Liberty Wildlife Corridor Partners & Stakeholders
Partners and Stakeholders
Liberty Wildlife Corridor Partners & Stakeholders
A Model Public-Private Partnership
“Backed by significant public and philanthropic support, the wildlife crossing is an inspiring example of the kind of collaborative efforts that will help us protect our common home for generations to come.”
California Governor
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing is a public-private partnership of monumental scope that has leveraged the expertise and leadership of dozens of organizations and institutions from across the state, country, and the world. The work of the Liberty Wildlife Corridor Partnership serves as an international model for collaborative solutions for wildlife in the transportation sector.
The core project partner team includes Caltrans, the National Park Service, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy / Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority, Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, and the National Wildlife Federation. The project partners also added a world-renowned design team led by a landscape architectural practice, Living Habitats LLC, that collaborates with Caltrans and coordinates with a broad team of wildlife crossing experts in the planning, design and construction of the wildlife crossing.
The Partner Leadership Team, who lead the project and serve as the decision-making entity for the project, includes:
Rorie Skei, Chief Deputy Director, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Barbara Marquez, Sustainability Initiatives Manager, Caltrans
Sheik Moinuddin, Project Manager, Caltrans District 7
David Szymanski, Superintendent, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation
Partner Leadership Team
Rorie Skei
Chief Deputy Director, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
David Szymanski
Superintendent, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Beth Pratt
California Regional Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation
Barbara Marquez
Deputy District Director for Sustainability
Sheik Moinuddin
Project Manager, Caltrans District 7
Liberty Wildlife Corridor Partners
CALTRANS is the largest transportation agency in the nation and manages more than 50,000 miles of California’s highway and freeway lanes. As the agency of record and landholder of the right-of-way and structure, Caltrans is responsible for the development, construction, and maintenance of the crossing.
Since 1980, the SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY has helped to preserve over 75,000 acres of parkland in both wilderness and urban settings. The MOUNTAINS RECREATION & CONSERVATION AUTHORITY is dedicated to the preservation and management of local open space and parkland. These two entities share joint oversight for the land the crossing connects, and will provide the long-term management of the habitat on the crossing.
The RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT OF THE SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS partners with public and private landowners to restore native habitat, and to protect and create green space and corridors for sensitive wildlife. Their team provides critical expertise to the project for design, architectural services, and habitat restoration, and helped develop the preliminary design for the project.
As one of the oldest and largest conservation groups, the NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION has 7 million supporters across the country and a successful track record of large-scale conservation work, such as multi-million-dollar projects in the Great Lakes or the Gulf Coast. The non-profit is responsible for conservation guidance and education, fundraising, advocacy, and outreach for the project.
LIVING HABITATS LLC, collaborates with Caltrans and coordinates with a broad team of wildlife crossing experts in the planning and design development of the wildlife crossing. The team includes globally-recognized wildlife ecologist, Tony Clevenger, who has worked on wildlife crossings around the world, including the ones in Banff, Canada, along with subject matter experts in soil science, mycology, herpetology, engineering and more.
The NATIONAL PARK SERVICE manages the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area—the largest urban park in the country—where the crossing is located. The agency also conducts the important study of mountain lions and other wildlife in the region.
California Governor Gavin Newsom
Wade Crowfoot, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary
Toks Omishakin, California State Transportation Agency Secretary
Tony Tavares, Caltrans Director
John Donnelly California Wildlife Conservation Board Director
Ted Lieu, U.S Congressman
Chuck Bonham, California Department of Fish & Wildlife Director
Amy Hutzel, Executive Officer, California State Coastal Conservancy
Adam Schiff, U.S Congressman
Fran Pavley, California State Senator (ret.)
Henry Stern. California State Senator
Laura Friedman, California State Assemblymember
Richard Bloom, California State Assemblymember
Linda Parks, Ventura County Supervisor
Sheila Kuehl, Los Angeles County Supervisor
Paul Koretz, City of Los Angeles Councilmember
Deborah Klein Lopez, City of Agoura Hills Mayor
Joseph T. Edmiston, Executive Director, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy