This dataset represents CDFW's ongoing effort to identify priority wildlife movement barriers across the state. Currently, increasing attention is being directed toward wildlife habitat connectivity as a mechanism of maintaining biodiversity in the face of population growth and climate change. Listing priority wildlife barrier locations will help focus limited financial resources where the highest need has been identified to improve wildlife movement. This is complementary to CDFW’s fish passage barrier priorities that have been identified for anadromous fish. Like the fish passage priorities, the wildlife barrier priorities list will be periodically updated to reflect new information and barrier removal successes.

CDFW divides the state into six administrative Regions. CDFW staff in each Region identified linear segments of infrastructure that currently present barriers to wildlife populations in their jurisdiction. In doing so, the Regions used all available empirical information in their possession, including existing connectivity and road crossing studies, collared-animal movement data, roadkill observations, and professional expertise. This dataset represents all barriers identified statewide as of May 2022 and former barriers that have been remediated since 2020.

Most of the barriers identified are highway segments, but other infrastructure types such as fencing, canals, local roads, and high speed rail alignments are also represented.

Additional information can be found in this report: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=204648.