Pew Supports House Bill’s Bipartisan Focus on Disaster Preparedness, Wildlife Crossings but Seeks More Funding

WASHINGTON-The Pew Charitable Trusts is encouraged by specific components of H.R. 8870, which was approved Thursday, May 21, by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

The bill-formally named the Building Unrivaled Infrastructure and Long-term Development for America's 250th (BUILD America 250) Act-would reauthorize the current surface transportation law and reflects a bipartisan commitment to key transportation infrastructure issues, including disaster resilience, wildlife crossings, and culvert restoration. However, the proposed funding levels fall short of what is needed to address the challenges facing states, Tribes, and local communities. As work on the bill continues, Pew is urging Congress to increase investment in those critical programs.

Forbes Tompkins, a senior officer with Pew's U.S. conservation project, issued the following statement:

"A host of funding mechanisms are essential to communities across the country. These include the Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Program; the National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program; and one that the bill would rename as the Wildlife Crossings Program. Each plays a critical role in strengthening the infrastructure that Americans rely on every day, building resilience to growing disaster risks, reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, and helping local economies to thrive.

"The funding levels for these vital programs proposed in the BUILD America 250 Act would leave states, localities, and Tribes bearing the brunt of billions of dollars in annual costs from disaster damage, wildlife-vehicle collisions, and deficient culverts, with insufficient opportunities to proactively address risk and costs to taxpayers. The elimination of formula funding for the PROTECT program would create a funding hole that would hinder nonfederal investments in resilience measures to ensure that new, repaired, and rebuilt infrastructure can withstand current and future extreme events.

"We urge Congress to increase funding in each of these programs so that the country can create jobs, save lives, and better prepare for disasters."