The bill establishes a "Wildlife Corridor Action Plan" in New Jersey, which mandates the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation to collaboratively develop a comprehensive strategy to enhance wildlife safety and connectivity along transportation corridors. The plan must be completed within 36 months of the bill's enactment and updated every ten years. It will identify wildlife corridors, collision hotspots, and barriers to wildlife movement, while also recommending criteria for crossing projects that promote both driver safety and wildlife connectivity. The plan will utilize existing state databases and conservation strategies, and it will involve coordination with various state and federal agencies, as well as conservation organizations.
Additionally, the Department of Transportation is required to review the Wildlife Corridor Action Plan within 36 months of its submission and recommend feasible crossing projects for inclusion in transportation initiatives. However, it cannot recommend projects that have already advanced beyond certain developmental milestones. The bill also empowers both the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation to adopt necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of the action plan. The act is set to take effect immediately upon approval.