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CONEJO OPEN SPACE CONSERVATION AGENCY January 23, 2017 Clerk of the Board Hall of Administration, 4t" Floor 800 S. Victoria Avenue Ventura, CA 93009 Subject: Habitat Connectivity and Wildlife Movement Program To All Concerned: Ventura County contains significant core natural resource areas that are primarily conserved within the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers, Los Padres National Forest, and the Santa Monica Mountains. However, the existing natural resource values within these areas will ultimately be compromised if the habitat linkages between them are not protected. Presently, development patterns within Ventura County facilitate fragmentation of existing natural areas. For example, the removal of native habitat or the construction of buildings, roads, and fences can degrade and/or eliminate the functionality of wildlife habitat and movement corridors. This in turn limits the ability of plant and wildlife populations to disperse and move to areas necessary for survival. In order that the diversity, health, and resilience of local wildlife and plant populations are preserved, it is essential that wildlife and plant species are able to reach resources required for their survival (e.g., habitat, food, water, shelter). Scientific research has confirmed that the loss of a species from an ecosystem can disrupt a natural equilibrium that has evolved over millennia. The loss of wildlife movement corridors and the subsequent negative impacts on plant and wildlife species is an urgent and significant biological resource concern, as habitat loss and fragmentation are the most significant threats to biodiversity locally, and worldwide. A Joint Agency City of Thousand Oaks/Conejo Recreation and Park District 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, CA 91362 (805) 449-2100 (805) 495-6471