A 36-acre section of the More Mesa open space in Santa Barbara County has been permanently protected from future development under a new conservation easement, officials announced this week.
The protected parcel sits at the northwest corner of More Mesa, a 325-acre stretch of coastal open space west of Santa Barbara’s Hope Ranch neighborhood that is home to oceanfront bluffs, coastal grasslands, oak woodlands and roughly 2 miles of trails that have been informally used by the public for recreation for decades, despite much of the mesa remaining privately owned.
Under the agreement, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County will hold the conservation easement at no cost and serve as the site’s permanent steward in a partnership with the county of Santa Barbara and the More Mesa Preservation Coalition (MMPC).
Dan Gira, vice president of the MMPC, said that although the piece of land has been publicly owned by the county since 1992, it remained legally vulnerable to rezoning, being designated as surplus and other mandated uses.
“This conservation easement is an insurance policy,” he said, “that it won’t come under pressure from the state to develop.”
Gira described the MMPC as “a coalition of people who are interested in protecting the mesa.” He said the group will remain focused on public outreach and long-term advocacy aimed at securing permanent protection for the remainder of More Mesa.
In 2012, a Saudi Arabia–based real estate developer purchased the surrounding blufftop parcels for $25 million. According to Gira, the remaining property is now listed for $65 million. He said that any future acquisition to preserve the property would require public-private cooperation and a fair purchase price.
Meredith Hendricks, executive director of the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, said the county agreed to include the 36-acre parcel as an “additional conservation enhancement” to strengthen the ecological connection between More Mesa and Modoc Preserve.
“Essentially, what’s happened is that the Land Trust is coming in and working with the county to do the best practice in conservation,” she said. “Which is when you have multiple conservation-minded entities sharing responsibility for protecting a place forever.”
The Land Trust, as the long-term conservation holder, will ensure the property remains protected and its use aligns with ecological goals. That includes assisting the county in updating a 1992 management plan to guide habitat restoration, trail upkeep and nature-based recreation, according to Hendricks.
Santa Barbara County will retain ownership of the land and will continue to oversee day-to-day operations through its Parks Department.
Second District Supervisor Laura Capps, who said she is a regular user of the trail system, praised the collaboration behind the easement and emphasized how much More Mesa means to local residents.
“When we ask our constituents of Santa Barbara County and specifically the area I represent, what do they care about? They care about open space,” she said. “They care about preserving nature. They care about being in nature.”
As part of the long-term efforts, Gira said the coalition is preparing new research to support broader protection goals.
“We’re publishing a paper right now on recreational use and ecological values of More Mesa,” he said. “It’s part of showing the community and decision-makers what this land means and why it’s worth protecting.
“We view this as an important first step to working cooperatively with the community, the property owner, government agencies and land conservation organizations to protect all of More Mesa forever,” Gira said.
