RDA Edits 2025.04.15
Press Release For Immediate Release
Laguna Greenbelt Inc. Teams Up with Rock Design Associates to Enhance Irvine-
Laguna Wildlife Corridor
Laguna Greenbelt Inc. is pleased to announce that it has retained Rock Design
Associates, led by Robert Rock, to spearhead a stakeholder-engaged process aimed at
identifying innovative and responsible design strategies for the Irvine-Laguna Wildlife
Corridor. This vital corridor links the Cleveland Inland Natural Communities
Conservation Plan (NCCP) core habitat with the Laguna Coast Wilderness NCCP core
habitat.
Rock Design Associates has unparalleled experience leading teams of researchers,
innovators, experts and collaborators to design, document and ultimately construct
infrastructure for wildlife. Robert Rock and his team have recently been in the news
because of their ongoing collaboration with Caltrans District 7 to design and build the
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing over ten lanes of the 101 Freeway in Agoura Hills,
north of Los Angeles. Earlier this month, the project reached a critical milestone as the
soils were placed atop the crossing structure over the freeway.
Humans directly benefit from healthy and robust natural areas within our communities
and a fully functioning Wildlife Corridor is not only a key element in sustaining balanced
ecosystems, but it also is a functional tool for making roadways safer by eliminating
vehicle-wildlife collisions. Rock and his team will focus on measures to address safe
wildlife passage, such as opportunities for modifications to fencing and existing
undercrossing, and identifying locations for wildlife-friendly culvert maintenance, while
exploring possibilities for additional wildlife connectivity infrastructure. These
improvements are also expected to reduce the potential for costly and sometimes
deadly collisions between vehicles and wildlife.
This collaborative effort will benefit a wide array of species native to the region, from
bobcats to gnatcatchers, ensuring a thriving ecosystem for generations to come.
In addition to on-site investigations with wildlife biology experts and key local
stakeholders, a design workshop is planned for later this summer, providing partners
and stakeholders with the opportunity to share their views and expertise.
If you would like to participate in this vital initiative, please reach out to Terry Watt,
Strategic Advisor to the Wildlife Corridor Working Group, via the Corridor portal (Get
Involved – The Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor) or at terryjwatt@gmail.com.
Laguna Greenbelt Inc. Teams Up with Rock Design Associates to Enhance Irvine-Laguna Wildlife Corridor
