County 11-12

The Marine Life Protection Act’s Blue Ribbon Task Force adopted its final array of protected fishing areas on 11/10 with a unanimous vote. The Task Force adopted a “middle road” arrangement between stakeholders involved in the yearlong process. While some contentious areas, like Rocky Point in Palos Verdes, remain open to fishing, other areas-like large swaths of the Gaviota’s Naples Reef, the Goleta Slough, Point Conception, and Campus Point-are slated for closure. The California Fish and Game Commission will vote on the Task Force’s ruling in early December.

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After conducting two hearings and listening to dozens of speakers, the County Board of Supervisors agreed on a controversial spay/neuter ordinance that has been in the works for more than a year. The ordinance will require cat and dog owners to spay or neuter their pets unless they obtain a certificate from their veterinarian exempting them. The ordinance came about to help deal with the growing overcrowding of area animal shelters and had much support as well as opposition.

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In order to thank Santa Barbara’s emergency responders for their recent efforts and consistent hard work, the Santa Barbara Zoo will be offering them free admission during the week of 11/16-11/22. EMTs, firefighters, police, and sheriff’s employees, as well as one additional adult and two children with each emergency worker, will have free access to the zoo. A professional photo ID is required.

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In light of a recent report that ranked Santa Barbara 22nd in the nation for preventable pedestrian deaths, a community pedestrian safety workshop will be held at the Franklin Center on 11/14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The workshop will feature presentations from California Walks and the UC Berkeley Center for Traffic Safety and is hosted by Santa Barbara Walks. There were 13 pedestrian deaths in the Santa Barbara area during 2007-2008, comprising 14.8 percent of all traffic fatalities.