SOS WINS PATAGONIA CONTEST!

Our Goal: To ensure that the mountain lion population remains in the Santa Monica Mountains by protecting the critical Liberty Canyon Wildlife Corridor

This habitat linkage runs along the east side of the City of Agoura Hills and is south of the Cheeseboro Canyon Park Unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. It has been scientifically documented for many years. Just recently a mountain lion crossed through this wildlife corridor. The most recent report was a major new study named "South Coast Missing Linkages", (Santa Monica/Sierra Madre connection) that was published in June 2006 by South Coast Wildlands in partnership with the National Park Service, the US Forest Service, California State Parks and a number of conservation groups. The aim is to create a design for the protection of habitat linkages that will connect the Santa Monica Mountains to the Los Padres National Forest.

The Liberty Canyon wildlife corridor provides habitat connectivity for a large number of species. Most importantly it has been described by the National Park Service as one of the last remaining possible connections for the mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains. The limited population of mountain lions in the Santa Monicas has few opportunities for adding genetic diversity and is already showing a high rate of intra-species killing due to limited habitat. Any further isolation of these mountain lions could ultimately lead to their extinction in the Santa Monica Mountains. The ripple effect of preserving this biodiversity of these predators in the SMMNRA will keep the deer population in check.

Problem: Patagonia's Freedom to Roam campaign has as its goal to protect corridors between habitats so that animals can survive. Save Open Space is challenging the development of 9 large buildings in the rural meadow area off Chesebro Road. Per the National Park Service letter of January 22, 2007: "any development within this narrow strip of land would reduce the functionality of the wildlife corridor." The Liberty Canyon freeway habitat linkage is the highest quality potential crossing area along the 101 freeway. (Critical Wildlife Corridor/Habitat Linkage Areas prepared for The Nature Conservancy, 1990) The development will urbanize an existing open space area causing not only edge effects but also loss of critical habitat for the mountain lions food source. This development will also reduce the width of the Liberty Canyon corridor for mountain lion movement. Lion P12, bringing in new genes to the southern population, was monitored crossing the Liberty Canyon chokepoint in February.

Solution: Save Open Space with Old Agoura is raising money to challenge the approval of this incompatible urban project in court. At the same time, SOS is working to find another location for this private school in an already developed urban area. Since SOS has no paid staff, all the funds awarded in this contest will go towards our efforts to preserve the mountain lion population in the Santa Monica's by preserving the integrity of the Liberty Canyon Corridor connection.

See The Mountain Lion Photo

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