California Briefs: Wildlife Crossing Opening On Track, Youth Mental Health Spotlight and Tech Partnership with South Korea

World’s Largest Wildlife Crossing on Track to Open by Early 2026

LOS ANGELES — The world’s largest wildlife crossing is getting closer to becoming a reality. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom May 7 announced that the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing outside of Los Angeles is on track to open by early 2026. Ahead of National Infrastructure Week, the Governor also announced that construction crews are now more than halfway through installing the beams that form the crossing. The work is part of Gov. Newsom’s infrastructure agenda to build more, faster. See more projects in your community at build.ca.gov. 

Just last month, the first of 82 large concrete beams went up over U.S. Highway 101 at Liberty Canyon Road in Agoura Hills. The project has been made possible by a public-private partnership. Philanthropy has raised more than $34 million in funding, while California has provided $58.1 million in funding.

Additionally:

U.S. Highway 101 is one of the biggest barriers to wildlife connectivity in Southern California. The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing will reconnect habitats and improve the health of the environment for many species in Southern California, including people.

More than 30 years of conservation work has gone into strategic habitat linkages on both sides of U.S. Highway 101 so that this wildlife crossing will connect protected lands in the Santa Monica Mountains and the Sierra Madre Range.

The overpass will reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions on one of the most congested highways in North America, decreasing the significant danger posed to people and vehicles by crossing animals.

The crossing will provide a safe and sustainable passage for wildlife across U.S. Highway 101, creating increased access for animals to find food, shelter and mates, which is increasingly important in light of climate change and continued human development that is pressuring species survival.

This project will help educate millions of Californians driving under the crossing and advance California’s 30×30 goal to conserve 30% of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030, ensuring that wildlife can move across conserved habitats that provide shelter, food and water.  

Details: https://tinyurl.com/Gov-Wildlife-crossing 

First Partner Siebel Newsom Highlighted California’s Youth Mental Health Resources at a Los Angeles High School

LOS ANGELES — Yesterday, California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom May 6 visited Hollywood High School to participate in a roundtable and town hall discussion with students, parents, and educators about youth mental health and the challenges families face while navigating the ongoing crisis. The event served as a reminder of the state’s accessible strategy to support Californians’ mental health across the state.

“Today’s youth and parents face a deluge of unique pressures – balancing the ubiquity of digital media and time on screens, economic and social pressures, rising environmental crises, and more. California recognizes these challenges and we’re investing in programs and services to support California families.”

Youth are facing a mental health crisis. Young people face rising rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, with children and youth of color, LGBTQ+ youth, low-income youth, and youth from underserved communities being disproportionately impacted. That is why First Partner Siebel Newsom and Gov. Newsom have worked to make resources to support California kids and families more accessible and affordable.

California has invested billions in the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative or CYBHI, a cornerstone of Gov. Newsom’s Master Plan for Kids’ Mental Health. The CYBHI includes investments in mental health and wraparound services for young people which includes extensive support for schools, educators and the children they serve.

California Partners with Gyeonggi Province — Center of South Korea’s Economy and High-Tech Industry

SACRAMENTO — California has a new international partnership with South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province, California’s kindred subnational partner in terms of population, innovation, and economy. Gyeonggi surrounds Seoul, the capital and largest city of South Korea.

The MOU signed on May 7 between California and Gyeonggi Province outlines three years of collaboration to foster trade relations, advance climate goals, and promote people-to-people exchanges among the two regions’ academics, entrepreneurs and innovators alike. The text of the MOU signed today is available here.