Caltrans is using a wildlife connectivity study to better understand how animals move through the Gaviota Pass.
"So in here, you can see some older critter marks… here is a raccoon," said Larissa Clark, Caltrans District 5 Senior Environmental Scientist, during a tour of a culvert under Highway 101.
Clark says a study from 2023 found large animals like bears, mountain lions, and deer are impacted the most in this area. Due to their size, they're unable to use the small culvert to cross from one side of the highway to the other.
"This entire culvert will be removed and a larger structure will take its place. Through here is a bunch of riparian habitat which a bunch of wildlife utilize and just a little bit further you run into Gaviota Creek," Clark explained.
Animals moving from Gaviota Creek and the State Park area to the Los Padres National Forest must cross Highway 101, resulting in around 300 animals being struck or killed each year, according to Candice Meneghin with Coastal Ranches Conservancy.
"Wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity are certainly one of the primary ways to help build resiliency in our bio-diverse hotspots," Meneghin said.
District 5 was awarded the first Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program grant in the state, receiving $8 million of federal funding toward the estimated $10 million under-crossing project.
"We are hoping that construction on the project will begin in 2027," Clark said.
In addition to the culvert, the project includes 2.5 miles of directional fencing to prevent animal road crossings and guide animals to safe crossing locations.
