Santa Barbara residents have been asking Caltrans for wildlife corridor improvements in Gaviota since at least 2019. Protections for the area’s wildlife may finally begin with the completion of a study of wildlife connectivity in the area.
Stakeholder meetings first started in 2021, and the study — the Gaviota Wildlife Connectivity Assessment — initiated. Wildlife network experts with consultants ICF Jones & Stokes Inc. led the study, with the results presented in August 2023. Caltrans, which commissioned the study, announced that U.S. 101 Postmile 46.37 — south of the Gaviota Tunnel and north of Gaviota Beach Road — is where an existing culvert could be enlarged to facilitate enhanced wildlife crossings.
The study area ranges along the U.S. Highway 101 between the Nojoqui Pass and Mariposa Reina Overcrossing, which includes the Gaviota Tunnel and the interchange between U.S. 101 and State Route 1. Notable findings of the final Gaviota wildlife study, a 409-page report, include the discovery of a “road-killed” mountain lion on March 16, 2022, and a “road-killed” western pond turtle on December 15, 2022.