For its contributing role as a member of the Arizona Wildlife Linkage Workgroup (AWLW), the Wildlands Project has proudly accepted a “2007 Environmental Excellence Award” from the Federal Highway Administration (FHA).

The award, given for “Excellence in Environmental Streamlining,” was presented to WP and eight other state, federal, and non-profit organizations that worked together to produce the nation’s first statewide “Wildlife Linkage Assessment,” an interactive plan identifying Arizona’s wildlife linkages, the species that use them, and detailing the recommended means for safely moving those animals across existing highways.

Wildlands Project Western Director, Kim Vacariu, who sat on the AWLW, comments, “The process was important not only because the outcome addressed ways to solve the critical problem of wildlife-vehicle collisions, but also because it built trust and respect among agencies and conservationists not known as traditional partners. The result of this effort is safe passage for wildlife and people and a foundation for effective future collaboration among conservation interests and key state and federal agencies.

The project can be viewed online at: www.azdot.gov.