Image: Caltrans
The plot is a native wildlife habitat that connects two parts of the Santa Monica mountain range, with the hopes of saving creatures – from the famous local mountain lions, down to frogs and insects – from being crushed by cars on one of the nation’s busiest roadways.[ed. Wow, this is crazy. What are they connecting to, exactly? And what are the numbers/science that support this? I and a few other biologists in my department (Alaska Dept. Fish and Game) pioneered wildlife crossings back in the 70s when North Slope oil fields were just being developed. Most of you probably don't remember all those slick magazine and tv ads from industry back then boasting about their deep commitment to the environment and sensitivity to wildlife? Haha... not quite. It was a constant fight to get even a few caribou pipeline crossings installed so that thousands of animals could have continued access to feeding and calving areas along the coast. Too expensive and unnecessary, wouldn't work. Of course, once those crossings were installed and actually found to be effective, oil companies were only too happy to take credit. And these were just 30-40 foot gravel pads. In later years near Anchorage, when moose/automobile collisions started becoming epidemic (as the city expanded highway lanes in outlying areas), more of the same fights, this time with the military whose lands the highway transited, and state DOT who again objected to 'wasting' money on unproven designs. Cost and effectiveness issues again. So, a compromise - fencing, one-way gates, and enhanced underpasses, which worked amazingly well, and continue to do so today. Which isn't to say that some overhead crossings aren't warranted in some places (we have one here in Washington over I-90 that seems to be working well for large and small mammals). But something like this California project ($92 million!) would have been a non-starter back in the old days unless there's some critical importance for that particular spot, which isn't mentioned in the article. Definitely more than the occasional mountain lion, frogs and insects. But it's California, who knows.]
