Ken Caplinger News Today

Shrinking wildlife habitat puts big-game animals at greater risk of colliding with cars and trucks, and has led to the Wildlife Corridors Action Plan to be discussed today in Albuquerque. The plan identifies wildlife-vehicle collision hot spots posing a particularly high risk to the traveling public, and outlines how to create safe crossings. Jesse Duebel, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, said big-game animals tend to use the same routes year after year. ...

Kelp forests in Puget Sound play an integral role environmentally and culturally, but theyre in steep decline. There are more than 20 species of kelp in the region that are a vital source of food and habitat for marine animals. They also are important to indigenous people of the region. ...

Gov. Jim Justice is expected to sign legislation to allow private leasing of the states public parks and forests, but critics worry there are not enough safeguards to protect West Virginias public lands. Ken Caplinger, former superintendent of West Virginia State Parks, explained the current law does not require upfront environmental assessments for development. ...