Wildlife Corridors and USDA Conservation Programs Act of 2025

This bill sets up a clear process to find, map, and officially label “American wildlife corridors” — places that help animals move safely across land and water so populations can survive and adapt. The Department of Agriculture, working with the Interior Department, must identify these areas and create maps, then report to Congress on what they find and where information is still missing. It also directs the Agriculture Department to write science-based rules for how corridors are chosen, and then formally designate qualifying areas to support long-term wildlife movement and health.

The bill offers help to farmers, ranchers, and other land stewards. USDA can provide technical advice and best practices to keep working lands productive while improving habitat and wildlife movement. It can also give priority in conservation programs and, with the landowner’s agreement, adjust existing contracts to enroll land in easement or forest habitat programs that better fit corridor goals. Agencies can partner with states, Tribes, local governments, nonprofits, and universities. The bill updates privacy protections for personal information in USDA conservation programs and aims to provide regulatory certainty for participants. Mapping must follow privacy safeguards when sharing data .

• Who is affected: Farmers, ranchers, private landowners, Tribes, states, local communities, and wildlife that depend on connected habitats.
• What changes: Identify, map, and officially designate wildlife corridors; offer technical help; prioritize conservation program enrollment; allow contract adjustments; strengthen privacy protections for conservation data .
• When: Identify potential corridors within 1 year and report on them; set corridor selection criteria within 1 year; designate corridors within 3 years after the criteria are set .