Wildlife and riparian corridors are pathways and waterways that provide food, water, and habitat; they are vital to the survival of the plants, animals, and local communities that thrive along their undisturbed channels. The Upper Rio Grande Corridor is one of these channels which stretches from Colorado to Arizona, and is in need of protection from man-made obstructions and barriers that fragment corridors such as major highways and construction projects. We have an opportunity to support communities that depend on these natural lands for their way of life, and we have an obligation to save the vulnerable plants and animals in the U.S. Southwest that depend on these corridors.

These plants and animals account for some of the greatest at-risk wildlife of the one-third of U.S. species that are already classified as at risk or endangered. By supporting the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, we can allocate $1.4 billion dollars in annual funding to restore habitat, recover wildlife populations, and rebuild the infrastructure for both our natural systems and outdoor recreation opportunities associated with corridors like the Upper Rio Grande. By supporting locally led and voluntary, nationwide efforts to connect, and restore lands, waters, and wildlife, we can secure these corridors. By supporting the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act, we can also facilitate the creation of a National Wildlife Corridor System and provide for the designation and management of such corridors on federal land and water. It is necessary to safeguard our climate, our wildlife, and the communities that are connected to these areas from peril that we act now.