Nature advocate seeks safe crossing for wildlife
Freeways, highways block migration routes of animals native to the area
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

ANIMAL FREEWAYS- A National Park map created by the Missing Linkages Project showing possible linkage corridors connecting the Santa Susana and Santa Monica mountains.

As nature advocates and park officials seek to help local wildlife survive on the brink of suburbia, they must find ways to help the animals navigate the treacherous ribbons of highways that crisscross the region.

Several underpasses are needed under the 118 Freeway, according to Corina Roberts, founder of Redbird, a nonprofit organization dedicated to Native American cultural awareness and the environment.

Raccoons, deer and coyotes looking for water or new territory try to cross, mainly near Rocky Peak and Yosemite Avenue and where the 118 and 23 freeways meet, but many don't survive, the Simi Valley resident said.

Roberts worked with the Nature and Santa Monica Mountains conservancies in the late '80s, when the concept of connecting regions via natural corridors was new.

"Since that time it's become an integral part of wildlife habitat planning," she said.

Key properties must be acquired and conserved now, said Moorpark Councilmember Roseann Mikos, who serves on several Nature Conservancy boards. The land formerly slated for the North Park development east of Moorpark is also widely used by animals, she said.

The chance to maintain viable wildlife populations will soon be lost, Mikos said.

"We don't have much time left to make sure we preserve these linkages," she said.

"We need to build coalitions to make this happen," said Mikos.

According to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the habitat area between the Santa Susana Mountains and the Simi Hills is one of the most threatened habitat linkages in Southern California.

Redirecting wildlife

Providing wildlife migratory options across both the 118 and 23 freeways is critical because the Tierra Rejada Valley is an important habitat area, according to Raymond Sauvajot, chief of planning, science and resource management for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

The National Park Service is working with Caltrans to monitor wildlife along the 23 Freeway before and after the construction of new center lanes.

A new wildlife-proof fence will be installed to keep animals from straying onto the road and to direct them to culverts under the freeway, Sauvajot said.

"We've got remote camera photos and road-kill data for the 23 that shows both the threats posed by the highway and the opportunity available to protect wildlife by directing them to culverts and underpasses," he said.

The culverts will be improved and cleared of debris so they're more "user friendly" for animals.

A multiagency group is evaluating ways to make the 118 Freeway more permeable for wildlife as well, Sauvajot said.

So far, two vital areas have been identified between Moorpark and Simi Valley, including a path near Santa Susana Pass in the vicinity of Alamos Canyon.

Officials hope to create a recreational trail that would unite habitat from the Santa Susana Mountains north of the 118, through the Tierra Rejada Valley, and through the Simi Hills and Santa Monica Mountains.

This conceptual Simitothesea trail was informally dubbed the Ronald Reagan Legacy Trail and Wildlife Corridor because it could ultimately connect the area around the Reagan Library to the old Reagan Ranch in Malibu Creek State Park, Sauvajot said.

Most of the land in this eastern corridor is already under public ownership, and efforts are underway to permanently preserve the few remaining parcels of privately owned land, according to park officials.

101 Freeway an obstacle

Getting animals safely from one side of the 101 Freeway to the other is a big challenge, Sauvajot said.

Agencies have acquired land in Agoura Hills for a natural corridor but more avenues need to be pursued.

"We at NPS are working with Caltrans to explore options for getting wildlife across the 101 at Liberty Canyon, possibly by constructing a wildlifespecific underpass. We know some animals use the underpass there now, but a better-designed structure would be more helpful," Sauvajot said.

An improved crossing at the Conejo Grade portion of the 101 Freeway would be ideal, he said.

After years of studying bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions and other wildlife, data shows there's a need for this connectivity throughout the region.

"We have done genetic studies that indicate that the 101 is a formidable barrier, leading to genetic differentiation across the freeway for coyotes and bobcats," Sauvajot said.