Jump to content

San Marcos Foothills Preserve

Coordinates: 34°27′44″N 119°45′30″W / 34.46222°N 119.75833°W / 34.46222; -119.75833
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The San Marcos Foothills Preserve is a 301–acre open space located between Santa Barbara and Goleta, California and owned by the County of Santa Barbara Parks Division.[1] The preserve provides views of the nearby Santa Ynez Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and the Channel Islands.[2] The preserve provides feeding grounds for many dozens of birds, including American kestrels, kites, hawks, roadrunners, and for other animals including bobcats and coyotes.[2] The preserve is open for low-impact recreation to the public, which includes hiking/running on trails, and bird watching. The preserve is considered a bird watching “hotspot” by the birding community[3][4] Since it is a nature preserve, high-impact uses such as bicycling, horseback riding and off-leash dogs are not allowed.[5]

Early history

[edit]

The first inhabitants of the land were the Native Chumash people.[6] After settlers emigrated to California, the grasslands of the San Marcos Foothills were mostly converted into fruit orchards and a dairy. By 1915, the Flying A Studios of Santa Barbara purportedly used the rolling hills of the Foothills on occasion as a backdrop for films.[7] After World War II, single-family housing was built there and other parts were used for road widening. In 1998, a proposal for an equestrian-themed community was refused and the area became of interest to preservationists.[8]

First preservation efforts

[edit]

In 1996, the community tried to protect the land, with Brooke Bulkley and Mark Holmgren forming the San Marcos Foothills Coalition (SMFC) to protect the area’s open space. By 1999, more than a dozen community organizations and people had joined the coalition. Even so, the developer bought 315 acres and donated 90% of it to what is now called the San Marcos Foothills Preserve. With that transfer, the county approved the developer’s (Chadmar Group) small development of luxury homes.[7] By 2019, concerns were being raised that further development on the San Marcos Foothills was not in the interest of the greater public.[9]

Campaign to purchase the West Mesa

[edit]

In 2020, several environmental groups led by Channel Islands Restoration[10] and Save San Marcos Foothills [11] began a campaign to save the 101-acre property adjacent to the preserve (known as the “West Mesa”) from development of luxury homes as part of the earlier Chadmar agreement with the County.[12][13] By January 2021, a deal to buy the property had not yet been reached with the developer, but Channel Islands Restoration had already raised $1.3 million dollars toward the effort.[14] In early February of that year, legal challenges by conservationists delayed the development [15][16] and later in the month a group of activists including Native American people started a sit in protest at the gate to the property.[17] On February 25, the developer attempted to grade a road through the property, but protesters blocked the bulldozer, preventing the construction work. Eight of the protesters were arrested and later released without charges.[18][19] In March, the Chadmar Group agreed to pause the development for 90 days while conservationists attempted to raise as much as $20 million to purchase the property.[20][21][22][23] By April, the campaign was well underway, but only $4 million had been raised [24] By May, more than $10 million was raised.[25] By June, the campaign reached is goal [26][27] and the property was purchased, and ownership passed to the County of Santa Barbara in 2023.[28]

Habitat restoration

[edit]

Since 2010, Channel Islands Restoration has conducted several habitat restoration projects at the preserve.[29] The grassland restoration project [30] has received attention from various media sources in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, mostly because of the unique use of sheep as a way of reducing growth from non-native grasses.[31][32] [33][34][35]

Habitat restoration endowment

[edit]

Following the successful campaign to purchase the West Mesa property, conservationists established a restoration endowment for the preserve. The $1,000,000 endowment is meant to support projects that restore habitat for birds and other animals.[36]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "San Marcos Foothills Preserve | Santa Barbara County, CA - Official Website". www.countyofsb.org.
  2. ^ a b "Guide To The San Marcos Foothills". Guide To The San Marcos Foothills.
  3. ^ "San Marcos Foothills Preserve, Santa Barbara County, CA, US - eBird Hotspot". 11 April 2024.
  4. ^ "San Marcos Foothills Preserve--West Mesa - Santa Barbara, California, US - Birding Hotspots".
  5. ^ Watershed Environmental (April 28, 2014). San Marcos Foothills Preserve Long-Term Open Space Management Plan Santa Barbara, California (Report). County of Santa Barbara Community Services Division. p. 34.
  6. ^ Watershed Environmental (April 28, 2014). San Marcos Foothills Preserve Long-Term Open Space Management Plan Santa Barbara, California (Report). County of Santa Barbara Community Services Division. p. 5.
  7. ^ a b "San Marcos Foothills: Rich in History". 25 March 2021.
  8. ^ Watershed Environmental (April 28, 2014). San Marcos Foothills Preserve Long-Term Open Space Management Plan Santa Barbara, California (Report). County of Santa Barbara Community Services Division. p. 6.
  9. ^ "Humans Need Wild Places". 21 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Channel Islands Restoration". Channel Islands Restoration.
  11. ^ "Save the San Marcos Foothills". Save the San Marcos Foothills.
  12. ^ "Santa Barbara Environmental Groups Oppose Housing Development on San Marcos Foothills Preserve". 14 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Ray Ford: Environmentalists Making Last Chance Effort to Preserve More Land in San Marcos Foothills | Outdoors". 22 August 2020.
  14. ^ "Drive Underway to Buy, Preserve Prime Santa Barbara County Foothills Land". 27 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Planned Development Next to San Marcos Foothills Preserve Faces Legal Challenges | the Daily Nexus". 17 February 2021.
  16. ^ "Save the San Marcos Foothills Preserve - the Bottom Line UCSB". 20 February 2021.
  17. ^ "Second day of sit-in at San Marcos Foothills, eight arrests on first day".
  18. ^ "Eight Arrested in Protest to Save San Marcos Foothills". 25 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Eight Protesters Arrested Outside Gate to San Marcos Foothills Housing Development | Local News". 25 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Developer agrees to halt work, temporarily, near San Marcos Foothills Preserve". 11 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Saving San Marcos Foothills Will Cost $20 Million". 12 March 2021.
  22. ^ "Save San Marcos Foothills reaches agreement with Chadmar Group".
  23. ^ "Grassroots initiative launches $18 million fundraising campaign to purchase and preserve San Marcos Foothills". 17 March 2021.
  24. ^ "The Quest for $20 Million to Buy San Marcos Foothills Continues". 7 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Fund passes $10 million in effort to preserve San Marcos Foothills". 26 May 2021.
  26. ^ "San Marcos Foothills Forever Fund Reaches $18.6 Million Goal to Preserve Property as Open Space | Local News". 10 June 2021.
  27. ^ "Visit a nature preserve, celebrate open spaces | Julia McHugh". 19 August 2022.
  28. ^ "HIstory".
  29. ^ "Habitat Restoration".
  30. ^ "Grassland Restoration".
  31. ^ "Volunteers wanted: Must love Santa Barbara's great outdoors. And sheep". Los Angeles Times. 13 October 2023.
  32. ^ "Sheep Docents Wanted to Spread the Good News About Ewes". 17 February 2023.
  33. ^ "Sheep to Save the Day at the San Marcos Foothills Preserve". October 2023.
  34. ^ "Sheep graze in the San Marcos foothills to promote native plant growth: The Brief - CBS Los Angeles". CBS News.
  35. ^ "San Marcos Foothills Preserve in Santa Barbara has an unusual way to support the natural habitat". 22 December 2022.
  36. ^ "Foothills Forever Raises $1 Million for Restoration Endowment Bringing the $20 Million Campaign to Preserve the San Marcos Foothills West Mesa Across the Finish Line". The Santa Barbara Independent. December 21, 2023.

34°27′44″N 119°45′30″W / 34.46222°N 119.75833°W / 34.46222; -119.75833