Ellwood Mesa and its butterfly habitats were the main topic of discussion Thursday night at a joint workshop of Goleta’s Wildfire Protection Plan and Butterfly Inventory and Habitat Management Plan.

Presenters and workshop attendees discussed methods of balancing wildfire concerns with the preservation of the habitat that is vital to Monarch butterfly migration.

“These points we’re looking at today are very general,” city planner Anne Wells said.

The Ellwood Mesa area is unique in the city in that it is both vital to the overwintering needs of the migrant butterflies and, with its untended foliage, also one of the most vulnerable areas to wildfires. The Lake Los Carneros area is also classified as highly vulnerable to wildfires.

The Wildfire Protection Plan, available for viewing on the city’s Web site, outlines strategies and “treatments,” which may be undertaken depending on the location, importance and vulnerability of structures in the interface zone where residences and open space meet. Most of the strategies include fuels management and reduction, within the first 30 feet from the structure or fuel, including dead wood, foliage and other “ladder fuels,” to prevent flames from easily reaching structures.

“Structure hardening,” or making structures more resistant to fire and embers, is another method of minimizing the impact of a wildfire on a nearby home, according to fire consultant David Kerr.

“Control vegetation, amount and distribution,” he said.

Foliage, grass height and fuel may be allowed to grow a little more the farther out from the building.

Meanwhile, butterfly habitat specialist Dan Meade provided an update on the status of the ongoing Butterfly Inventory and Habitat Management Plan. The study includes an ongoing count of butterflies in the Ellwood area, a habitat assessment and an emerging management plan.

“The season is starting,” Meade said.

So far, about 300 butterflies have been spotted converging in the several aggregation areas in the eucalyptus groves on Ellwood Mesa.

Some of the issues Meade pointed out in terms of butterfly habitat management are also issues for wildfire management, particularly dead and dying trees. Pests and invasive ivies contribute to the poor health of many of the trees in the forest, which in turn affects the opportunities butterflies have for finding a warming spot in the groves. Additionally, debris on the ground interrupts natural drainage, soaking the ground and causing tree roots to rot or lose their grip on the ground. Debris also provides shelter for pests, such as boring beetles.

Thursday evening’s workshop was the latest in an ongoing effort for the city of Goleta to begin actively managing wildfire risks as well as the city’s valuable butterfly habitats. Wells said the effort is a convergence of science, as shown by the two studies, and policy, as the city will begin to analyze how the findings and strategies comport with the city’s own directives and priorities, such as the ones found in the Goleta General Plan.

The Goleta City Council will review the Wildfire Management Plan in December. From there, Wells said, certain site-specific projects and studies may be undertaken.

— Noozhawk contributing writer Sonia Fernandez can be reached at sfernandez@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.