In San Benito County, just northwest of San Juan Bautista, a 2.5-mile stretch of Highway 101 is a “hot spot” for wildlife/vehicle collisions. This part of the county is still mostly ranches, farms, and pristine natural landscapes, and it is one of the main routes wildlife use when traveling between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the Gabilan Range.

Last week, about 60 local residents gathered at an informational forum organized by Green Foothills and Terra Cultura to learn about the ecology of this region, why animals migrate through the area, and how we can protect and co-exist with wildlife as they pass through.

Mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, foxes, deer, and other animals often attempt to cross Highway 101 and other local roadways as they move to new territory in search of mates, food, water, or shelter. They also cross roads to flee wildfires, or to migrate to new locations due to environmental changes. But there are very few remaining routes out of the Santa Cruz Mountains that wild animals can comfortably navigate, due to urban and agricultural development in the surrounding valleys. Barriers to wildlife movement include fencing, roads, and highways, and the presence of people and dogs. Thus the title of the evening’s informational event – “How Did the Bobcat Cross the Road?”

Roads and Other Barriers Harm Local Wildlife, But There Are Ways to Help

Because of these barriers, some species in the Santa Cruz Mountains are in danger of extinction due to inbreeding. Mountain lions in particular are on a fast track to becoming inbred, and cats with kinked tails (an indication of genetic mutation) have already been seen. The long-term viability of local wildlife requires linkages between large natural patches of habitat both within the Santa Cruz Mountains and between the Santa Cruz Mountains and the neighboring Diablo and Gabilan ranges, so that animals can move freely and preserve their genetic diversity.

Green Foothills invited a panel of experts to speak to local residents and take questions about what is being done to try to create a safe route for wildlife to cross Highway 101, and how people and wildlife can harmoniously coexist.

Proposed Wildlife Crossing Over Highway 101

Morgan Robertson of Caltrans spoke about a proposed project to build a wildlife crossing over Highway 101 in an area where animals frequently try to cross. Robertson, who is Office Chief for Biology and Environmental Engineering in Caltrans District 5, explained that the overcrossing would connect two areas of high-quality wildlife habitat located on opposite sides of the highway. One of these habitat areas is Rocks Ranch, a 2600+ acre parcel that stretches from Santa Cruz County into San Benito County. Mark Bibbo, Conservation Project Manager with the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County which owns Rocks Ranch, spoke about the Land Trust’s work to preserve this critical piece of the wildlife linkage between the Santa Cruz and Gabilan mountain ranges. Caltrans is currently working on preliminary studies for this project with the Land Trust, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and researchers from UC Davis.

Robertson described an earlier, successful Caltrans project to build a wide tunnel for wildlife to cross under Highway 17 in Santa Cruz County, which has helped to reduce wildlife/vehicle collisions in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The new proposed overcrossing over Highway 101 would build on that project’s success.

Wildlife Crossings Protect Entire Ecosystems

Dr. Fernando Nájera, Director of the California Carnivores Program at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, explained that protecting large carnivores through measures such as wildlife crossings is an effective way to protect entire ecosystems. Large carnivores are “umbrella species,” meaning that measures to protect them also protect other species that live with and depend on them. For example, many other animals feed off mountain lions’ kills; and other animals, such as deer, depend on mountain lions for population control and for culling sick members of the herd to prevent disease from spreading. Thus, the loss of large carnivores can create a domino effect in which other species that depend on them suffer and decline in turn, creating a cascade of extinctions.

Ways to Limit Human-Wildlife Conflict

Dr. Nájera and Zach Mills of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife both spoke about ways to limit conflict between wildlife and human beings. UC Davis is testing deterrence devices to scare large predators away from livestock, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife provides a response team whose job is to respond to reports of depredation (attacks on livestock or other domestic animals) within 48 hours, providing deterrence devices, helping reinforce animal pens if needed, and providing advice on proactive measures, husbandry practices, and other ways to prevent depredation. Anyone wishing to report a wildlife encounter or depredation event can contact the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife and submit a Wildlife Incident Report using the online form at https://apps.wildlife.ca.gov/wir.

Mills said that his department is currently studying wildlife in the area around the proposed Highway 101 wildlife crossing, putting radio collars on animals such as bobcats, mountain lions, deer, and coyotes to track their movements. He noted that San Benito County residents may start to see collars on more animals as the state ramps up its efforts to better understand how animals are using the area around the Highway 101 roadkill hot spot.

Indigenous Stewardship

The evening concluded with a talk by Valentin Lopez, Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, whose ancestral lands included San Benito County. He spoke about the tribe’s work to help protect local nature and restore Indigenous knowledge and land management practices through the Amah Mutsun Land Trust. The Amah Mutsun consider it a sacred duty to care for the animals and plants that live in their traditional territory, and are consequently working to increase their opportunities for land stewardship. Chairman Lopez concluded with an appeal for San Benito residents to reach out and connect with the tribe.

Watch the Full Event

Want to watch the entire event? A video recording is available on Green Foothills’ YouTube channel.