On Earth Day, former Lipton Strategies’ client, The National Wildlife Federation, broke ground on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Southern California – the world’s largest wildlife bridge. Conservationists, philanthropists, and elected officials gathered together for the groundbreaking, bringing the decades long #SaveLACougars campaign closer to completion.
The bridge Is the largest in the world stretching 210ft long and 165ft wide and will allow safe passage of wildlife over the 101 Freeway, including the local mountain lion population. The wildlife crossing and includes an acre of local plants on either side and vegetated sound wall to dampen light and noise for nocturnal animals.
This project is breaking the mold in many ways, it stretches over 10 lanes of one of the busiest roadways in the country, but it’s also an engineering marvel.
“It’s a gracious and glorious day,” Newsom said. “Fifty-four million dollars, the state has put up for this project and will put up with another $10 million.”
He joked that he hadn’t been anywhere in the past two years where everyone was smiling, happy, enthusiastic and complimenting each other. “I haven’t seen a protestor yet,” he quipped. “Amazing. And another reason why you got me confused is that you applauded Caltrans. I’ve never heard that. Wow. Like I said, what a day. But what an extraordinary thing it is to look forward to the days ahead and completion of this project.”
The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife crossing is scheduled for competition in 2025 and ranks among the most ambitious apolitical campaigns ever waged in Southern California.
More than 5,000 individuals, foundations, government agencies and businesses from around the world contributed expertise and donations that, as of Friday, totaled more than $75 million — including a $25-million challenge grant from Wallis Annenberg and the Annenberg Foundation.
Core partners include Caltrans, the National Park Service, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy/Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, and the National Wildlife Federation.
Lipton Strategies is proud of have had the honor of partnering with the National Wildlife Federation on the major gifts phase of this transformational project. Check out the full coverage of the groundbreaking and details about the project in the LA Times here.