Transportation policies and endangered species policies may seem to have nothing in common, but actually each has a significant impact on the other. Surface transportation affects endangered species in several ways, from direct mortality to habitat fragmentation. Transportation policies that ignore this will only contribute to a decline in biodiversity in Texas. On the other hand, highways are a vital part of Texansí lives, so rigid endangered species policies will fail. Policymakers must strike a balance between the two. This report examines if these two sets of policies accommodate each other, or if they are on a constant collision course. It describes how surface transportation affects endangered species; outlines federal and state transportation and endangered species policies; analyzes current operations and actions in Texas; and offers recommendations to policymakers.
-- Author's foreword.
