Wildlife Bridge Over 101 Freeway Gets $5M Donation

AGOURA HILLS, CA — The Liberty Canyon Wildlife Overpass Crossing, which will cross the 101 Freeway at Liberty Canyon and cost $88.8 million, received a $5 million grant.

At an Aug. 26 meeting, the Wildlife Conservation Board, a state agency that funds environmental initiatives, approved more than $25 million in grants for fish and wildlife habitats throughout the state. This included a $5 million gift to the National Wildlife Federation for the 200-foot bridge.

The crossing will help big predators like mountain lions and smaller animals travel safely across the freeway in a spot that scientists have been identified as prime habitat.

“Connecting these areas would give mountain lions and numerous other species living in these highly fragmented habitats the room they need to roam, mate and thrive,” the agency told The Acorn. Beth Pratt, the wildlife foundation’s regional director, said that many species may go extinct within 50 years without the bridge.

“We understand these are challenging times, and human health and safety must be a priority. Yet the extinction timeline for mountain lions is not on pause, and we must build this crossing on time or mountain lions may not have a future in the Santa Monica Mountains,” Pratt told The Acorn.

The wildlife federation is working with the city of Agoura Hills, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the California State Coastal Conservancy, Caltrans, and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

A source told The Acorn that they expect to break ground on construction next year, and hope to finish by 2022.