Spring 2024
Focus: Vandenberg Space Force Base
By: Phil McKenna
If you live in Santa Barbara County, odds are you have noticed that more rocket launches seem to be happening at VSFB. Until two years ago, the average was 6.2 annual launches. According to Colonel Brian Titus in recent remarks to the California Coastal Commission, 19 launches occurred in 2022 (including both rocket and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launches), and that number increased to 37 launches in 2023.
Fall 2023
The Future is Now
By: Phil McKenna
The Gaviota Coast is not just a stretch of land and coastline; it’s our shared heritage and a source of inspiration for all who call this place home. The rural character of the Coast and its mountains is the finest expression of the Southern California Mediterranean environment. A place where the past, present, and future converge. So, what is the Conservancy doing today to shape the future of the Gaviota Coast?
Spring 2023
Yeah, It's Better When We're Together
By: Doug Kern
What’s better than one person striving for a goal? Having a whole community working together to achieve it. That’s precisely what we need to do to ensure the protection of the Gaviota Coast. Let’s come together and make this happen! The Gaviota Coast is under threat. If we don’t act together, we’ll lose it. But, if we unite as a community, nothing can stop us from permanently protecting this beautiful place. So, what’s our common goal? It’s simple - to preserve the Gaviota Coast for ourselves and future generations.
Fall / Winter 2022
Jalama Canyon Ranch: The Future of Regenerative Agriculture
By: Jesse Smith
Last year, on April 20, 2021, White Buffalo Land Trust became the stewards of Jalama Canyon Ranch, a diverse 1,000-acre landscape 10 miles from the coastal shores of Central California. White Buffalo Land Trust (WBLT) is a non-profit organization located in Santa Barbara County with a mission to practice, promote and develop systems of regenerative agriculture. Their team is dedicated to increasing the ecological function of the landscape through agricultural practices and growing the ecological literacy of our community through research, monitoring, education, and training.
Spring 2022
Fire, ecology, and land stewardship on the Gaviota Coast
By: Guner Tautrim
Last year Gaviota experienced yet another wildfire (the Alisal Fire) which burned just under 17,000 acres in total. Winter has come and gone, and although we did experience a few good storms, our “rain year” totals are fairly dismal, with numbers in the 10-13 inches range, depending on the exact location. The rain came just days after the Alisal Fire, which was contained, and luckily that first rain was exactly what we like to see - effective! Effective rainfall is rain that is light on the land, reducing the chances of erosion and increasing the infiltration into soils.
Fall / Winter 2021
Alisal Fire on the Gaviota Coast
By: Guner Tautrim
My first view of the fire was on Monday, October 11 at 2:13 PM. The first thing to assess is where it’s coming from. It seemed that it was on the backside of the Santa Ynez range somewhere between Tajiguas and Baron Canyon. We've yet to find out where the source was, but I believe it was Alisal Ranch that reported the fire first, and therefore it got the name the Alisal Fire. The day had extremely strong winds, so even though it was far away, I knew that we were downwind and had the potential to be in harm’s way.
Summer 2021
Vision For the Gaviota Coast
By: Doug Kern
The Gaviota Coast connects Central and Southern California, covering 76 miles of coastline from Point Sal on the northwest to Coal Oil Point on the southeast. It represents the largest intact rural Mediterranean coastline remaining in the nation and is a biodiversity hotspot. GCC’s project area of interest encompasses 215,000 acres, including 43 watersheds of the Santa Ynez Mountains and all of Vandenberg Space Force Base. Gaviota Coast Conservancy has recently completed a vision document for the Gaviota Coast. The Vision offers an inventory of exceptional projects and properties to conserve and restore. This inventory is not exhaustive of the opportunities but represents the potential.
