Z1077FM: MDLT and the Wildlands Network preview phase one of the Highway 62 Wildlife Crossing project
With funding from MDLT through Caltrans mitigation funds, The Wildlands Network is currently in the first phase of research that will study the effects of the two wildlife crossings being planned on Highway 62. With target species of mountain lion, bighorn sheep, and bobcat, they’ll use DNA extracted from scat and hair samples found by highly trained conservation dogs to estimate crossing rates for each species to compare future crossing rates after construction. Wildlife biologist Christina Aiello explained why these sites were chosen for the crossings:
“This is one of two locations and this location is part of what’s been identified as a linkage for wildlife between large protected areas Joshua tree National Park and sand to snow National Monument. It’s also a place where there’s been a lot of data collected to show that animals are having a very hard time even attempting to get across the road there’s a lot of traffic there’s a concrete median so we’re seeing a lot of activity on both sides of the highway but not a lot of signs of animals trying to get across the road, and those that do are getting struck, so there is a clustering of roadkill in this section. A lot of different wildlife, from deer and mountain lion – a mountain lion was just hit recently at the base of this grade so that is really our big focus here is to get these wildlife safely between large protected spaces,” said Aiello.