Total length 61 m Location Agoura Hills | Width 50 m Carries Wildlife, Pedestrian | |
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Crosses US 101 (Ventura Freeway) Locale Agoura Hills, California Similar Simi Hills, Santa Susana Mountains, Santa Monica Mountain, Santa Monica Mountains, King Gillette Ranch | ||
Time lapse of liberty canyon wildlife crossing concept by rcdsmm
The Liberty Canyon wildlife crossing is a proposed vegetated overpass spanning the Ventura Freeway and Agoura Road in Agoura Hills, California. When built, it will connect the Simi Hills to the north and the Santa Monica Mountains to the south, and will be the largest wildlife crossing in the United States.
Contents
Liberty canyon wildlife crossing rally
BackgroundEdit
The crossing will primarily benefit the mountain lion population indigenous to the Santa Monica Mountains, which has declined due to the Ventura Freeway acting as a barrier between habitats. The Santa Monica Mountains mountain lion population are genetically isolated, and the National Park Service has recorded a dozen mountain lions struck and killed by motorists in the Santa Monica Mountains since 2002.
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.
DesignEdit
In 2015, the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains published a 165-foot-wide and 200-foot-long overpass design for the wildlife crossing.
FundingEdit
The project had stalled for years due to lack of funding.
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.
In 2015, the California Coastal Commission gave a $1 million grant to Caltrans for environmental assessment.
The National Wildlife Federation and the Santa Monica Mountains Fund are raising funds for the construction phase of the project.