Decision Support Tools for Large Scale / Long Term Transportation Planning

Transportation departments typically distinguish planning for highways at two levels. The long term, strategic level is called ‘transportation planning’. It can be as much as 20 years in the future.

Tools for public land managers in this section include strategies for ‘getting out ahead’ so that all agencies have a place at the planning table early enough for every agency’s missions to be heard and considered.

Large Scale Habitat Connectivity Assessments

Currently, no direction exists for states to develop a large scale habitat connectivity assessment, but numerous states have accomplished an assessment at various degrees of detail.

One of the first steps in assessing impacts of a highway development project is to identify any wildlife movement areas, or linkage zones. A large scale assessment assists in putting projects into context, thus helping to prioritize areas for restoration or maintenance of habitat connectivity.

As these efforts increase in scale and seamlessness, greater benefits will accrue both to transportation and resource agencies.