Mountain lions and other wildlife have become increasingly isolated as their habitats are fragmented due to urban and agricultural development in the valleys that surround the Santa Cruz Mountains. Barriers to wildlife movement, including fencing, roads and highways—and the presence of people and dogs—has inhibited the genetic flow that is essential to maintaining a healthy and sustainable population of not only mountain lions but other wildlife too. Crossings are critical to both providing a path for wildlife to safely travel between habitats and ensuring driver safety by keeping wildlife away from the highway.
The long-term viability of wide-ranging species like the mountain lion requires linkages between large natural patches of habitat both within the Santa Cruz Mountains and between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the neighboring Diablo and Gabilan ranges. According to experts, there needs to be two new individuals immigrating into a population each year to maintain a genetically healthy population.
Years of data from strategically placed wildlife cameras made it apparent that providing a wildlife linkage out of the Santa Cruz Mountains was critical. In particular, the cameras identified the Laurel Curve area off HWY 17 as a hotspot for wildlife activity. The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County took a leap of faith, protecting land on either side of HWY 17 at Laurel Curve. Though none of the relationships existed yet, the Land Trust began forming a collaborative group of concerned biologists, citizens, and government agencies.
Tracking data from the Puma Project, roadkill and camera data from Pathways for Wildlife, and traffic and accident data from Caltrans, created a shared foundation of science and purpose that was critical in garnering support and buy-in from elected officials, several major funders, and the surrounding community for building the HWY 17 wildlife tunnel at Laurel Curve. The project was completed in 2023, and within hours of the first cameras being placed in the tunnel, a bobcat was recorded making its way through. Later that year, the first mountain lion was recorded in the tunnel. Lots of other animals began using it too.
The Laurel Curve crossing provides safe passage and habitat connectivity for wildlife and improves traffic safety by dramatically reducing vehicle/wildlife collisions. During the first year of a three-year monitoring study that began in January 2023, 934 animal crossings were recorded on camera.*
The species that were recorded included bobcat, gray fox, black-tailed deer, mountain lion, opossum, and skunk. Among these six species, the species with the highest passage rates was black-tailed deer, with 864 passages. Additionally, there were 56 passages by gray foxes, seven passages by bobcats, four passages by mountain lions, two passages by opossums, and one passage by a skunk.
What’s Next?
The Land Trust has protected more than 2,600 acres at Rocks Ranch for a wildlife crossing over HWY101 as the next critical step in establishing linkage between the Santa Cruz and Gabilan mountain ranges.
Together with the Laurel Curve tunnel, these crossings will provide safe passage for mountain lions and other wildlife whose habitats have been increasingly constrained by development. Thanks to the pioneering work of the Land Trust and its partners at Laurel Curve, the policy and process tools are already in place to develop a second crossing at Rocks Ranch.
The Land Trust would like to acknowledge all the partners whose support made the Laurel Curve Crossing possible, including Caltrans, Pathways for Wildlife, UCSC Puma Project, Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, Wildlife Conservation Board, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Special thanks to our members for taking the leap with us and making these projects possible.
To learn more, visit landtrustsantacruz.org/protected-areas/highway-17-wildlife-crossing/
To see videos from the wildlife tunnel: https://www.youtube.com/@landtrustsantacruz
Not a member of the Land Trust? You can become one by making a donation of any size at: https://landtrustsantacruz.org/donate/
*Study funded by the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County and Wildlife Conservation Network
