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| Courtesy Google Images |
Last week a bear was hit
by a car and killed on the 101 Freeway. This is one of many incidents of
wildlife encountering traffic while looking for food, water and the company of
friends. Mountain lions and bears have turned up in residential yards, at school
or, as in the case of a baby lion, in a Santa Monica office building. As we
develop more cities and encroach into areas inhabited by wildlife, it is
incumbent upon us to commit to doing our best to keep them safe and minimize
the likelihood of chance encounters with people.
We know there is a
proposal to create a wildlife corridor at Liberty Canyon under the 101 Freeway
which would connect two areas of natural habitat on either side of the freeway
thus increasing the lions' roaming area while keeping them and motorists safe
from accidents.
Now, there is a motion
before the Los Angeles City Council which would require the City Planning Department to consider
wildlife corridors in any new building plans in the hillsides and provide
scientific guidance to keep wildlife habitat linkages and corridors open. If
you would like to join me and support this initiative, please email the
Planning & Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee, sharon.gin@lacity.org,
and express our desire to keep all our residents safe.
