Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing

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Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
aerial view of a vegetated overpass spanning the freeway and another road
RCDSMM's conceptual image of the wildlife crossing
Coordinates34°08′17″N 118°43′44″W / 34.138°N 118.729°W / 34.138; -118.729Coordinates: 34°08′17″N 118°43′44″W / 34.138°N 118.729°W / 34.138; -118.729
CarriesWildlife and pedestrians
Crosses US 101 (Ventura Freeway)
LocaleAgoura Hills, California
Characteristics
Total length200 feet (61 m)
Width165 feet (50 m)
Location

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is a planned vegetated overpass spanning the Ventura Freeway and Agoura Road at Liberty Canyon in Agoura Hills, California. The bridge will be one of the largest urban wildlife crossings in the United States, connecting the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains over a busy freeway with ten traffic lanes, when including exit lanes.

Background[]

The crossing is critical for the mountain lion population indigenous to the Santa Monica Mountains, which has declined due to the Ventura Freeway acting as a barrier in the wildlife corridor between the Simi Hills to the north and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south.[1] The National Park Service has recorded a dozen mountain lions struck and killed by motorists on this section of freeway since 2002 when they began a study.[2] This has caused the Santa Monica Mountains mountain lion population to become genetically isolated.[3][4] Newcomers would bring much needed genetic diversity into the mountains and would allow young mountain lions, born in the Santa Monicas, a chance to get out before being killed by one of the more dominant, older males.[5] Other wildlife such as bobcats, coyote, deer, wren tits, fence lizards will use it also.[6]

Scientists identified Liberty Canyon as the best location for a wildlife crossing because the lands north and south of the freeway are publicly owned and protected.[2][7] The crossing is situated along a wildlife corridor within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area which consists of thousands of acres of local, state and federal protected lands that stretches westward from Los Angeles into Ventura County.[8] This will be the first bridge on the California highway system designed specifically for fostering wildlife connectivity.[9]

Design[]

In 2015, the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains published a 165-foot-wide (50 m) and 200-foot-long (61 m) overpass design for the wildlife crossing.[2][10] The environmental process and draft environmental document was released to the public in 2017.[11]

The bridge will have drought-tolerant vegetation placed to encourage use by wildlife along with 8 acres (3.2 ha) of habitat restoration.[12] Fencing at each end will help funnel them. Hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians will also be able to use the crossing.[8] The California Department of Transportation, Caltrans, will oversee design and construction as it crosses a major transportation route.[13]

Funding[]

In 2014, the National Wildlife Federation and the Santa Monica Mountains Fund joined forces with the #SaveLACougars campaign to raise money for the project.[14] The project had been stalled for years due to lack of funding.[4] In 2014, the gave a $650,000 grant to the for the design of the crossing.[15] In 2015, the California Coastal Commission gave a $1 million grant to Caltrans for environmental assessment.[4] Private donors were also being asked contribute.[16] In May 2021, the Annenberg Foundation offered a $25M challenge grant for the project, with $35M needed to unlock the grant.[17][18][19]

Construction[]

Caltrans expects to begin construction on the wildlife crossing in January 2022, and to complete construction by October 2023.[20][21][22]

References[]

  1. ^ Guldimann, Suzanne (February 9, 2015). "Liberty Canyon wildlife crossing granted $1 million by SCC". Malibu Surfside News. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Groves, Martha (September 2, 2015). "Caltrans proposes wildlife overpass on 101 Freeway". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  3. ^ Carlson, Cheri (September 9, 2020). "Mountain lion found in Santa Monica Mountains might be first with physical abnormalities". Ventura County Star. Retrieved September 10, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b c Kim, Jed (January 29, 2015). "Liberty Canyon puma crossing gets $1 million from state". KPCC. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  5. ^ Goldman, Jason (October 7, 2016). "How to Design a Wildlife Crossing Wildlife Will Use". KCET. Retrieved July 25, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ Artsy, Avishay (February 20, 2018). "Here's what you need to know about the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing". KCRW. Retrieved July 19, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ Riley, Seth P. D.; Smith, Trish; Vickers, T. Winston (March 2018). Assessment of Wildlife Crossing Sites for the Interstate15 and Highway 101 Freeways in Southern California (PDF) (Report). National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the UC Davis Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center. pp. 19–27.
  8. ^ a b "Freeway wildlife corridor is feasible, study says". Visalia Times Delta. Associated Press. September 3, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Garcia, Marissa (July 6, 2021). "California is betting $61 million that new highway crossings will keep wildlife safe". CalMatters. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  10. ^ "Time Lapse of Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing Concept by RCDSMM". National Wildlife Federation California. September 3, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015 – via YouTube.
  11. ^ "US-101 Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing" (Press release). California Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  12. ^ Ung, Brittany (July 16, 2021). "Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing Could Break Ground This Year". Patch. Agoura Hills. Retrieved July 19, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Sahagún, Louis (March 20, 2019). "As Southern California cougars near 'extinction vortex,' a radical rescue plan emerges". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 27, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ Sahagún, Louis (December 11, 2021). "Mission accomplished: Beth Pratt raised millions for a freeway overpass for L.A. cougars". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 13, 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ^ "District receives grant for Liberty Canyon corridor". Ventura County Star. November 21, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  16. ^ "Wildlife crossing over the 101 to save mountain lions getting closer to reality". Los Angeles: KABC-TV. City News Service. January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  17. ^ "Plan to build wildlife crossing over 101 Freeway gets $25 million challenge grant". KTLA. May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  18. ^ "National Wildlife Federation Receives Record $25 Million Annenberg Challenge Grant for Largest Urban Wildlife Crossing in the World" (Press release). National Wildlife Federation. May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  19. ^ Loesing, John (May 14, 2021). "Agoura wildlife bridge gets $25-million Annenberg grant". The Acorn. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  20. ^ Anaya-Morga, Laura (October 9, 2021). "Caltrans projected to break ground on wildlife bridge over 101 Freeway in January 2022". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  21. ^ Bushman, Monica; Martinez, Lita (January 27, 2021). "Massive Milestone For Massive Wildlife Crossing Over 101 Freeway". LAist. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  22. ^ Finn, Genevieve (November 3, 2020). "New Plans Released for Long-Awaited Wildlife Crossing". Malibu Times. Retrieved January 23, 2021.

External links[]

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