§410aaa–81b Wildlife corridors

Summary

The Secretary must study how breaking up habitats affects wildlife in the California Desert Conservation Area and must create policies to protect wildlife corridors so animals can move. The study must be finished as soon as possible, but no later than 2 years after March 12, 2019. It must name species that migrate or might migrate there, examine effects on plants, insects, animals, soil, air, water, and species survival and movement, identify important migration corridors to protect, and give recommendations to keep public lands managed by the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense connected. The Secretary must use that study to judge the individual and combined impacts of rights-of-way for projects in the area, following the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act, and other laws. The study’s findings and recommendations must be added into all land management plans for the California Desert Conservation Area.