In previous monthly news updates we have written of the Biological Resources Study Update that has been requested from the County by the owner of More Mesa.  In this month’s news we will describe what we know about the process and ensuing actions that may, or may not, be undertaken by the owner subsequent to the completion of the study.  The process requires pubic involvement at key points.

As we reported earlier, the existing Goleta Community Plan provides a process to change the developable area; a process that begins with conducting an updated Biological Resources Study.  Subsequent to the owner’s request for such a study, the County requested bids from various companies and organizations and has received several responses.  They are currently in the process of evaluating the bids.  When this evaluation is complete, the owner, who is funding the study, will be allowed to make the final choice of who will perform the study.  As we understand it, the steps in the process after this selection are:

• The Board of Supervisors (BOS) must approve the selection of the consultant team to perform this study.  As part of this process, all proposals and rating information will become public.  The BOS hearing concerning consultant selection will be an open public process that is ex pected to take place some time in April. The study, once begun, is proposed to be conducted over a period of a year or more.
• A draft report will be prepared and presented in a public forum such as a workshop.  Comments from the public will be solicited at this time.
• Revisions and changes to the draft report may be made as a result of public input to the draft.
• At the end of the study, county staff will assess study results and, dependent upon consultant team findings, may make recommendations about development relative to what currently exists. That is, they may decide to rezone all, or portions, of More Mesa; a decision which has the potential to increase the area of More Mesa allowed for development and/or the number of units permitted to be constructed on More Mesa.
• Any changes that are recommended will have to be taken before appropriate decision makers; specifically, any changes to the environmentally sensitive habitat areas or land use and zoning designations would be subject to review and approval by the County Planning Commission, Board of Supervisors and eventually the Coastal Commission.  Such changes are likely to require the preparation of a full environmental impact report aftercompletion of the biological study. There would likely be several public hearings spanning a multi-year process.

History shows us that the steps outlined above will extend over several years.  We know this from experience during the 1980s work on More Mesa, and from comparable projects on the Ellwood Mesa and San Marcos Foothills properties.  The 1980 Biological Resource Study of More Mesa and the resultant ESH and Land Use designations were the subject of an extensive biological evaluation and environmental review. The biological basis for the ESH designations was the subject of a remarkably detailed study conducted for over a one-year period by a team of impartial researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  These processes, and subsequent hearings, spanned a period of more than 12 years.  Given the extensive scientific, public and legal discussion and debate that shaped More Mesa’s ESH and land use designations, any reconsideration of these matters must meet the same rigorous standards inherent and imposed in the original effort.

You may remember that a fire broke out on More Mesa in mid-summer of last year  (August 2007 News) Since last September, MMPC has routinely been monitoring the five acre burn area. Specifically, we were interested to see how both native plants, as well as invasive plants, were recovering, or colonizing, after the fire.  Twice monthly we observe specific areas and photograph the changes in different trees, shrubs and ground cover.

The Bad News:  Unhappily, all existing invasive species have made a robust recovery, except perhaps for fennel (which usually appears later in the year):

• Malva and Radish are everywhere.
• Harding Grass was slow to come up last fall, but now can also be seen in profusion.
• Eucalyptus is recovering fully with shoots from the base of burned plants
• Oxalis has covered almost all area with a thick, light green coating … which looks very pretty, but bodes ill for any native wildflowers.

The Good News: While many natives are recovering, the recovery is slower than that of the invasive species.  However, recent rains have benefited native plants so that:

• Coast Live Oaks are showing shoots in the burned upper branches of young trees, as well as shoots from the bottom of main trunks.
• Coyote Bush made a comeback in the fall and continue to be very robust.
• Willows are showing signs of new leaves in the top burned branches as well as near the base of the trunks.

Spring is a beautiful time on More Mesa … even in the fire area!

Burned Coyote Bush

Invasive Plants

Recovering Willows

So many of our supporters have expressed a great desire to do something concrete to preserve More Mesa.  Now there is a chance to do just that!  We need a “big presence” at an upcoming County sponsored Workshop on the planned More Mesa Biological Resource Study.

This study, recently discussed in the November 2007 News, has been requested by the owner of More Mesa.  Its purpose is to carry out an updated Biological Study of More Mesa; a prerequisite to making any changes to the “Environmentally Sensitive Habitat” (ESH) overlay on More Mesa. Therefore, as you can see, this is a very meaningful request. 

The Scoping Document for the study has been prepared, published and is available on the County website:  www.sbcountyplanning.org.   (Click on “Recent Updates” and then “More Mesa Biological Resource Study”– the Scoping Document is under “Proposed Scope of Work”.)

The announcement of the workshop, whose purpose is to discuss the Scoping Document, is also on this page.  Details of the workshop are as follows:

Date:  January 10, 2008
Time:  6 PM
Place: Planning Commission Hearing Room, 123 Anapamu St.

You may speak during the public comment period.  However, please note that discussion will be limited to only biological concerns and the focus of the study.  If you are unable to attend, instructions for mailing your comments may also be found in the announcement of the Workshop on the County site at the web address above.

When submitting written comments, please request that your comments be included as part of the public record – the deadline for submission is January 16th.

We urge you to attend this meeting.  A large turnout will demonstrate to the County, More Mesa’s owner, and the entire Santa Barbara area, that More Mesa occupies a special place in the heart of our community, and that the community cares deeply about its preservation.  Remember that this is the first step in what will be a series of meetings where your support will be vitally important.  Let’s fill up the hearing room on January 10th!!

Thanks for caring about More Mesa, and a Happy New Year from all of us at the More Mesa Preservation Coalition!

As the year comes to a close, we would like to share some highlights of MMPC’s work in 2007:

• More Mesa was offered for sale in early January, at an asking price of $110 Million.  There seem to be no serious buyers at this time. However, if the developable area on the 265 acre property were larger than currently allowed 40 acres, it is likely that prospective buyers would be extremely interested.  The only way to change the allowable development envelope is if a new Biological Evaluation were conducted.  In October, the owner of More Mesa requested that the County of Santa Barbara arrange for such an updated Biological Evaluation.  MMPC has already made suggestions about what should be included in the Scoping Document for this study and is following this activity very closely.

• MMPC has committed to the creation of a multipurpose More Mesa Handbook dealing with its resources, history and constraints.  The handbook is being funded by a generous grant from the Goleta Valley Land Trust.  We expect it to be published in early 2008.

• We have completed the analysis of more than 300 Usage Surveys submitted by members of the community who regularly visit More Mesa.  The results of this survey will be posted on the web site in 2008.

• In mid July, a fire broke out on the eastern edge of More Mesa.  MMPC is monitoring the recovery of native and non-native plants in the five-acre burn area on a bi-weekly basis.

• Finally, in pursuit of our mission to preserve More Mesa forever, the More Mesa Preservation Coalition (MMPC) has presented several illustrated talks tailored to the needs of the specific audiences.  We are planning many more for 2008.  In addition to illustrated talks, we have also produced a useful and concise press packet for distribution to local media.

Thank you all for your wonderful support and for loving this very special place.
Our warmest holiday wishes to all of you.

Community use of More Mesa on Sunday evening, December 2, 2007.