roadway safety and wildlife survival rates by using technology to build road structures for animal passageways. According to Lane from Pew, 'Wildlife migration pathways, which are critical in maintaining many terrestrial wildlife populations, are particularly threatened due to the effects that roads and highways have on their movement patterns. The good news is that a proven solution to this problem exists. Wildlife crossings help reconnect migratory routes and make our roads safer for drivers by reducing the risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions. Time has shown that these crossings are highly effective.' FHWA Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program 2024-2025 fiscal year grants of $125 million to 16 wildlife ... More crossing projects. The other good news is that federal wildlife crossing grants, especially from the U.S. Department of Transportation/FHWA, are providing vital revenue to help states improve highway safety for the traveling public and the many special creatures who live within our nation.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Diddy Plays the Race Card, But Black Folks Have Bigger Fish To Fry
Sean 'Diddy' Combs would like nothing more than for Black Americans to show up outside the New York courthouse where jury selection is currently underway for his sex trafficking trial. The music mogul would probably delight in hearing chants of 'No Justice, No Peace!' outside as his lawyers make the argument inside that he's being prosecuted because he's a rich and powerful Black man. 'Mr. Combs has been singled out because he is a powerful Black man, and he is being prosecuted for conduct that regularly goes unpunished,' one of Diddy's lawyers wrote in a legal filing. Such a statement in the past might have spurred Black Americans to lock arms with the accused, as many did with O.J. Simpson during his murder trial in 1995 and even with Diddy a few years later when he was initially charged with two felonies after a nightclub shooting. But the Cassie video, where Diddy is seen viciously brutalizing the young singer in the hallway of a hotel, has removed any doubt about his venality. And Black folks have bigger fish to fry, anyway. Forgive Black folks if they save the chanting and the marching for the unknown and often poor Black men and women who are mistreated by the criminal justice system. Most of them won't have a 'team' of lawyers fighting on their behalf. They will be denied bail, overcharged, and tempted to take a plea to avoid an excessive prison term. How bad is the criminal justice system's mistreatment of Black men and women who aren't Diddy-famous and Diddy-rich? Very, very bad. A few years ago, The Pew Charitable Trusts teamed up with the Jail Data Initiative to examine racial disparities in jails across the country. Pew reported that, in 2022, 'Black people made up 12% of the local populations but 26% of the jail populations on average across the 595 jails from the JDI sample for which race data was available for the entire year. Of these jails, in almost 71% (421), the share of the jail population that was Black was at least twice that of the locality as a whole.' The racial disparities aren't limited to local jails. They are just as bad or, in some instances, worse in state prisons. In Florida, for example, the most recent figures available show that 47.5% of the state inmate population is Black, compared to a state resident population that is only about 17% Black. Put more simply, nearly half of Florida's prison inmates are Black but not even one in five of its residents are Black. Those disparities don't come with a shocking, stomach-turning video of Diddy brutalizing Cassie Ventura that lights up social media and gets gums flapping. And 'End Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System Now!' isn't a chant that rolls off the tongue. But they are far more worthy of a Black protest than Diddy's troubles. Some jurisdictions are aware of racial disparities in the criminal justice system and are trying to make sure that Black defendants are not treated more harshly because of their race. In Hennepin County, Minnesota, which includes Minneapolis, the County Attorney's Office issued a directive in April aimed at making sure race is considered when prosecutors make recommendations for plea deals. 'Proposed resolutions should consider the person charged as a whole person, including their racial identity and age,' the directive states. A spokesperson for the office said the directive is aimed at addressing long-standing racial disparities. 'We would neglect our duty of pursuing fair and just outcomes if we pretended these didn't exist,' the spokesperson said. The sentencing directive has drawn the attention of Trump's Justice Department, which recently announced that it will be launching an investigation of the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. Let that sink in. DOJ isn't investigating the racial disparities; it's investigating a directive aimed at addressing them. Diddy, you had some hits back in the day. And you absolutely deserve a fair trial. But Black folks have much bigger fish to fry than worrying about you and your case. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Authorities take major step toward completing world's largest wildlife bridge: 'It's happening'
Wildlife advocates in California are one step closer to completing the world's largest wildlife crossing bridge. Conservationists and project partners recently laid the first layer of soil on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, a massive bridge that provides a safe way for wildlife to traverse U.S. Route 101 in Agoura Hills, California. The 210-foot by 174-foot crossing, which will be off-limits to humans, will create nearly 1 acre of wildlife habitat once it is complete. It was designed as a habitat-connecting corridor for native wildlife like bobcats, gray foxes, coyotes, and deer. But the primary inspiration for the project was the mountain lion. California is home to about 3,200 to 4,500 mountain lions, one of the largest populations in the country. Mountain lions are a threatened species, with about 20,000 to 40,000 living in the U.S. today. Research estimates mountain lions could become extinct in the Santa Monica Mountains within 50 years or less without intervention. CBS News reported that mountain lions are isolated because of California's massive freeways, which act as barriers across the region. Wildlife advocates hope the crossing will help protect wildlife and commuters by reducing the risk of vehicle collisions. Every year, collisions between vehicles and large animals lead to an estimated 1 million to 2 million accidents, resulting in around 26,000 human injuries and 200 fatalities, per The Pew Charitable Trusts. Animal crossings have proved to be an effective way to reduce wildlife-related collisions. In Arizona, the construction of more than 20 wildlife corridors has led to a 90% decrease in these incidents, according to National Geographic. Notably, the project will use more than 6,000 cubic yards of specially engineered soil enriched with local microorganisms to support native plant life. " It wasn't just a bag of soil you bought from Home Depot. [It] had to be cured and meticulously prepared," Beth Pratt, California regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation and leader of the Save LA Cougars campaign, told LAist. "This habitat on top is a result of a lot of design, engineering, and planning — and it's happening." Approximately 5,000 native plants, grown from more than 1 million locally collected seeds, will soon be planted to create a thriving habitat. Plant-covered 12-foot-tall sound walls will minimize light and noise pollution from the 10 lanes of rushing traffic below, making the crossing more appealing for wildlife. Wildlife officials told LAist that 300,000 to 400,000 cars cross this section of the 101 freeway daily. According to Federal Highway Administration data, the 101 is one of the top 25 busiest highways in the U.S. "We have to … almost trick [the animals] into thinking they're not on the freeway," Pratt told LAist. "And sound and light blockage is a big piece of that." Beyond its functional purpose, the crossing is a powerful symbol of human efforts to heal environmental harm, supporting native animals with long-overdue respect and consideration. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. "This is the first natural layer," Pratt told CBS News of laying the soil. "For me, what I can envision with that is a mountain lion's paw print in the soil." The project, expected to be completed by late 2026, is estimated to cost $92 million upon completion. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arizona to join lawsuit to block Trump's federal spending freeze
Photo by Getty Images Arizona is joining with other states to sue President Donald Trump over his sweeping federal grant freeze that is set to go into effect Tuesday evening, according to the Attorney General's Office. State and local government leaders, as well as those who run or rely on federally funded programs, were scrambling on Tuesday to find out exactly how the payment freeze would impact them. The Grand Canyon State will join New York, California, Illinois and other states in a lawsuit to block the spending freeze, Richie Taylor, a spokesman for Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, told the Arizona Mirror. The legal challenge is expected to be filed in the Southern District of New York. 'Children could miss out on school lunches, victims of crime could lose critical assistance, and law enforcement agencies could be defunded across the country if it stands,' Mayes wrote in a statement on social media Tuesday. 'This is a blatant violation of federal law and we will not allow it to stand.' The impact of the payment freeze could be monumental, according to figures from The Pew Charitable Trusts. 'The federal government gave $1 trillion in grants to states in fiscal year 2022, the most recent year U.S. Census grants data is available. That was a record high, representing 36.4% of states' total revenue,' Rebecca Thiess, manager at The Pew Charitable Trusts, said in a statement. 'Federal grant funding helps states pay for public services, such as health care, education, transportation, and infrastructure. States are currently facing tighter budgets than in recent years due to the expiration of federal pandemic aid and stagnating tax collections, among other challenges.' Some of the programs that are set to be paused temporarily while Trump's Office of Management and Budget reviews which federal spending it deems appropriate include: Department of Agriculture's tribal food sovereignty program Head Start, a program that helps prepare young children from low-income families for school Veterans' Affairs Department's suicide prevention and legal services grants Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Numerous sexual assault prevention programs within the U.S. Department of Justice. 'We are still evaluating the full impacts of this reckless action, but one thing is clear: this is creating chaos for Veterans, law enforcement, domestic violence shelters and the children of working families,' Gov. Katie Hobbs posted on social media. 'I will not stand by while everyday people in my state are harmed.' The city of Phoenix alone relies on $3.255 billion in federal grants, according to Mayor Kate Gallego, with more than $1.6 billion of that still outstanding. Phoenix's police and fire departments could lose more than $35 million. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
