Land Trust of Santa Cruz Co. seeking $1 million for wildlife crossing on Highway 17

A nonprofit organization is trying to raise $1 million to protect 280 acres around a proposed wildlife crossing at Laurel Curve on Highway 17.

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County launched a fundraising campaign this week.

Laurel Curve, located two miles from the summit of Highway 17, is one of those “seemingly unending bends in the road. The undeveloped lands on either side of the curve teem with wildlife,” according to the organization.

A camera-trap study the group conducted showed that countless animals — including deer, mountain lions and bobcats — attempt to cross the highway there. Not only does it put the animals at risk, but it’s also dangerous for drivers.

The Land Trust’s Conservation Blueprint for Santa Cruz County, completed in 2011, called for improved connectivity between protected lands. The Blueprint identified Laurel Curve as a priority protection area due to its high risk for development.

The organization argues that if that area is developed, it could deter use by wildlife and further diminish predator populations.

By severing the Santa Cruz Mountains in two, Highway 17 “poses a huge challenge to long-ranging species like the mountain lion, as they seek to secure territory, mate or find food,” said Land Trust Project Director Dan Madeiros.

Biologist Tanya Diamond surveyed every possible location for a wildlife crossing along Highway 17 and determined that Laurel Curve is the most suitable location. Using data collected as part of its GPS collar study, the Santa Cruz Puma Project reached the same conclusion.

Caltrans’ involvement in helping build the tunnel depends on the Land Trust’s success protecting land on either side of Laurel Curve.

The Land Trust has been talking to Caltrans about the project for three years. Since then, the organization has purchased two parcels of land in the area that move them forward in their goals. But they still need to purchase another 280 acres on the east side of the highway, an undeveloped parcel comprised of forests and creeks.

The Land Trust’s option to buy the parcel only extends through December, however. About $1.8 million will be drawn from the group’s Opportunity Fund, another $1.1 million will come as loans from the Gordon & Betty Moore and the David & Lucile Packard foundations. The Moore Foundation
has also made a generous $600,000 grant toward the transaction.

Still, another $1 million is needed by the end of the year to complete this project and fund other projects.

For more information, visit the organization’s website here.