Linkage Design for the Santa Monica-Sierra Madre Connection. Produced by South Coast Wildlands, Idyllwild, CA
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South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the SanSantatatata MonicaMonica----SierraSierra Madre Connection © Andrew M. Harvey VisualJourneys.net Prepared by: Kristeen Penrod Clint R. Cabañero Dr. Paul Beier Dr. Claudia Luke Dr. Wayne Spencer Dr. Esther Rubin Dr. Raymond Sauvajot Dr. Seth Riley Denise Kamradt South Coast Missing Linkages ProjectProject:::: A Linkage Design for the SanSantata Monica ––– Sierra Madre Connection Prepared by: Kristeen Penrod Clint R. Cabañero Dr. Paul Beier Dr. Claudia Luke Dr. Wayne Spencer Dr. Esther Rubin Dr. Raymond M. Sauvajot Dr. Seth Riley Denise Kamradt June 2006 This report was made possible with financial support from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, California State Parks, National Park Service, Resources Legacy Fund Foundation, The Wildlands Conservancy, The Resources Agency, U.S. Forest Service, California State Parks Foundation, Environment Now, Zoological Society of San Diego, and the Summerlee Foundation. Results and information in this report are advisory and intended to assist local jurisdictions, agencies, organizations, and property owners in making decisions regarding protection of ecological resources and habitat connectivity in the area. Produced by South Coast Wildlands: Our mission is to protect, connect anandd restore the rich natural heritage of thethe South CoCoastast Ecoregion through the establishment of a system of connected wildlands. Preferred Citation: Penrod, K., C. Cabañero, P. Beier, C. Luke, W. Spencer, E. Rubin, R. Sauvajot, S. Riley, and D. Kamradt. 2006. South Coast Missing Linkages Project: A Linkage Design for the Santa Monica-Sierra Madre Connection. Produced by South Coast Wildlands, Idyllwild, CA. www.scwildlands.org, in cooperation with National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, California State Parks, and The Nature Conservancy. II Project Partners: We would like to recognize our partners on the South Coast Missing Linkages Project, including The Wildlands Conservancy, The Resources Agency, U.S. Forest Service, California State Parks, California State Parks Foundation, National Park Service, San Diego State University Field Stations Program, Environment Now, The Nature Conservancy, Conservation Biology Institute, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Wetlands Recovery Project, Mountain Lion Foundation, Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, California Wilderness Coalition, Wildlands Project, Zoological Society of San Diego Center for Reproduction of Endangered Species, Pronatura, Conabio, and Universidad Autonoma de Baja California. We are committed to collaboration to secure a wildlands network for the South Coast Ecoregion and beyond and look forward to adding additional agencies and organizations to our list of partners. III Table of Contents List of Tables & Figures VI Acknowledgements VIII Executive Summary IX Introduction Nature Needs Room to Roam 1 Patterns of Habitat Conversion 1 A Statewide Vision 2 South Coast Missing Linkages: A Vision for the Ecoregion 2 Ecological Significance of the Santa Monica-Sierra Madre Connection 4 Existing Conservation Investments 5 ConservatiConservationon Planning Approach Preface 7 Focal Species Selection 8 Landscape Permeability Analysis 8 Patch Size & Configuration Analysis 12 Minimum Linkage Width 14 Field Investigations 14 Identify Conservation Opportunities 15 Landscape Permeability Analyses Landscape Permeability Analyses Summary 16 Mountain lion 17 American badger 19 Mule deer 20 Patch Size & Configuration Analyses Patch Size & Configuration Analyses Summary 21 Mountain lion 23 American badger 26 Mule deer 28 Brush rabbit 30 Desert woodrat 32 Loggerhead shrike 34 California thrasher 36 Cactus wren 38 Acorn woodpecker 40 Western toad 42 California kingsnake 44 Western whiptail 46 Southern steelhead trout 48 Chalcedon checkerspot butterfly 52 IV Damselflies 54 Harvester ant 55 Scorpion 57 California black walnut 58 Valley oak 60 Bigberry manzanita 62 Linkage Design Goals of the Linkage Design 64 Description of the Linkage 65 Removing and Mitigating Barriers to Movement 75 Roads as Barriers to Upland Movement 75 Roads in the Linkage Design 76 Types of Mitigation for Roads 76 Recommendations to Mitigate the Effects of Road Barriers in the Linkage Design 78 Recommended Locations for Crossing Structures on Interstate 101 79 Recommended Crossing Structures on State Route 23 82 Recommended Crossing Structures on State Route 118 83 Recommended Crossing Structures on State Route 126 88 Recommended Crossing Structures on Interstate 5 92 Recommended Crossing Structures on State Route 14 92 Other Recommendations Regarding Paved Roads within the Linkage Design 93 Roads as Ephemeral Barriers 94 Rail Line Barriers to Movement 95 Existing Rail Lines in the Linkage Design Area 95 Recommendations to Mitigate the Effects of Rail Lines in the Linkage Design 96 Impediments to Streams 97 Impediments to Streams in the Linkage Design 97 Examples of Mitigation for Stream Barriers 99 Recommendations to Mitigate the Effects of Stream Barriers in the Linkage Design 100 Other Land Uses that Impede Utility of the Linkage 102 Urban Barriers to Movement 102 Urban Barriers in the Linkage Design Area 102 Examples of Mitigation for Urban Barriers 103 Recommendations for Mitigating the Effects of Urbanization in the Linkage Design Area 103 Recreation 104 Recreation in the Linkage Design Area 105 Examples of Mitigation for Recreation 105 Recommendations for Mitigating the Effects of Recreation in the Linkage Design Area 105 Land Protection & Stewardship Opportunities 106 Summary 118 Literature Cited 120 Appendices (Enclosed CD) A. Workshop Participants B. Workshop Summary C. 3D Visualization of the Santa Monica-Sierra Madre Connection V List of Tables Table 1. Focal Species Selected Table 2. Focal Species Movement Criteria Table 3. Vegetation and Land Cover in the Linkage Table 4. Major Transportation Routes in the Linkage Design List of Figures Figure 1. South Coast Ecoregion Figure 2. South Coast Missing Linkages Figure 3. Vegetation Types in the Linkage Planning Area Figure 4. Existing Conservation Investments in the Linkage Planning Area Figure 5. Interdisciplinary Approach Figure 6. Permeability Model Inputs Figure 7. Patch Size & Configuration Model Inputs Figure 8. Least Cost Union Displaying Species Overlap Figure 9. Least Cost Union Figure 10. Least Cost Corridor for Mountain lion Figure 11. Least Cost Corridor for American badger Figure 12. Least Cost Corridor for Mule deer Figure 13. Least Cost Union Additions & Subtractions Figure 14. Habitat Suitability for Mountain lion Figure 15. Potential Cores & Patches for Mountain lion Figure 16. Habitat Suitability for American badger Figure 17. Potential Cores & Patches for American badger Figure 18. Habitat Suitability for Mule deer Figure 19. Potential Cores & Patches for Mule deer Figure 20. Habitat Suitability for Brush rabbit Figure 21. Potential Cores & Patches for Brush rabbit Figure 22. Habitat Suitability for Desert woodrat Figure 23. Potential Cores & Patches for Desert woodrat Figure 24. Habitat Suitability for Loggerhead shrike Figure 25. Potential Cores & Patches for Loggerhead shrike Figure 26. Habitat Suitability for California thrasher Figure 27. Potential Cores & Patches for California thrasher Figure 28. Habitat Suitability for Cactus wren Figure 29. Potential Cores & Patches for Cactus wren Figure 30. Habitat Suitability for Acorn woodpecker Figure 31. Potential Cores & Patches for Acorn woodpecker Figure 32. Habitat Suitability for Western toad Figure 33. Potential Cores for Western toad Figure 34. Habitat Suitability for California kingsnake Figure 35. Potential Cores for California kingsnake Figure 36. Habitat Suitability for Western whiptail Figure 37. Potential Cores & Patches for Western whiptail Figure 38. Potential Habitat for Southern steelhead trout Figure 39. Potential Habitat for Chalcedon checkerspot butterfly Figure 40. Potential Habitat for Damselflies Figure 41. Potential Habitat for Harvester ant Figure 42. Potential Habitat for Scorpion Figure 43. Potential Habitat for California black walnut VI Figure 44. Potential Habitat for Valley oak Figure 45. Potential Habitat for Bigberry manzanita Figure 46. Linkage Design Figure 47. Liberty Canyon Figure 48. Las Virgenes Creek Figure 49. Crummer Canyon Figure 50. Conejo Grade Figure 51. Alamos Canyon Figure 52. Rocky Peak Figure 53. Santa Susana to Sierra Madre Figure 54. Riparian Addition: Santa Clara River, Sespe Creek, and Santa Paula Creek Figure 55. Existing Infrastructure in the Planning Area Figure 56. Vegetated land bridge built to enhance movement of wildlife populations. Figure 57. Viaduct in Slovenia built to accommodate wildlife, hydrology, and human connectivity. Figure 58. Arched culvert on German highway, with rail for amphibians and fence for larger animals Figure 59. Pipe culvert designed to accommodate small mammals Figure 60. Amphibian tunnels allow light and moisture into the structure Figure 61. Liberty Canyon bridged underpass Figure 62. Drainage culvert at Liberty Canyon Figure 63. Las Virgenes Creek tunnel under 101 freeway Figure 64. Las Virgenes Creek Bridge for Agoura Road Figure 65. Concrete culvert at Crummer Canyon Figure 66. Concrete culvert at Conejo Grade Figure 67. Pipe culvert at Tierra Rejada Figure 68. Double pipe culverts at Alamos Canyon West Figure 69. Alamos Canyon bridged underpass Figure 70. Pipe culvert at Alamos Canyon East Figure 71. Arched culvert at Hummingbird Creek Figure 72. Corriganville tunnel Figure 73. Rocky Peak