The USDA will boost wildlife habitat protection as the Biden administration enters its final months. In a department memo issued Monday, Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack directed agencies to coordinate more closely on protecting lands across different types of ownership, including making wildlife habitat a high priority in various conservation programs. In the memorandum, Vilsack said many animals rely on vast swaths of connected habitat that can be broken by development or disrupted by disease outbreaks, among many other factors. Agency officials told reporters during a conference call that protecting those landscapes can coincide with agricultural production such as ranching, and he says it involves an array of USDA initiatives like the Conservation Reserve Program. The agency’s goal is to improve terrestrial wildlife habitat connectivity and corridors in a way that recognizes and leverages state and Tribal authorities, capitalizes on public land management, and respects property rights through voluntary conservation efforts.
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