Today, Congressman Salud Carbajal announced an $8,000,000 grant funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act to reduce vehicle collisions with Central Coast wildlife by connecting habitat on both sides of U.S. Highway 101 through the Gaviota Pass.
“I championed the creation of the Wildlife Crossing program when we wrote the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and I’m proud to see our region as one of the first recipients of its funding to protect Central Coast travellers and our region’s wildlife,” said Rep. Carbajal. “As the only grant announced for California, I look forward to this Gaviota project being the model for future uses of these funds to reduce traffic collisions and save the lives of both motorists and the endangered wildlife that call the Central Coast home.”
The funding was awarded through the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, which was created by Rep. Carbajal and his colleagues through the landmark infrastructure legislation in November 2021. For more information on the grants announced today, click here.
The federal grant will support the widening of an existing culvert that allows species such as deer and mountain lions to safely cross the highway to and from the adjacent Los Padres National Forest.
The award will also fund the installation of additional miles of fencing to better prevent collisions with highway traffic on the 101.
“The Gaviota Coast Conservancy and our supporters are celebrating the $8 million award to Caltrans for the Gaviota Pass Wildlife Connectivity Project,” said Doug Kern, Executive Director of the Gaviota Coast Conservancy. “This funding, championed by Congressman Salud Carbajal as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, marks a significant milestone in protecting our coastal ecosystem. Years of dedicated effort by GCC and Coastal Ranches Conservancy have culminated in this important achievement. We extend our deepest gratitude to Congressman Carbajal for his unwavering commitment to conservation and applaud his instrumental role in preserving our natural heritage.”
“Commuters travelling on Highway 101 from Lompoc and the Santa Ynez Valley are all aware of the large number of wildlife killed crossing the highway in the Gaviota Pass and all the way along 101 from the Nojoqui Summit to Refugio. This funding will mean fewer wildlife deaths crossing the road and will also reduce the risk to people who might collide with these animals. Deer, black bears and mountain lions are killed crossing the highway every year. We estimate that 2-300 individual mammals of all sizes are killed here each year, and that Highway 101 is likely a major factor in the decline of wildlife populations along the Gaviota Coast,” said Doug Campbell, Executive Director of the Coastal Ranches Conservancy.
“Our tribe is proud to support these efforts to protect local wildlife and reduce highway collisions by providing a safe passage for animals travelling along the US 101 corridor in Gaviota,” said Kenneth Kahn, Tribal Chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
To date, the Central Coast has received more than $550 million for more than 100 projects, including
- More than $200 million to improve roads, bridges and highways throughout the Central Coast, including $75 million to expand HOV lanes on Highway 101.
- $47 million to support clean water projects throughout the region, including $14 million to support the Ventura Water Pure Program and $9 million to support the Carpinteria Advanced Purification Project.
- 25 million to plug approximately 171 orphan oil wells in Cat Canyon in Santa Barbara County and $1.4 million to plug an orphan oil well in Channel Islands National Park.
- 12 million to the Gold Coast Transit District for low- and zero-emission buses
- More than $7 million to upgrade seven different regional airports on the Central Coast, including Santa Barbara Municipal Airport, San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, and Santa Maria Airport.
- 500,000 to help close the digital divide by expanding high-speed internet access to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians.
For a map of some of the investments funded by the bipartisan infrastructure bill, visit Invest.gov.
Since its passage in 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has already provided nearly $400 billion in federal funding for more than 40,000 projects across the country. The Act has awarded $22.5 billion to more than 1,000 projects in California.
As a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Congressman Carbajal helped write and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act in 2021.