Biology:Liberty Canyon wildlife crossing

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Short description: Southern California bridge over a freeway to benefit mountain lions

Template:Infobox bridge

The Liberty Canyon wildlife crossing is a proposed vegetated overpass spanning the Ventura Freeway and Agoura Road in Agoura Hills, California. If built, 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 intended to primarily benefit 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] Caltrans will oversee design and construction as it crosses a major transportation route.[13]

Funding

The project had stalled for years due to lack of funding.[4] In 2014, the California Wildlife Conservation Board gave a $650,000 grant to the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains for the design of the crossing.[14] In 2015, the California Coastal Commission gave a $1 million grant to Caltrans for environmental assessment.[4] The National Wildlife Federation and the Santa Monica Mountains Fund are raising funds for the construction phase of the project.[2] Private donors have also contributed.[15] Construction is expected to begin in November 2021.[16][17] In May 2021, the Annenberg Foundation offered a $25M challenge grant for the project, with $35M needed to unlock the grant.[18][19][20]

References

  1. ↑ Guldimann, Suzanne (February 9, 2015). "Liberty Canyon wildlife crossing granted $1 million by SCC". Malibu Surfside News. http://www.malibusurfsidenews.com/liberty-canyon-wildlife-crossing-granted-1-million-scc. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Groves, Martha (September 2, 2015). "Caltrans proposes wildlife overpass on 101 Freeway". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-caltrans-proposes-wildlife-overpass-on-101-freeway-20150902-story.html. 
  3. ↑ Carlson, Cheri (September 9, 2020). "Mountain lion found in Santa Monica Mountains might be first with physical abnormalities" (in en-US). https://www.vcstar.com/story/news/special-reports/outdoors/2020/09/09/cougar-genetic-abnormalities-discovered-santa-monica-mountain-lions-p-81/5761841002/. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Kim, Jed (January 29, 2015). "Liberty Canyon puma crossing gets $1 million from state". KPCC. http://www.scpr.org/news/2015/01/29/49550/liberty-canyon-puma-crossing-gets-1-million-from-s/. 
  5. ↑ Goldman, Jason (2016-10-07). "How to Design a Wildlife Crossing Wildlife Will Use" (in en). https://www.kcet.org/redefine/heres-how-to-design-a-wildlife-crossing-that-wildlife-will-actually-use. 
  6. ↑ Artsy, Avishay (2018-02-20). "Here’s what you need to know about the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing" (in en). KCRW. https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/design-and-architecture/heres-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-liberty-canyon-wildlife-crossing. 
  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 (Report). National Park Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the UC Davis Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center. pp. 19–27. https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/news/upload/SAM_SMM_Final-Linkage-Report_final_031218_compliant-1.pdf. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Freeway wildlife corridor is feasible, study says" (in en-US). Visalia Times Delta. Associated Press. September 3, 2015. https://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/news/2015/09/03/freeway-wildlife-corridor-feasible-study-says/71648890/. 
  9. ↑ Garcia, Marissa (2021-07-06). "California is betting $61 million that new highway crossings will keep wildlife safe" (in en-US). CalMatters. https://calmatters.org/politics/2021/07/california-wildlife-crossings/. 
  10. ↑ "Time Lapse of Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing Concept by RCDSMM". National Wildlife Federation California. September 3, 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDRvTdOrYsk. 
  11. ↑ "US-101 Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing" (Press release). California Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  12. ↑ Ung, Brittany (2021-07-16). "Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing Could Break Ground This Year" (in en). Patch (Agoura Hills). https://patch.com/california/agourahills/liberty-canyon-wildlife-crossing-could-break-ground-year. 
  13. ↑ Sahagún, Louis (2019-03-20). "As Southern California cougars near 'extinction vortex,' a radical rescue plan emerges" (in en-US). Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-mountain-lion-extinction-shuttle-service-20190320-story.html. 
  14. ↑ "District receives grant for Liberty Canyon corridor". Ventura County Star. November 21, 2014. http://www.vcstar.com/news/environment/district-receives-grant-for-liberty-canyon-corridor_72252321. 
  15. ↑ "Wildlife crossing over the 101 to save mountain lions getting closer to reality" (in en). City News Service. Los Angeles: KABC-TV. January 29, 2021. https://abc7.com/10110925/. 
  16. ↑ Bushman, Monica; Martinez, Lita (January 27, 2021). "Massive Milestone For Massive Wildlife Crossing Over 101 Freeway". LAist. https://laist.com/latest/post/20210127/liberty-canyon-wildlife-crossing-milestone. 
  17. ↑ Finn, Genevieve (November 3, 2020). "New Plans Released for Long-Awaited Wildlife Crossing" (in en). Malibu Times. http://www.malibutimes.com/news/article_be06eed0-18e4-11eb-a614-1b22c6066d78.html. 
  18. ↑ "Plan to build wildlife crossing over 101 Freeway gets $25 million challenge grant" (in en-US). KTLA. May 14, 2021. https://ktla.com/news/local-news/plan-to-build-wildlife-crossing-over-101-freeway-gets-25-million-challenge-grant/. 
  19. ↑ "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.
  20. ↑ Loesing, John (May 14, 2021). "Agoura wildlife bridge gets $25-million Annenberg grant". The Acorn. https://www.theacorn.com/articles/agoura-wildlife-bridge-gets-25-million-annenberg-grant/. 

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