The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over the 101 Freeway has received nearly $19 million to provide the final push needed to complete the project, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Monday.
The crossing in the city of Agoura Hills on U.S. Highway 101 (Ventura) Freeway, west of Liberty Canyon Road, is the first of its kind in California and will offer a safe route for wildlife across the much-traveled freeway, according to the governor’s office. Officials and supporters of the crossing hope it will reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and support long-term species viability by enabling movement.
“The Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is an ambitious project, one that bridges the gap between conservation and urban development,” Newsom said in a statement. “The crossing will make life safer for both Los Angeles wildlife and drivers frequenting US 101 — and will ensure people and animals can thrive together for generations to come.”
The California Transportation Commission allocated $18.8 million to complete the crossing from the Environmental Enhancement and Mitigation Program. The program began in 1989 to fund projects that address environmental impacts that require changes to existing transportation facilities and infrastructure, officials said.
The wildlife crossing project is a public-private partnership that utilizes the expertise and leadership of dozens of organizations and institutions to protect and restore wildlife habitats in Southern California, according to Newsom’s office. After more than 30 years of conservation work in the area, the wildlife crossing will reconnect protected lands in the Santa Monica Mountains and the Sierra Madre Range on both sides of the freeway. This expansion of interconnected conserved lands and waters will protect and restore biodiversity while also supporting transportation infrastructure.
The bridge for animals over the freeway will feature coastal sage scrub plants that are native to the Santa Monica Mountains. The project’s environmental restoration strategy includes 12 acres of open space and 50,000 native plants, officials said.
The state has provided $58 million in funding for the public-private Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, which Caltrans is facilitating, while philanthropy has contributed more than $34 million, according to the governor’s office.
On Earth Day 2022, Newsom joined the late Wallis Annenberg for the project’s groundbreaking. Annenberg was inducted into the California Hall of Fame, shortly after she died in July at age 86.
The wildlife crossing that carries her name is expected to be completed in the fall.
