Former State Senator Fran Pavley and various partners are working on an underpass corridor in Liberty Canyon for wildlife to cross Highway 101. A wildlife corridor connects animals to key habitat. When a freeway or road interupts natural pathways for wildlife, the death toll goes up – unless we can create alternative crossings. With grant funds from the Wildlife Conservation Board, the Resource Conservation District will move ahead with a wildlife corridor project, while CalTrans works towards creating another wildlife crossing overpass. Different species favor the underpass and overpass solutions, so having both is best. This location was selected after reviewing over 20 years of data collected by Dr. Seth Riley on local mountain lions.
In addition, the potential removal of Rindge Dam is critical for the long term health of large mammal populations – species like mountain lions, bobcats, and deer use creeks and rivers as pathways through the mountains. Southern steelhead trout also need access to upper tributaries to breed, forage, and grow. Restoring creeks and rivers is vital to habitat connectivity.