The National Park Service is pushing for a 13 x 13 ft tunnel to be built at Liberty Canyon Road in Agoura Hills to function as a safe wildlife crossing for mountain lions to cross the Ventura Freeway. The crossing is intended to make the passage across the freeway safer for mountain lions so that they may mate with other lions and roam more freely in order to restore genetic diversity in the California mountain lion population.
The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is currently considering funding a $200,000 Caltrans study to determine the best method of constructing the wildlife crossing, whether the location the National Park Service has chosen or a different location. The crossing is desperately needed to protect wildlife and keep animal populations thriving and healthy.
Beth Pratt, California Director of the National Wildlife Federation, discusses the importance of this issue and what is being done to make this a reality on the next episode of Food Exposed, airing Tues. Feb. 26 on emPOWERerme.tv!
For more information, check out ths LA Times article – http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-wildlife-crossing-mountain-lions-101-freeway-20140218,0,7400277.story#axzz2uCSckaXQ