Along with funding by a federal conservation program and the Goleta Valley Land Trust, the county of Santa Barbara pitched in $1.36 million to secure the property near the western edge of the Gaviota Coast.
“Its location is perfect to become part of Gaviota State Park,” said County Supervisor Doreen Farr, whose district includes the parcel. “It’s a key piece of property with high scenic value and environmental value.”
Located above the bluffs near the state park, the property includes grasslands, chaparral and coastal sage scrub habitats that are home to many endangered or threatened species, including the California red-legged frog, yellow-billed cuckoo and Gaviota tarplant.
Its preservation had been a high priority for land protection groups, particularly due to a serious threat of development of an area of commercial zoning contained on the property.
“The acquisition does extinguish the current commercial zoning on it,” Farr said, adding that any development of the property would have been “inappropriate.”
County leaders backed the deal last year by pledging more than $860,000 toward the effort through the Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund (CREF), which is designed to mitigate the impacts of oil and gas development on coastal resources.
The federal Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation program added $889,000, while the Goleta Valley Land Trust pitched in $600,000.
Farr said the California State Parks system had been expected to donate an additional half a million dollars to seal the deal, but the state budget crisis made that an unlikely occurrence.
The County Board of Supervisors authorized an additional $500,000 in CREF funding last month after it appeared the land deal might be in jeopardy.
“We had quite a bit of money in the acquisitions account,” Farr said, explaining that oil companies continue to pay into the fund annually.
The parcel will be linked to the Gaviota State Park, which typically draws more than 86,000 visitors each year for numerous hiking, camping and recreational opportunities.
Land trust officials said the acquisition is part of a larger effort to combine upwards of 10,000 acres of coastal habitats and open space from the Los Padres National Forest to the beaches of the Channel Island Marine Sanctuary.
Farr praised land groups for putting the agreement together, noting the extremely complicated task of organizing and finalizing land purchases.
“They should really be applauded for the work they do,” she said.