Date Set For 101 Freeway Wildlife Crossing Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

AGOURA HILLS, CA — The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will mark a major milestone Dec. 2 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and public celebration as the landmark project nears completion.

The National Wildlife Federation’s #SaveLACougars campaign and the Wildlife Crossing Fund announced plans for a public celebration at King Gillette Ranch, along with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the crossing that will be broadcast live.

The event will also launch a partnership between the National Wildlife Federation and the Wildlife Crossing Fund aimed at supporting long-term wildlife research and native habitat restoration at the crossing while advancing wildlife connectivity projects elsewhere.

“What a momentous time for all of us who have watched this crossing go from an impossible dream to an actual structure rising over the freeway that will ensure the future of mountain lions and all wildlife in the Santa Monica Mountains,” Beth Pratt, president and CEO of the Wildlife Crossing Fund, said in a statement.

The crossing, which spans the 101 Freeway, is expected to open this year and will be the largest wildlife crossing of its kind in the world, according to organizers.

The project grew out of decades of wildlife research, planning and engineering focused on reconnecting habitat fragmented by one of the region’s busiest freeways. Its design is intended to help mountain lions and other species move safely through the Santa Monica Mountains.

The project was developed through a partnership involving the National Wildlife Federation, Caltrans, the National Park Service and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, with landscape architecture led by Rock Design Associates.

Private donations also helped fund the crossing. Organizers said more than 6,000 donors from around the world contributed, including Wallis Annenberg, Leonardo DiCaprio and Frank and Joann Randall.

The crossing was named for Annenberg, the philanthropist who supported the project and helped establish the Wildlife Crossing Fund in 2023.

After construction is complete, work at the site will continue through native plant stewardship on the bridge and surrounding open space, operation of a dedicated native plant nursery, education programs and long-term wildlife research.

The Wildlife Crossing Fund said it is seeking to raise $500 million in private philanthropy while leveraging public funding to accelerate additional wildlife crossing projects. The organization is working on projects in the Mammoth Lakes area and with partners pursuing crossings in Lake Tahoe, Colorado, New England and Virginia.

Organizers said additional details about the Dec. 2 celebration and livestream will be announced as the event approaches.

More information is available here.