Great news! This week, the Los Gatos Town Council unanimously approved a wildlife-friendly fence ordinance. Please join us in thanking the Council for approving this ordinance by using the email form below.

What’s Happening

The new ordinance will require all new perimeter fences on hillside lots larger than 1 acre in the town of Los Gatos to be wildlife-friendly. The ordinance defines “wildlife-friendly” as a fence that allows any animal to easily climb under, pass through, or jump over, and is not over 42 inches tall, at least 16 inches above ground, 50% open in design, and has 12-inch spacing between rails whenever feasible.

This is a great victory for wildlife in the Santa Cruz Mountains, where development has increasingly cut off access for animals to the resources they need to survive, such as food, water, breeding and dispersal habitat, and mates. Now, when new homes are built on the edge of the wildland-urban interface, homeowners won’t be building impassable fences along the perimeter of their property, blocking animals from their habitual movement pathways and often forcing them into roadways.

Thanks to everyone who sent in emails to the Town Council — your voice made a difference!