Mary Cummins Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Advocates News Los Angeles California: wildlife crossing

Showing posts with label wildlife crossing. Show all posts

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Cougar Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation Docent Tour of Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing by Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

mary cummins, animal advocates, wildlife crossing, wallis annenberg wildlife crossing, docent tour, hike, los angeles, california, animaladvocates.us, marycummins.com, nwf,cougar conservancy, national wildlife federation

We attended the Cougar Conservancy, National Wildlife Federation NWF docent hike tour of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. There was no hike and no tour or view of the crossing. We stood on a dirt road near the loud freeway while the docent just read from a paper for 30 minutes. What she read was on the website. Wasted drive and carbon foot print. Everyone was upset at the end of the event when we asked when do we see the crossing. We were told just drive on the freeway. Everyone drove on the freeway to get there so what was the point. People complained online and probably in the survey they sent out.

If you want to hike to actually see it, here is one short hike to get there with parking. No need to take the docent tour. https://animaladvocatesmarycummins.blogspot.com/2023/08/hike-to-wallis-annenberg-wildlife.html

I video'd the wildlife crossing from the freeway.

Two videos of the event. This was really all there was just about.

https://youtu.be/9Dq999X-G1g?feature=shared

https://youtu.be/9d1Li3Uz_EY

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

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Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate Services has been in real estate since 1983, over 35 years. She is licensed by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Mary Cummins was an agent and broker licensed with the California Department of Real Estate selling residential income, commercial buildings, raw land and homes for Merrill Lynch Realty in Beverly Hills and Westside Properties in Los Angeles before concentrating on appraisals. Mary Cummins currently provides real estate appraisals, expert witness testimony, historical research, legal real estate research for mortgage brokers, banks, lawyers, factors, insurance companies, financial consultants and private individuals. Mary Cummins was born and raised in Southern California. Cummins attended Beverly Hills Good Shepherd Catholic School and Beverly Hills High School. Besides being on the Dean's list, Mary Cummins was a top ten national swimmer and competed on the men's water polo team. Mary Cummins began college at the age of 15 attending the University of Southern California on scholarship, majoring in Psychology/Sociology. http://www.animaladvocates.us http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Hike to Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills, California by Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates

wallis annenberg wildlife crossing, wallis annenberg, wildlife crossing, los angeles, california, mary cummins, animal advocates, @animaladvocatesusa, @marycummins, agoura hills, hike, walk

After a disappointing docent hiking tour by the National Wildlife Federation and Cougar Conservancy of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing event I decided to find a hike to actually see the wildlife crossing. You can hike from only the south side. Ignore the north route I drew above. The south has a cleared hiking trail all the time. The north side has no view point at all. I hiked it personally and you can't see the crossing from that side because of a ridge. You can see it by walking on the side of the freeway on the north side but that's illegal.

South side hike is 1,300 feet up a hill on a cleared hiking trail. GPS start 34.136984400411855, -118.72892708553738 GPS end 34.13617430519416, -118.73339603254912 . You park on the road which is 27571 Agoura Rd, Agoura Hills, California 91301. There are signs there showing you the hike. There are two great view sites just 100 ft up the trail. It's called Abrams Trailhead on the map. No need to go to the top. Unfortunately you can only see the two side retaining walls and the top of the middle platform from the south side.

wallis annenberg wildlife crossing, wallis annenberg, wildlife crossing, los angeles, california, mary cummins, animal advocates, @animaladvocatesusa, @marycummins, agoura hills, hike, walk

Below are pics I took August 29, 2023 of the south and north sides of the 101 looking at the crossing.

SOUTH SIDE

NORTH SIDE

The culverts are the ones used by P22 and other mountain lions to cross the freeways. Bring sun protection, water, wear tall boots, long pants, long shirt so you don't have to worry as much about ticks and brush. No sandals, open toed shoes or shorts. Don't walk on the freeway because it's illegal. Here are live cams so you can see current temperature, clearing.

https://app.oxblue.com/?openlink=NWF/WallisAnnenbergWildlifeCrossing

Bing map date 082723

Great drone footage from Caltrans via Annenberg Foundation.

Mary Cummins

Friday, September 16, 2022

Animal Advocates Attended the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Open House September 15, 2022 Mary Cummins

wallis annenberg wildlife crossing, wallis annenberg, wildlife crossing, animal advocates, mary cummins, los angeles, california, p22, mountain lion, wildlife, rehabilitation, open house, savelacougars, cougar, national wildlife federation, nwf

September 15, 2022 was the virtual open house for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. The current and future status of the project was discussed in detail. This included completion times for different stages. The volunteer docent program was discussed along with information on how to sign up. Below are a few slides from the presentation. Presentation was recorded so a copy should be available online. I'll post it when it's available.

Those present were Beth Pratt of the National Wildlife Federation, Clark Stevens, Robert Rock, Nathan Hamburger, Rorie Skei, Korinna Domingo, Michael Comeaux, Sheik Moinudden, Seth Riley, Dave Dubois of CA Rasmussen construction, Sam Toutounchian and more. Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates attended the webinar.

More information can be found at cougarconservancy.org, @101wildlifecrossing, dot.ca.gov, Caltrans, National Park Service, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. This is not a complete list.

More information

Mary Cummins

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Animal Advocates Celebrates Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing on Earth Day

Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, Animal Advocates, Liberty Canyon, Wildlife Crossing, Los Angeles, California, Agoura Hills, groundbreaking, mountain lion, cougar, Mary Cummins, Wallis Annenberg, The Annenberg Foundation, Santa Monica Mountains Fund, California Coastal Commission, California Wildlife Conservation Board, Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, National Wildlife Federation, California Department of Fish & Wildlife

Earth Day 2022 theme is "Invest in Our Planet." Today we celebrate the investment of time and resources by many people and organizations in today's groundbreaking of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Los Angeles, California.

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is a planned vegetated overpass spanning the Ventura Freeway at Liberty Canyon in Agoura Hills, California. The bridge will be one of the largest urban wildlife crossings in the United States, connecting the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains over a busy freeway with ten traffic lanes.

The crossing is critical for the wildlife populations indigenous to the Santa Monica Mountains. The Ventura Freeway has acted as a barrier in the wildlife corridor between the Simi Hills and the Santa Monica Mountains. This has caused the Santa Monica Mountains wildlife and mountain lion populations to become genetically isolated. Bobcats, coyotes, deer, wren tits, fence lizards and other wildlife will also greatly benefit from the crossing.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates stated "We are incredibly thankful for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing. While most mountain lions are killed by depredation permits, intraspecific conflict, and rat poison the crossing will greatly help mountain lions and wildlife for many years to come. We're happy to celebrate the wildlife crossing on Earth Day and the 20th anniversary of Animal Advocates."

Organizations involved: Caltrans, The Annenberg Foundation, Santa Monica Mountains Fund, California Coastal Commission, California Wildlife Conservation Board, Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, National Wildlife Federation, California Department of Fish & Wildlife and more.

Animal Advocates: (http://www.animaladvocates.us) Animal Advocates, a non-profit organization founded in 2002, rescues ill, injured and orphaned wildlife for release back to the wild in Los Angeles, California. Animal Advocates also provides animal education and humane wildlife control. Mary Cummins is the President.

Wallis Annenberg and The Annenberg Foundation: (http://www.annenberg.org) The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation established in 1989. The Foundation supports the worldwide community through its grantmaking and direct charitable activities. Wallis Annenberg is the Chairman of the Board and CEO.

Mary Cummins

Friday, March 25, 2022

Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills to Break Ground April 22, 2022 by Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

The $87 million wildlife crossing planned in Agoura Hills is about to become a reality.

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife crossing will break ground on what will eventually be the world's largest wildlife crossing on April 22, which is also Earth Day.

The crossing is designed to become a safe passage for wildlife to cross above the eight lanes of the busy 101 Freeway at Liberty Canyon Road in Agoura Hills. Construction will commence this summer, and is expected to be completed sometime next year.

The population of the Santa Monica Mountains' native mountain lions, particularly the famous photo of P-22 with the Hollywood Sign in the background in Griffith Park, were an inspiration for the bridge's inception. Just this week, a young mountain lion that had just become part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area's long-ranging mountain lion study was struck and killed by a car on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu — the latest in a string of mountain lions who have died while trying explore beyond the boundaries set by busy roadways.

The Santa Monica Mountains falls within one of just 36 "biodiversity hotspots" worldwide and is only one of two in the continental U.S., so the wildlife crossing re-establish a key connection to open space in the Simi Hills, and possibly further into the Santa Susana Mountains or Angeles National Forest.

Wallis Annenberg of the Annenberg Foundation is the major sponsor of the Wildlife Crossing.

GPS location. 34.137941951593284, -118.72807376595853 Closest address is 27571 Agoura Rd, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 extending North over the 101 freeway. The below map is 27571 Agoura Rd.

Mary Cummins

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Ground Breaking for Wildlife Crossing Planned January 2022 in Los Angeles, California by Mary Cummins

Caltrans Projected to Break Ground on Wildlife Bridge Over 101 Freeway in January 2022

ANIMAL WELFARE, ENVIRONMENT, PHILANTHROPY

Annenberg Foundation

The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Caltrans recently announced that they are breaking ground for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in early 2022. The wildlife crossing at Liberty Canyon over the 101 Freeway will reconnect a long-fragmented ecosystem and a biodiversity hotspot, and help protect the endangered mountain lion population and other wildlife that make their home in the Santa Monica Mountains. This crossing will be the first urban crossing of its scale – spanning 210 feet over ten lanes of highway and pavement, along with an access road – and is the first to be significantly funded through private donations along with public support. The #SaveLACougars campaign to build the crossing will serve as a model for urban wildlife conservation efforts across the globe.

Wallis Annenberg and Annenberg Foundation have been instrumental to the success of making this critical wildlife crossing a reality, by issuing a record-breaking challenge grant of $25 million earlier this year.

“There's a reason I wanted to support this crossing and issue this challenge: We need to move beyond mere conservation, toward a kind of environmental rejuvenation… It's a way of saying, there are solutions to our deepest ecological challenges, and this is the kind of fresh new thinking that will get us there.”

Wallis Annenberg

Chairman of the Board, President and CEO, Annenberg Foundation

The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will help restore the habitats for the populations of wildlife that call the Santa Monica Mountains home. Isolation by highways and suburban development is a huge danger to wildlife and, if not addressed, this isolation will lead to a greater reduction of genetic diversity and ultimately cause the extinction of animals such as mountain lions.

“Over time, we've really done a good job of fragmenting our landscapes, which has affected a lot of the wildlife and habitats that we live around and that a lot of people enjoy… I think a lot of people didn't realize what kind of impacts we would have on some of the wildlife and habitats around us.”

Dr. Tiffany Yap

Senior Scientist and Wildlife Corridor Advocate, Center for Biological Diversity

Mary Cummins

Friday, October 4, 2019

1,700+ mountain lions killed in California with depredation permits last 18 years. Only 4,000 left. Spending millions on a wildlife crossing may be moot

california department of fish wildlife, game, fish & game, depredation permits, mountain lions, california, killed, shot, murdered, wildlife crossing, hit by cars, freeways, mary cummins, animal advocates

The California Department of Fish & Wildlife gave depredation permits to people in California who killed 1,702 mountain lions from 2001 to 2018. California's statewide lion population is estimated to be approximately 4,000 animals and dropping. 42% were killed with depredation permits alone in the last 17 years. The number killed being hit by cars is minuscule compared to these numbers. While wildlife crossings are important it's questionable to spend millions on a crossing over the 101 freeway to save five mountain lions when 1,700+ will be killed with depredation permits. Makes more sense to focus more energy to limit the depredation permits which are unnecessary anyway.

One big issue is what happens after they cross over the Wildlife Crossing? They'll just be in more developed area. They're more likely to die by car strike, poison and depredation permits.Maybe they are safer in more wildlife areas away from development. Maybe the crossing will cause more to come into harms way and die. Time will tell.

The Wildlife Crossing will of course save more than mountain lions. There are many other species which will benefit from the crossing not to mention the reduction in car accidents from animal strikes. I believe wildlife crossings should be considered when they first design any new highway or freeway. Currently there is the Liberty Creek culvert which goes under the 101 freeway in that area. There is also Liberty Canyon Blvd which goes under the 101 freeway right where the Crossing will be built. Liberty Canyon is 40' wide under the freeway and 76' wide just south of the freeway, see photo below. Mountain lions have used the culvert. In fact a pet tiger used the culverts to cross under the freeway and highways for almost two weeks in that area. Other wildlife have been recorded using the culverts.

Below is the Liberty Creek and I assume the culvert exit. It's just west of Liberty Canyon.

Here is a 2015 study that goes into the main causes of mountain lion deaths. The current main causes of death are depredation permits, vehicle collisions, rodenticide poisoning, intraspecies conflict, illegal shooting, public safety in no particular order.

A person can apply for a depredation permit if a mountain lion has killed or injured their livestock. Killing a mountain lion will not prevent other mountain lions or other animals from killing other animals. It clearly makes more sense to protect your livestock with bars and enclosures. They should make it mandatory to protect your livestock. In actuality someone who leaves their livestock unprotected is creating the problem. The chart and numbers are of the least amount of mountain lion killed. The actual numbers are higher.

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=171192&inline&fbclid=IwAR2EJv38R2h8D0fZvtH6xvdJ9IufLJJi22Havj4l4CB4YabzJ7Y8o2DsZg0

"Pursuant to California Fish and Game Code Section 4802 (et. Seq.), the Department of Fish and Wildlife shall, upon request, issue (depredation) permits to individuals reporting livestock loss or damage caused by mountain lions, if the loss or damage is confirmed by CDFW staff to have been caused by mountain lions."

https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Mountain-Lion/Depredation

In 2017 they modified the depredation permit. The person must first do everything possible to protect their livestock. If that's the case, they should never give a depredation permit. This is the process to currently get a depredation permit for a mountain lion from the link below.

"GUIDANCE FOR MOUNTAIN LION INCIDENTS

Receiving reports of Mountain Lion Sightings, Depredation, Potential Human
Conflict, or Public Safety Situations (for non-sensitive populations refer to
Department Bulletin 2013-02)

STEPWISE PROCESS FOR MOUNTAIN LION INCIDENTS IN THE
IMPLEMENTATION AREAS

1) First Depredation Event
a. Confirmation of depredation. Per Fish and Game Code section 4803, a
mountain lion depredation must be verified by a responder.
b. Oral authorization. Per Fish and Game Code Section 4805, oral
authorization to pursue (haze) the depredating mountain lion may be
granted if the immediate pursuit will assist in the non-lethal removal of the
mountain lion from the property. A depredation permit shall be issued as
soon as practical.
c. Education. The responder should discuss site-specific options for
managing mountain lion depredation with the RP and educate the RP
regarding mountain lion behavior. Additionally, the responder should
communicate that as a condition of any depredation permit, the property
owner should institute logistically and economically feasible measures
designed to reduce the potential for attracting mountain lions. Potential
measures include, but are not limited to: 1) removing the carcass and
carcass parts of depredated animals; 2) install/repair/replace fencing or
other shelter designed to exclude mountain lions from the attractant; 3)
removing potential suitable habitat (e.g., cover) from the immediate vicinity
by clearing brush or removing lower limbs from shrubbery.
d. RP requests a permit. If the RP requests a depredation permit, the
Department shall issue a permit. The Department should issue a ‘nonlethal’ depredation permit to pursue/haze the mountain lion. Measures that
could be part of a permit include, but are not limited to: 1) deploying
temporary deterrent systems (e.g., motion-sensitive lighting, loud music),
and 2) the use of livestock protection dogs, etc. Such permits shall explicitly
indicate that no mountain lion shall be intentionally killed during this phase
of the permitting process. Unique characteristics or specific collar/tag
information on suspected lions shall be noted and monitored by the
Department when possible.

2) Second depredation event. If a mountain lion depredation is reported at the
same physical location (e.g. reported on animals owned by the same RP within
the same geographic ownership or area) within a time period strongly
suggesting a lion’s affinity for the site, the Department will confirm the reported
mountain lion depredation, and issue, if necessary, oral authorization in
accordance with Sections 1(a) and (b) above.
a. RP requests a permit. If damage is confirmed, and the property owner has
demonstrated that all reasonable preventative measures recommended by
the Department were implemented, the responder should modify the
existing permit or issue a new non-lethal depredation permit specifying
additional measures not included in the previous permit (e.g., use of beanbag shots). Such permits shall explicitly indicate that no mountain lion shall
be intentionally killed during pursuit.

3) Third depredation event. If a mountain lion depredation is reported a third
time at the same physical location (e.g. reported on animals owned by the
same RP within the same geographic ownership or area) within a time period
strongly suggesting a lion’s affinity for the site, the responder will first verify the
reported mountain lion depredation in accordance with Section 1(a) above.
a. RP requests a permit. If damage is confirmed by the Department, the RP
has demonstrated that all reasonable preventative measures required in
the existing permits were implemented, and the RP requests a lethal
depredation permit, the Department shall issue a depredation permit to
lethally remove the mountain lion. This permit could be via oral
authorization per Fish and Game Code Section 4805.
4) Terms and conditions of mountain lion depredation permits. Only one
mountain lion may be killed under a depredation permit. In order to ensure that
only the depredating lion will be taken, the permit shall: (1) expire 10 days after
issuance; (2) authorize the permittee to begin pursuit of the depredating
mountain lion not more than one mile from the depredation site; and, (3) limit
the pursuit of the depredating mountain lion to within a 10-mile radius from the
location of the reported damage or destruction. If damage continues to occur
following the killing of a mountain lion under a permit, the Department may
issue an additional depredation permit, o"

https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=153021

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.

Mary Cummins

Monday, July 15, 2019

Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing over 101 freeway Los Angeles by Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

Bringing the Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon to Life

The RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains has been working in collaboration with partners to bring the Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon to life. The crossing would knit together two crucial habitats, which are currently split by Highway 101, and will be crucial for preventing the extinction of the native cougar population.

Although mountain lions (or cougars) in California are not endangered as a whole, sub-sets of their population in southern California face risk of extinction due to urban encroachment, vehicle strikes, inbreeding, and other risks associated with being separated by lethal traffic and freeways like Highway 101. Cougars living in the Santa Monica Mountains face a genetic diversity problem with a 99.7 percent chance of extinction in the next 50 years unless the gene pool is increased, based on a 2016 University of California, Los Angeles study. The Resource Conservation District of Santa Monica Mountains (RCDSMM) and their partners hope to fix this problem with a thoughtfully constructed and innovative wildlife crossing.

The 165-foot-wide, 200-foot-long Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon will span Highway 101 and connect two major cougar habitats. Liberty Canyon was identified as an ideal location for the project after a cougar attempted to cross in October 2013. The young male would have been a prime candidate for increasing genetic diversity in the southern population. It successfully crossed eight lanes of Highway 101, but was trapped by a retaining wall, struck, and killed.

After the cougar death, state senators representing the area called a meeting to see what the options were to help the cougars. Representatives from CalTrans, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the National Park Service’s Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Unit, and the RCD of Santa Monica Mountains came together to propose the crossing as the most viable solution.

The RCD received funding from the National Wildlife Federation to design the crossing, and final plans were created by Clark Stevens, RCDSMM’s Executive Officer, who is also an architect.

Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon map and infographic

Design and illustration by Clark Stevens, Executive Officer, the RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains

The crossing is not just a bridge, but also includes a larger habitat area to promote use by wildlife. Through a separate grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board, the RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains created a habitat thread down to the crossing zone, improved a man-made drainage ditch, and added a bio swale and a long thin riparian area. The project was badly impacted by the Woolsey Fire in 2018, but the RCD is planning on restoring the habitat. In addition to cougars, there are other species that have genetic problems and will benefit from connectivity of habitats. For example, wrentits, small native birds, need continuously connected trees to travel and would benefit from restored habitat and at the crossing.

The project has many agencies involved to ensure a crossing that is durable and functional for humans, wildlife, and the landscape. Along with the RCD, lead partners include Caltrans, the National Park Service, the National Wildlife Federation, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.

Unlike many other communities in the United States where large predators are at odds with farming and ranching operations, the Santa Monica Mountains have little to no agriculture production and the community is largely supportive of the wildcats. A Malibu Times article stated that “in terms of written public comments received, nearly 8,000 residents have expressed support for the project, while only 15 expressed opposition.” The regional relationship with cougars truly is unique—the only other city in the world that has big cats living within city limits is Mumbai.

The Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon project is still in its fundraising phase. For more information, please contact the RCD of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Wildlife Rehabilitation Real Estate

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Friday, September 16, 2022

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Friday, March 25, 2022

Saturday, October 9, 2021

Friday, October 4, 2019

Monday, July 15, 2019