Whatever Congress mandates the US Department of Transportation must do with regard to wildlife corridors, Caltrans must do. A recently concluded joint planning process with the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) just recommended an extensive network of wildlife corridors in California.
The plan not only identified problem areas on California highways, it set forth a system of wildlife corridors that connects protected areas (wilderness, monuments, etc.) for wildlife migration, Bob.
The joint CDFG and Caltrans project to address transportation/wildlife issues and preserve “Essential Habitat Connectivity” has concluded. You can view a series of customizable maps via an online mapping tool. Particularly notice and zoom in on the Stanislaus River watershed where a major corridor has been identified to connect wilderness with the foothills.
Unfortunately, it appears to include areas that were designated as snowmobile and OHV areas (while areas elsewhere in the forest have been removed as eligible areas for those uses) in the Stanislaus National Forest Travel Management Rule Plan Record of Decision. Did the Forest know that? These uses are likely incompatible with wildlife corridors, especially if rewilding is a goal.
Although the Tuolumne County Transportation Commission is listed as a participant in the process, Darin Grossi, its executive director, didn’t know anything about it and had to look it up on the internet to tell me what it was.
The Plan cautions that those areas identified are not the “only” areas that may be necessary to serve as corridors. See the project website for more information on the project, its participants, work program, etc.). The project consultants include: “…Conservation Biology Institute, SC Wildlands…, working collaboratively with Caltrans and CDFG representatives”, Work Plan, pg. 1.
You’ll note that the proposed corridors encompass urban and rural lands throughout the state (private lands) for which local governments – cities and counties – have land use planning authority. Do you see a trend here, Bob?
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