How We Help Wildlife Thrive
Preventing wildlife from being hit on our highways
The UWF is committed to working with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Utah Department of Transportation, Utah Legislature, and other experts in the field to identify opportunities and challenges to protecting and restoring landscape connectivity for native wildlife in Utah. By promoting the importance of wildlife crossings and migration corridors, the UWF hopes to facilitate collaborative, proactive projects that ensure the long-term survival of Utah's native wildlife.
Photo courtesy of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Video courtesy of the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Celebrating our Rich Wildlife Heritage
You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t care about wildlife, and we think it’s important to celebrate that. That’s why we partner with Utah Wildlife Walls to create murals celebrating our rich wildlife heritage across the state. These murals remind our communities of the joy we all appreciate from living in a beautiful state with thriving wildlife. Our goal is to paint at least one monumental wildlife mural in each county.
Supporting Utahns Contributing to our State's Wildife Management
At the Utah Wildlife Federation, we know you have a unique perspective to share about your relationship with wildlife, and so does your neighbor! We work to bring voices from across Utah to the table because we believe we can create robust, durable strategies for supporting wildlife by talking through our differences in perspective to find common interest solutions. That's why we create forums like the Utah Wildlife Connectivity Working Group, and the Utah Wildlife Summit where these critical conversations can take place.
Utah Wildlife Policy
The Utah Wildlife Federation provides information and helps give Utahns a voice in the legislative and regulatory process.
-
In 2023 UWF, in partnership with the Pew Charitable Trusts, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Wildlands Network, uplifted the benefits of wildlife crossings and thanked the legislature for making a $20 million commitment to building wildlife crossings.
-
In 2022 UWF helped secure $1 million in seed funding for wildlife crossings and fencing improvements in Echo Junction, where I-80 and I-84 intersect near Coalville, Utah, to increase road safety and protect wildlife from vehicle collisions.
-
At the federal level, we are giving Utahns a voice in a nationwide coalition to pass the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. This bill would increase federal funding for the Utah Department of Natural Resources and other state agencies around the nation to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered.
2025 Citizen's Lobbying Workshop: Sign up and Get Involved in our State Legislature!
Crossings serve as a connection between important seasonal habitats for animals like deer and elk that migrate between summer and winter ranges each year. These pathways often cross roads and highways putting animals and humans at risk. Wildlife crossings are effective in reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions and receive strong support from Utahns. If you would like to personally share your thoughts about wildlife crossings with legislators this February 2025 sign up to get more information about our non-partisan citizen's lobbying workshop here.
Other Ways to Help
There are other ways you can support the Utah Wildlife Federation. Donating to our organization is a great way to contribute to our efforts to protect Utah's wildlife and its habitats. Your donation can help fund important conservation programs, educational initiatives, and advocacy efforts.
Together, we can make a difference in protecting Utah's wildlife for generations to come. Thank you for considering supporting the Utah Wildlife Federation!
Gardening for Wildlife Habitat
The Utah Wildlife Federation invites you to bring your support for wildlife to your backyard and communities in partnership with the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife programs! Many species of native wildlife can benefit from you turning your own small patches of Earth - from your yard, garden, workplace, schools, and places of worship - into thriving habitats for birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.
Learn how to certify your backyard today by clicking here!
