Trust for Public Land Donates Golf Course to UCSB

Today’s donation came a month after The Trust for Public Land bought the land for $7 million from Mark Green, who had operated the Ocean Meadows Golf Course on it. The land is located just north of UCSB’s Coal Oil Point Reserve. Devereux Creek runs across the property, through a slough of the same name and into the Pacific Ocean a half-mile away.

“This is a wonderful gift for the people of the Santa Barbara coast and it is a great example of our mission of protecting land for people,” said Sam Hodder, California Director of The Trust for Public Land. “It will provide new trails which connect to a network of other lands which have already been protected. In addition, the property will also be restored to a healthy wetland open for people to explore and enjoy.”

“UC Santa Barbara is pleased to partner with The Trust for Public Land on this worthwhile project,” said Chancellor Henry T. Yang. “The UCSB campus is proud of its efforts to acquire and set aside large portions of the Devereux and West Campus bluffs area for reserve and open space. The addition of this land will allow us to collectively implement a more inclusive, coherent and comprehensive management plan for the entire Devereux Slough. We look forward to working together to preserve this beautiful and ecologically important area for education, research, and public enjoyment, now and for generations to come.”

The land is already home to several fish and animals protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, including the tidewater goby, a fish, and the California least tern and the western snowy plover, both of which are birds.

“Saving this extraordinary open space will help educate people about the importance of coastal wetlands, most of which have been lost in California. It is one of The Trust for Public Land’s finest acquisitions,” said Duncan Mellichamp of Santa Barbara, a member of The Trust for Public Land’s California Advisory Board.

The $7 million cost came from a variety of public and private money, including $2.5 million from the California Coastal Conservancy. Santa Barbara County granted $750,000, and other money came from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Transportation, Goleta Valley Land Trust, California Wildlife Conservation Board, and the California Resources Agency.

Restoration of the property will begin with a planning process that will include listening to views from local residents and neighbors.

Protection of the upper Devereux Slough is supported by a number of elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, D-Calif.; California State Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson; California Assembly Member Das Williams; and Santa Barbara County Supervisor Doreen Farr, whose district includes the property. (Quotes from these officials are attached).

Founded in 1972, The Trust for Public Land is the leading nonprofit working to conserve land for people. Operating from more than 30 offices nationwide, The Trust for Public Land has protected more than three million acres from the inner city to the wilderness and helped generate more than $34 billion in public funds for conservation. Nearly ten million people live within a ten-minute walk of a Trust for Public Land park, garden, or natural area, and millions more visit these sites every year. Learn more at here.

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Congresswoman Lois Capps

“I want to personally congratulate all who have worked hard to purchase this land over the years, including the University of California, Santa Barbara and The Trust for Public Land,” stated Congresswoman Lois Capps. “Through these tremendous efforts, the upper reaches of Devereux Slough will be protected, providing habitat for wildlife native to the Central Coast and open space our whole community will always enjoy.”

State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson

“Completing the acquisition of Ocean Meadows/Upper Devereux Slough property assures that one of the Central Coast’s greatest environmental gems will be forever preserved,” stated State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson. “The stage is now set to take advantage of the unprecedented opportunity to restore this property and provide public access linking this site to adjacent protected lands.”

State Assemblymember Das Williams

“As a member of the State Coastal Conservancy Board, I am pleased that we have come to the end of a long, collaborative road with The Trust for Public Land to acquire the Ocean Meadows/Upper Devereux Slough property,” stated Assemblyman Das Williams. “We can now renew our collaboration to restore this property, thus furthering a concerted effort to improve conditions of coastal estuaries, particularly at Goleta and Devereux Sloughs.”

County Supervisor Doreen Farr

“Acquiring the ecologically significant upper Devereux Slough property in the wake of Earth Day couldn’t be more fitting,” state Supervisor Doreen Farr in whose district the project is located. “In addition to protecting and enhancing the natural resources and open space now, completing this critical acquisition will soon lead to new public access for passive recreation and education. I am so pleased that the County pledged its early financial support that has led to this very important day.”