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Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing

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Coordinates: 34°08′17″N 118°43′44″W / 34.138°N 118.729°W / 34.138; -118.729
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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; -118.729
CarriesWildlife
Crosses US 101 (Ventura Freeway)
LocaleAgoura Hills, California
Other name(s)Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing
Characteristics
Total length200 feet (61 m)
Width165 feet (50 m)
Location
Map

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing (formerly Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing) is a vegetated overpass spanning the Ventura Freeway and Agoura Road under construction at Liberty Canyon in Agoura Hills, California. The bridge will be one of the largest urban wildlife crossings in the world, connecting the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains over a busy, 10-lane freeway.

Background

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The bridge is meant to allow animals to circulate through and thrive in habitats that are fragmented by human development.[1] The crossing is particularly critical for the mountain lions of the Santa Monica Mountains, which have declined and become genetically isolated[2] because the Ventura Freeway prevents them from moving between the mountains and the Simi Hills to the north.[3][4] Other species expected to benefit from the crossing include bobcats, coyotes, gray foxes, birds of prey, skunks, rodents, American badgers, American Black Bears, fence lizards and Mule deer.[5][6]

In 2020, wildlife biologists found the first evidence of physical abnormalities in the isolated population.[7] Newcomers would bring new genetic material into the mountains where the lack of genetic diversity is a serious threat to their long-term survival.[8] It would allow young mountain lions born in the Santa Monica Mountains the chance to find new territory before possibly being killed by one of the dominant older males.[9]

Freeway traffic is one of the primary threats to mountain lions' survival in Southern California.[10] Since 2002, at least a dozen have been killed by motorists on the section of freeway paralleling the Santa Monica Mountains.[11] In 2013, a mountain lion, traveling from the north and on the verge of bringing new genetic material, died trying to cross at this location.[12] GPS tracking collars fitted by the researchers show that most mountain lions approach this particular area and turn back without attempting the hazardous crossing of the freeway.[13]

This will be the first bridge on the California highway system designed specifically for fostering wildlife connectivity.[14] The Ventura Freeway is a heavily travelled commuter route serving the Greater Los Angeles area and connecting Los Angeles and Ventura Counties with about 300,000 cars a day.[15] The site is about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of downtown Los Angeles.[16]

Scientists identified Liberty Canyon as the best location for a wildlife crossing in a 1990 study commissioned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.[17] Acquisition by the conservancy and other partners of privately owned land began to create one of the few areas with the lands on both sides of the freeway that are publicly owned and protected.[11][18] The crossing is situated along a wildlife corridor within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area that consists of thousands of acres of local, state and federally protected lands and stretches northerly from Los Angeles into Ventura County.[19] The county of Ventura has adopted a wildlife corridor protection ordinance that restricts activities that will impede the movement of mountains lions and other wildlife between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Los Padres National Forest.[20]

Design

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In 2015, the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains published a design for a 165-foot-wide (50 m) and 200-foot-long (61 m) overpass for the wildlife crossing.[11][21] To encourage use by wildlife, the bridge will have lush but drought-tolerant vegetation with matte materials to deflect bright headlights and insulation to quiet the roar of cars.[22] Fencing at each end will help funnel them onto the crossing.[19] A second phase of the project will cross a frontage road that is parallel with the freeway.[23]

Landscaping of the nearly 1-acre bridge (0.40 ha) includes 12 acres (4.9 ha) of habitat restoration in the area.[24] The restoration is partially needed because the 2018 Woolsey Fire burned through the wildlife corridor as it was pushed by strong Santa Ana winds in a southerly direction, and crossed the freeway in this area.[25][26]

The draft environmental document was released in 2017.[27] A tunnel was considered as an alternative, but it would be less able to attract usage by wildlife and wouldn’t sustain vegetation.[28] The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) oversaw design and construction as it crosses a major transportation route.[29]

Funding campaign

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In 2014, the National Wildlife Federation, the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, and the #SaveLACougars campaign began to raise money for the project.[30] The inspiration for the project, as well as the funding drive's "poster puma", was P-22,[31] a mountain lion that survived crossing two freeways, the 101 and the 405, to reach Griffith Park at the easterly end of the Santa Monica Mountains. P-22 became a local celebrity;[32][33] his death in 2022 would further stimulate awareness and funds for the campaign.[34]

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.[35]

In 2015, the California Coastal Commission gave a $1 million grant to Caltrans for environmental assessment.[2] Private donors were encouraged to contribute.[36] The project stalled for years due to lack of funding.[2] In May 2021, the Annenberg Foundation pledged to donate another $25 million once the project raised $35 million.[37][38][39] As of mid-April 2022, donations totaled more than $87 million, with more than 5,000 people, foundations, agencies, and businesses contributing expertise and donations.[40]

The project costs around $90 million, with funding from private donations covering about 60% and the rest coming from public funds set aside for conservation purposes.[41]

Construction

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A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Earth Day in April 2022 with Governor Gavin Newsom, Wallis Annenberg, wildlife biologists and members of the public along with local, state and federal legislators.[42][43] Caltrans set the beginning of construction for spring 2022 with construction to be completed within two years.[44][45][46] Initial work included moving public utilities.[47] As of mid-2024, the work is expected to finish in early 2025.[48]

References

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  1. ^ Kettmann, Matt (November 3, 2022). "Why So Many Creatures Now Call Our Cities Home". The Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Kim, Jed (January 29, 2015). "Liberty Canyon puma crossing gets $1 million from state". KPCC. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  3. ^ Rocha, Veronica; Curwen, Thomas (August 14, 2015). "The 'sad but not surprising death' of a wandering puma known as P-32". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
  4. ^ Guldimann, Suzanne (February 9, 2015). "Liberty Canyon wildlife crossing granted $1 million by SCC". Malibu Surfside News. Archived from the original on August 1, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ Thebault, Reis (May 25, 2024). "Amid roadkill epidemic, California builds world's largest wildlife bridge". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  6. ^ Artsy, Avishay (February 20, 2018). "Here's what you need to know about the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing". KCRW. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ Carlson, Cheri (April 23, 2022). "Hundreds celebrate Highway 101 wildlife bridge as first of its kind. Here's why". Ventura County Star. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  9. ^ Goldman, Jason (October 7, 2016). "How to Design a Wildlife Crossing Wildlife Will Use". KCET. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
  10. ^ Ung, Brittany (July 16, 2021). "Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing Could Break Ground This Year". Patch. Agoura Hills. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c Groves, Martha (September 2, 2015). "Caltrans proposes wildlife overpass on 101 Freeway". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  12. ^ "DNA Results from Dead Mountain Lion Highlight Need for Liberty Canyon Wildlife Tunnel" (Press release). Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area | U.S. National Park Service. November 6, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  13. ^ Smith, Sam Benson (April 22, 2022). "Here's How LA Is Going To Construct The World's Largest Wildlife Crossing". LAist. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  14. ^ Garcia, Marissa (July 6, 2021). "California is betting $61 million that new highway crossings will keep wildlife safe". CalMatters. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  15. ^ "California breaks ground on urban wildlife crossing to span U.S. 101". NBC News. The Associated Press. April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  16. ^ "Calif. breaks ground on largest wildlife crossing in the world". SFGATE. April 24, 2022. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  17. ^ Treisman, Rachel (December 22, 2022). "The legacy of Hollywood mountain lion P-22 lives on in wildlife conservation efforts". WBUR. Retrieved June 17, 2024.
  18. ^ 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 14, 2021.
  19. ^ a b "Freeway wildlife corridor is feasible, study says". Visalia Times Delta. Associated Press. September 3, 2015. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
  20. ^ Wilson, Kathleen (February 13, 2022). "Judge upholds Ventura County law protecting wildlife corridors after 3-year-old court battle". Ventura County Star.
  21. ^ "Time Lapse of Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing Concept by RCDSMM". National Wildlife Federation California. September 3, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015 – via YouTube.
  22. ^ Walker, Alissa (January 12, 2022). "World's Largest Wildlife Crossing Is Finally Under Way in Los Angeles". Curbed. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  23. ^ Smith, Sam Benson (January 14, 2022). "The World's Largest Wildlife Crossing Could Have A Spring Groundbreaking". LAist. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  24. ^ Marantos, Jeanette; DeAratanha, Ricardo (June 21, 2023). "Saving the next P-22 starts with a million 'hyperlocal' seeds and a bare-bones nursery". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  25. ^ Sahagun, Louis. "Local mountain lions face a smaller, harsher world after Woolsey Fire". Ventura County Star. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 26, 2022.
  26. ^ Chandler, Jenna (November 9, 2018). "Ventura County's Woolsey Fire moving south, Malibu under evacuation". Curbed. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  27. ^ "US-101 Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing" (Press release). California Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 15, 2018.
  28. ^ Kim, Jed (January 15, 2016). "Community widely supports plan for $55 million wildlife bridge". KPCC. Southern California Public Radio. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  29. ^ Sahagún, Louis (March 20, 2019). "As Southern California cougars near 'extinction vortex,' a radical rescue plan emerges". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^ Guidi, Ruxandra (May 1, 2022). "The lion king of Los Angeles". High Country News. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  32. ^ McGahan, Jason (March 18, 2022). "The Mountain Lion that's Haunting The Hipsters". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  33. ^ Simon, Scott (April 30, 2022). "California wildlife get their own highway crossing". NPR News. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  34. ^ Thebault, Reis (May 25, 2024). "Amid roadkill epidemic, California builds world's largest wildlife bridge". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  35. ^ "District receives grant for Liberty Canyon corridor". Ventura County Star. November 21, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  36. ^ "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.
  37. ^ "Plan to build wildlife crossing over 101 Freeway gets $25 million challenge grant". KTLA. May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  38. ^ "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.
  39. ^ Loesing, John (May 14, 2021). "Agoura wildlife bridge gets $25-million Annenberg grant". The Acorn. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  40. ^ Sahagún, Louis (April 22, 2022). "A cougar passage rises over a deadly Southern California freeway". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 25, 2022.
  41. ^ "California groundbreaking set for largest wildlife crossing". AP NEWS. March 25, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  42. ^ Salahieh, Nouran; Myers, Erin (April 22, 2022). "Crews break ground on world's largest wildlife crossing over 101 Fwy in L.A." KTLA. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  43. ^ Orozco, Lance (April 23, 2022). "Cougar crossing coming! Work starts on Conejo Valley wildlife crossing, to be largest in world". KCLU. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
  44. ^ 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.
  45. ^ 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.
  46. ^ Finn, Genevieve (November 3, 2020). "New Plans Released for Long-Awaited Wildlife Crossing". Malibu Times. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  47. ^ DuBose, Josh (September 20, 2022). "Construction of wildlife crossing over 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills underway". KTLA. Retrieved September 21, 2022.
  48. ^ Lloyd, Jonathan; Valles, Michelle (April 17, 2024). "Giant girder installed on 101 Freeway wildlife crossing. See the construction milestone". KNBC. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
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