Santa Barbara County Updates Its Open Space Plans

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday 8/26 considered updates to its decades-old Open Space Element, a part of the county’s General Plan that identifies and maps undeveloped areas and creates policies for their preservation. 

The document was first adopted in 1979 and has not been substantially updated since then. According to county staff, it describes open space for public health and safety, the managed production of resources, outdoor recreation, and the preservation of natural resources. And it’s seriously outdated. 

But now, by January 1, 2026, the County must come into compliance with Senate Bill 1425, mandating that cities and counties update their Open Space Elements to address equitable access to open space, climate resilience, and rewilding opportunities. What exactly that means for Santa Barbara County is yet to be determined, but accepting the scope of effort and resources that the board wants to dedicate to the task is the first step. 

County staff from the Planning and Development Department presented three options: a “low” work and cost option, involving a general rewrite of the element that brings the county into compliance with Senate Bill 1425, new goals and policies, and updated maps, including an open space inventory. The “moderate” option would expand efforts and resources toward addressing barriers to wildlife movement on public lands across the county and further identifying rewilding (restoring land to its original undeveloped state) and habitat connectivity opportunities. And the “high” option adds a full update of the county’s Conservation Element, designed to identify and protect local natural resources, which would require significantly more staff time and consultation services. 

Well-known environmental groups, such as the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and Heal the Ocean, advocated for the moderate or high option to promote biodiversity, wildlife corridors, and the utmost protection and increased coordination around conserving the county’s natural spaces. 

“This is a really important opportunity for the County to be a regional leader in protecting our local wildlife and natural heritage,” said Bryant Baker with nonprofit Los Padres ForestWatch during public comment. “We should get the ball rolling and act now.”

Supervisor Bob Nelson commented that low, moderate, and high was not the language he’d use for the options. The “low” option, he said, still requires effort, including creating new policies and goals to preserve open space in the county, but may not have potentially adverse, restrictive effects that could affect future flexibility when it comes to decisions around open space, such as housing development and agricultural uses. 

Supervisor Steve Lavagnino agreed: “Saying it’s low makes it feel like we’re not doing anything. It should be awesome, super awesome, and extra super awesome or something.” Both he and Nelson preferred the lower-cost and -effort option, but noted that it was nevertheless an important topic to them and their fellow board members.

“We do have a lot of development pressure and a lot of fragmented habitats,” added Supervisor Joan Hartmann. “We haven’t really figured out where the open spaces are, and how can we protect them?” 

Ultimately, the board voted 3-2 to adopt the “moderate” option, which will require some additional staffing and $60,000-$80,000 in consultation services, with plans down the line to integrate it with a future update to the county’s Conservation Element.