USDA Planning Department-wide Effort to Support Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat Connectivity

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a Department-wide effort to support connectivity of wildlife habitat on working landscapes through the management of National Forests and voluntary conservation assistance on private agricultural lands. Vilsack directed USDA to marshal a network of programs, including those of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Forest Service (FS), and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), to plan for and coordinate efforts for terrestrial wildlife habitat connectivity and corridors. “Today’s announcement builds on work of the Department to support wildlife habitat connectivity to ensure the sustainability of large-scale conservation and restoration efforts,” said USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffitt.