REP LIEU SECURES $2.5 MILLION FOR WALLIS ANNENBERG WILDLIFE CROSSING IN APPROPRIATIONS BILL

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) announced that the $2.5 million in federal funding he requested for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Los Angeles has been included in the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bill that will be brought up for a vote in the House in the coming weeks. The funding will help build the largest wildlife crossing in the world, which will protect mountain lions and other wildlife from highway traffic and increase public safety. Congressman Lieu participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing earlier this year.

"Wildlife crossings help us protect wild animals that are critical to our ecosystems and help keep human drivers and pedestrians safe. Unfortunately, highways systems were built without any thought to wildlife. Now, it is time for us to correct that. I was pleased to participate in the groundbreaking event for this project back in April, and will work hard to secure this funding for the sake of our beloved wildlife. Securing funding to support this program is a top priority."

$2,500,000 for Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing: The goal of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing project is to increase public safety and protect wildlife. Highway traffic poses a significant threat to many native animals in Southern California because their habitats have been split up by roadways. This presents an obvious threat to animals who intend to cross the freeways, but also motorists who may encounter and potentially hit an animal. To solve this, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, located within the boundaries of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, will span ten lanes of pavement across the U.S. 101 Freeway. This visionary structure will preserve biodiversity across the region by re-connecting an integral wildlife corridor, and most critically, help save a threatened local population of mountain lions from extinction. When complete, the crossing will be the largest in the world, the first of its kind in California, and will serve as a global model for urban wildlife conservation.

Background:

Last year, in Fiscal Year 2022, Congressman Lieu secured nearly $11 million in federal funding for local projects in Los Angeles County. The projects address homelessness, protect our environment, support our veterans, and more. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing project is one of 15 community projects for which Congressman Lieu has requested funding in Fiscal Year 2023.

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