Santa Barbara County officials continued to investigate allegations this week of potentially illegal soil tilling and clear cutting at the historic Bixby/Cojo Ranch. Reports of the landscaping—which were later confirmed by a spokesperson for the property’s new ownership—have suggested that anywhere from several dozen to several hundred acres of coastal mesa, portions of which are considered critical habitat for endangered species like the tarplant, were tilled in recent months without proper permits from the county. For its part, the county, which has been in contact with the property owners, has yet to decide whether or not an act of illegal landscaping actually took place.
