KTLA5: 5 more wildlife crossings planned for Southern California. Here’s where
Kelly Herbinson is a wildlife biologist and executive director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust, which has embarked on a yearslong effort to build two wildlife crossings over State Route 62, a highway connecting the low desert near Palm Springs with the high desert region that includes Joshua Tree National Park.
To the casual observer, this arid Southwestern landscape might appear inhospitable to wildlife. Herbinson says the opposite is true.
“This highway runs between two really important protected areas for wildlife, Joshua Tree to the east and Sand to Snow National Monument to the west,” she told KTLA. “It’s essentially fragmenting the habitat, effectively keeping species like bighorn sheep, deer, black bear and mountain lions from being able to move from one area to another.”