(Dec. 8, 2022) – The Ventura County Supervisors has postponed until further notice a hearing on the approval of a number of wildlife crossings & corridor access in the Ventura county watershed.
The request for postponement was made by the Ventura County Planning Dept., which cited ‘new requests for further clarification of the plans’ (to establish &/or repair existing wildlife crossings throughout Ventura Count).
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors will consider adopting special protections for 16 existing wildlife crossing structures (e.g. bridges and culverts) in the northern part of the county, including in the Los Padres National Forest, Lockwood Valley, and Ojai. The protections would limit certain types of development and land uses within 200 feet of these structures to help ensure that animals such as mountain lions, black bears, coyotes, foxes, and even fish continue to use them unimpeded.
The proposed amendments to the Non-Coastal Zoning Ordinance will not only protect wildlife from vehicles on busy roads such as State Route 33 but will also improve driver safety by keeping animals off the roads.
The public is invited to speak at the Board of Supervisors hearing when they plan to receive this agenda item, which should be announced in the coming weeks. You can also attend virtually. You can also contact the Los Padres ForestWatch organization for further information.
All residents of Ventura County can voice their support for these wildlife crossing structure protections by clicking the button below.