For more than 15 years, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area has been on a journey to increase habitat connectivity and landscape linkages throughout the Los Angeles Region.

THE CONSERVATION EFFORT

More than 3.8 million people live next door to Santa Monica Mountains NRA. The National Recreation Area occupies the chaparral-covered hilly landscape just 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles. These mountains are home to a broad range of species including mountain lions, raptors, and bobcats. Increased development pressures led to habitat fragmentation for local wildlife and in 2002, the National Park Service began searching for a way to preserve this habitat. NPS initiated a scientific study to learn more about the habits of mountain lions in and around Santa Monica Mountains NRA to understand the impact habitat fragmentation and urbanization was having on mountain lions.

 

 

Biologists quickly discovered habitat fragmentation was contributing to a decrease in genetic diversity. In an effort to find solutions to increase genetic diversity and decrease population decline, community organizations formed regional partnerships. One partnership that emerged was South Coast Wildlands, a group consisting of hundreds of land managers throughout the area. This group used GIS to identify a suite of indicators species, their habitat requirements, and critical linkages between Santa Monica Mountains and the surrounding areas. Today, the South Coast Missing Linkages project stands out as a highly participatory interagency effort that established comprehensive strategies to maintain and restore critical habitat linkages. But the work hasn’t stopped there. Several other agencies, including the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and Caltrans have also collaborated to determine critical habitat areas and explore ways to increase connectivity throughout the region. Caltrans’ working group conducted a wildlife corridor assessment of Ventura State Route 118 to explore the present and future possibilities of creating wildlife linkages across Route 118.

 

 GETTING THE MESSAGE OUT

The issue of habitat fragmentation for the Santa Monica mountain lions became national news in 2013 when National Geographic featured the now iconic image of P-22, the mountain lion who managed to cross two of the busiest freeways in the world, one of them 10 lanes wide, in route to Griffith Park near the Hollywood sign. This event turned P-22 into the unofficial spokesman for the mountain lion population. Advocates harnessed the power of social media and P-22 now has his own Twitter handle, Facebook friends group, and hash tag, all of which increase the public awareness of L.A.’s wildlife connectivity issues and mountain lion habitat.

 

ON THE HORIZON

Over the past decade, NPS biologists have monitored the lives and lifestyles of about 30 mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains. Through collaring programs and DNA samples, scientists have been able to get a sense of the relationship between the existing mountain lions in Santa Monica and the points of interface with other nearby populations of mountain lions to establish greater genetic diversity and connectivity.

In addition to the collaring program, a special resource study is underway to assess the possibility of expanding Santa Monica Mountains NRA. In 2010, NPS began the Rim of the Valley Corridor special resource study. This Corridor encompasses the mountains surrounding northern Los Angeles and southern Ventura County. The purpose of this special resource study is to determine whether any portion of the Rim of the Valley Corridor study area is eligible to be designated as a unit of the national park system or could be added to an existing national park unit. The additional land would link downtown and northeast LA with the more rural areas, helping promote connectivity not only for wildlife but also for residents looking for easier access to the park. A final report will come out in December 2016. A draft of their study is now available for public comment through June 30, 2015. Learn more here.

Special thanks to Anne Dove, NPS Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) community planner for the NPS’, who shared her insight and resources for this story.

 

Additional reading

• LA Times – Proposed valley recreation land increase would make it safer for mountain lions
• The New Yorker – LA’s Loneliest Lion
• National Park Service News – Second Mountain Lion Crosses 101 Freeway, Disperses from Santa Monica Mountains
• La Canada – Rim of the Valley Corridor study released, recommends expansion over new park
• National Geographic – Ghost Cats
• San Gabriel Valley Tribune – Proposed valley recreation land increase would make it safer for mountain lions
• LA Times – P-22, P-41, and the future of L.A.’s mountain lions