California plans Joshua tree wildlife crossings to protect desert animals
California is planning two new wildlife crossings over State Route 62 near Joshua Tree National Park to reduce animal-vehicle collisions and reconnect fragmented habitats. These projects are part of a larger state-wide initiative to protect species like bighorn sheep and mountain lions.
Why it matters
Wildlife crossings are essential infrastructure for maintaining biodiversity and preventing the decline of local wildlife populations in areas bisected by major highways.
Wildlife crossings are increasingly being used across the United States to help animals safely navigate roads and highways, while reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions. Now, two new crossings are being planned in California’s Mojave Desert near Joshua Tree National Park, in an effort to reconnect important wildlife habitats.The proposed crossings will span State Route 62, a highway that runs between Joshua Tree National Park to the east and the Sand to Snow National Monument to the west. Conservationists say the road has fragmented habitat and made it more difficult for wildlife to move between the two protected areas.The projects are part of a broader push for wildlife crossings in Southern California. Along with the two Mojave Desert crossings, three additional structures are planned to span Interstate 15.
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