Building on wildlife refuges just got faster and cheaper for developers

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is changing how it approves permits for roads, pipelines, and other infrastructure projects on its lands. This means developers will face fewer delays and potentially lower costs when building across national wildlife refuges.

Building new infrastructure, like power lines or fiber optic cables, often requires crossing federal lands. These projects can get stuck for years in permitting processes that vary widely across different agencies. This change aims to standardize and speed up approvals, making it easier to connect new energy projects or expand broadband access through protected areas. It also gives the Service more flexibility in how it charges for these rights-of-way, which could mean lower fees for some projects.