Doubt still lingers about need for, impact of wildlife bridge


Southern California’s favorite pet project has been given the environmental green light— at least for now—but opposition to the wildlife bridge might still have its say.

We’re a little surprised that an expected $60-million undertaking in the heart of the Conejo-Las Virgenes Valley is sailing by as smoothly as it is. Maybe we just love our mountain lions that much.

Required under the California Environmental Quality Act, a Caltrans-sponsored study released in September sought to determine what impact a land bridge over the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills would have on the surrounding area and whether such a bridge was necessary. According to the report, the crossing would not significantly impact the environment since plans include the adding and replanting of vegetation, strict water-quality oversight and post-construction monitoring.

Caltrans says it will file a mitigated negative declaration on the project, meaning it would not require further CEQA review.

Can anyone think of any other development of this magnitude—right on top of the freeway no less—that would get such an easy pass and not be the target of major opposition by proenvironment factions?

Hearing only crickets coming from the NIMBY (not in my backyard) crowd is pretty amazing when you think about it, except, in this case, the slow- and no-growth people who oppose big construction projects in the region are usually the same folks who support protection of the local cougar population.

To be clear, the Acorn marvels at such a unique undertaking: a soil- and vegetationcovered bridge over the freeway that allows large animals, especially pumas, to cross from one side of the highway to the other and increase their territorial habitat. Sadly, we’re seeing the mountain lion population diminish as it finds less room to roam in the Santa Monica Mountains urban jungle. Animals killed on the freeway as they try in vain to reach safer ground are not an uncommon sight.

The only opposition we’ve heard so far comes from residents of Liberty Canyon, where the structure would be placed, and taxpayer advocates who fear the work will be done using precious public funds.

We urge planners to approve a design option that places the wildlife bridge over both the freeway and Agoura Road so the animals can be steered deeper into the canyon before they exit the overpass.

We also urge our local wildlife fans—the same folks who shudder at the construction of every new building in town—to look at the project not just as a walkway for handsome cats that will garner national attention but as a massive concrete and steel structure that will cause freeway traffic interference and air and noise pollution while the multi-year construction effort unfolds.

Just because we want to save our mountain lions doesn’t mean we should stop caring about how we get there. The devil, as they say, is in the details.