Coming this July 3, 2018, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing at the SB County Board of Supervisors hearing Room, 4th Floor, 123 E Anapamu St. to provide critical input into the Eastern Goleta Valley Community Plan (EGVCP) Environmentally Sensitive Habitat (ESH) Map. The exact time of the hearing is not known, but appears to be at or about 1:00 PM (*Time estimate. Call 568-2240 for updated estimate). Specifically, the Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council (UCC) would like to stress:
That the SB County Board of Supervisors adopts the long-overdue update to the Eastern Goleta “Environmentally Sensitive Habitat,” or “ESH” Map.
That the map adds the rare species data which the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is authorizing the County to use. Without the rare species data on the ESH Map, it will be incomplete, and will cause a lot of confusion. People will rely on the ESH Map. Since it omits rare species’ habitats, including our beloved steelhead!, we believe people will unwittingly continue clearing ESH simply because it is not mapped on the ESH Map.
That the SB County Board of Supervisors adopt the ESH Map but only after adding the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s rare species data to it.
That environmentally sensitive habitats are something that need to be protected for future generations, and in order to protect them, they must be mapped on the updated ESH map.
The Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council is a 30 year old organization dedicated to protecting and restoring streams and watersheds in Santa Barbara County, and we have 3,000 members including many families who live in the Goleta and Santa Barbara area.
If any of our members are able, please come out and support UCC and our concerns at the SB County Board of Supervisors hearing on July 3, 2018 at or about 1:00 PM.
Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council appreciates all members, and new participant’s support as we continue to:
Work with diverse public and private partners on creek restoration projects, including removing barriers to steelhead migration.
Educate people, from school kids to adults, about the values of creeks.
Lead outings and tours. We bring kids into nature to educate the next generation.
Hold regular creek cleanups with groups like the EDC. Together, we’ve removed thousands of pounds of trash from Goleta’s creeks each of the last 5 years.
The Santa Barbara Urban Creeks Council appreciates any and all support at this important hearing. For those who cannot make the hearing, please send letters or emails to the County Supervisors supporting (1) the EGVCP ESH Map (with the addition of rare species), and (2) the Coastal Commission’s Suggested Modifications to the Gaviota Coast Plan.