MAKING ROOM FOR WILDLIFE
Two Wildlife Crossings Planned Near Joshua Tree National Park

Two proposed wildlife crossings on California’s State Route 62 are moving through planning and design—a promising investment in safer roads, connected habitats and wildlife’s freedom to move.
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Protecting wildlife includes protecting their ability to move. Animals need access to food, water, shelter and potential mates, and those needs do not stop at the edge of a protected area. Near Joshua Tree National Park, a project led by the Mojave Desert Land Trust is advancing plans for two wildlife overpasses on State Route 62. The goal is to help animals navigate a landscape divided by a busy highway while reducing dangerous wildlife–vehicle collisions.
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Reconnecting a divided landscape
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The proposed crossings would be located at the Morongo and Yucca grades, within a corridor connecting Joshua Tree National Park with Sand to Snow National Monument and other protected lands. Mountain lions, bighorn sheep, deer and black bears are among the animals whose deaths have been documented along these highway grades. The project aims to restore safer passage between habitats that wildlife need to remain connected.
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Why connections matter
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The March 7 News Mirror report highlights the stakes for two genetically isolated mountain lion populations: those of the Eastern Peninsular Range and the San Gabriel–San Bernardino Mountains. Their ranges meet near State Route 62. Safer movement between habitats can help animals reach potential mates and maintain genetic connections—an important part of protecting the long-term health of wild populations.
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The benefits extend beyond mountain lions. Connected landscapes can give wildlife routes toward cooler, wetter areas as conditions change and help animals move into and repopulate habitat following fires or floods. Conservation must account for these journeys as well as the places where animals are seen today.
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Funding a meaningful first step
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California’s Wildlife Conservation Board awarded $5.5 million for environmental review and design in February 2026. A subsequent $512,000 grant from the Coachella Valley Mountains Conservancy, together with $100,000 previously provided by Caltrans District 8, brings the reported planning support to approximately $6.1 million. The land trust reports that this support fully funds the current planning project.
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As of October 2026, planning and preliminary design are underway. Current work includes surveying, environmental and geotechnical studies, preliminary engineering, cost estimates and consultation. Designs are expected to reach 65 percent completion by the end of 2028, with planning continuing through 2029. That percentage is a future design milestone. No construction date has been set, and additional funding will be needed to build the crossings.
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Designing for the animals who will use them
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The proposed overpasses would have earthen surfaces, native vegetation and gentle slopes that blend into the surrounding terrain. Fencing would help direct wildlife toward the crossings, with measures to address highway light and noise. These features reflect a practical principle: a crossing must work for the animals it is intended to serve.
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Wildlands Network is conducting wildlife monitoring through spring 2029 to establish a baseline for assessing movement, genetic exchange and collision rates. Monitoring after construction would help determine whether wildlife use the crossings and whether the project delivers its intended benefits.
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A positive direction worth supporting
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These crossings are still being planned, but the investment is a reason for hope. It recognizes that wildlife need more than protected parcels separated by roads. They need connected landscapes—and communities willing to make safe passage part of the way we build and care for those landscapes.
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We can support that direction by following the project’s progress, encouraging investment in habitat connectivity and looking for documented results as the work advances. Making room for wildlife is a practical expression of conservation: helping animals continue their lives in the wild.
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Read the original report:
News Mirror — Wildlife crossings take shape with $5.5M injection from state
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Current project information:
Mojave Desert Land Trust — State Route 62 wildlife crossings
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Photo source: News Mirror. A mountain lion visits Joshua Tree National Park.

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