California closes in on completing the world’s largest wildlife crossing

The project is a public-private partnership of monumental scope, leveraging the expertise and leadership of dozens of organizations and institutions to protect and restore wildlife habitats in Southern California. After more than 30 years of conservation work in the area, this wildlife crossing will reconnect protected lands in the Santa Monica Mountains and the Sierra Madre Range on both sides of the highway. This expansion of interconnected conserved lands and waters will protect and restore biodiversity while also supporting transportation infrastructure. The bridge will feature coastal sage scrub plant species native to the Santa Monica Mountains, contributing to the overall environmental restoration strategy that includes 12 acres of open space and 50,000 native plants.

On Earth Day 2022, Governor Newsom joined the late Wallis Annenberg for the project’s groundbreaking. Annenberg was inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2025, shortly after her passing. The project is expected to be completed in Fall 2026. 

The Golden State is leading the nation in protecting its natural resources. Through California’s 30×30 initiative, a commitment to conserve 30% of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030, California added over 1 million acres of conserved land and waters in a single year. That’s larger than the entire state of Rhode Island.

Under Governor Newsom’s leadership in just the last year, California helped establish two new national monuments, launched a major project restoring shallow water habitats at the Salton Sea, and received international recognition for protecting marine habitats. California is also ensuring that all residents can access the state’s natural wonders with programs like State Parks’ discount pass programs and our Youth Community Access Program.