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Conservation and sporting groups circled up Monday around Montana's western district congressman in support of a proposal that would buttress wildlife migration corridors through federal grant funds and state-level direction. Montana U.S.

Rep. Ryan Zinke on Monday announced the planned at Missoula's Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation visitor center, flanked by representatives from conservation and wildlife advocacy organizations who each offered their support. "There's a system in wildlife corridors and flyways," Zinke said.



"This is all part of it, of protecting them." Zinke, a Republican up for re-election this year, will submit the bill on Tuesday with Democratic U.S.

Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia. U.

S. Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat, will introduce companion legislation in the Senate.

The bill would provide funding to local projects through grants administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The legislation will look to advance the work done under a directive Zinke issued in 2018 during his time as U.S.

Secretary of the Interior. Called Secretarial Order 3362, the directive set out to foster collaboration between federal agencies, states, conservation groups and landowners to identify critical wintering habitat and conserve wildlife migration corridors, particularly to the aid of big game species. In Montana and in much of the West, that means focusing on the routes elk, mule deer and pronghorn travel each year to survive, be it to and from Yellowstone Nat.

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