California State Parks is seeking public input on early planning concepts that will guide future management of three state parks along Santa Barbara County’s Gaviota Coast.
Community members asked about ongoing closures and heard about plans for the General Plan Update Project during an online public workshop Wednesday.
The plan covers El Capitán State Beach, Refugio State Beach and Gaviota State Park. Project staff said the parks’ general plans have not been updated since 1979 and that the update is intended to address challenges such as climate change and aging infrastructure while positioning the parks for future funding.
C.C. LaGrange, a senior associate with PlaceWorks, the State Parks planning consultant, said they are collecting feedback through an online survey that will remain open through April 15. She said project materials and a recording of Wednesday’s virtual workshop will be posted to the project website in the coming days along with a compiled list of questions and answers from both public workshops.
The general plan provides a long-term framework for how a state park is managed and protected, including an inventory of natural features, wildlife, historic and archaeological resources, and park facilities.
LaGrange said the draft concepts for the three parks, presented at the workshops and available online, were shaped through a process that included input from State Parks district staff, community engagement with residents and stakeholders, and a detailed analysis of existing conditions at each park.
She said the concepts are organized into draft management zones that divide each park into three or four areas based on landscape and reflect each area’s distinct opportunities and constraints. The zones are intended to guide what types of activities and facilities fit where and how intensely different parts of each park could be used over time.
El Capitán State Beach
El Capitán’s draft concepts are shaped by several pressures that also affect Refugio and Gaviota, including aging infrastructure and coastal erosion. Staff said a challenge unique to El Capitán is incorporating more than 2,500 acres of inland backcountry north of Highway 101 that is not currently included in the park’s general plan and remains vulnerable to wildfire.
During Wednesday’s virtual workshop, participants asked about closures at El Capitán, which is closed to vehicles and camping during construction on its Entrance Improvement Project.
Senior park and recreation specialist Kate Wilson said officials are “anticipating what we’re calling a soft open in April,” with timing dependent on weather. Wilson said camping is expected to begin on a first-come, first-served basis before the reservation system is restored.
Refugio State Beach
At Refugio, planners are grappling with many of the same issues seen across the three parks, including coastal erosion, flooding and aging infrastructure. Staff said a major challenge unique to Refugio is its inefficient drainage systems, which contribute to severe flooding during storms and often affect park operations.
During Wednesday’s virtual workshop, participants asked about the condition of the park’s grass fields and the heavily eroded Aniso Trail connecting Refugio to El Capitán. State Parks District Superintendent Dena Bellman said high moisture levels have made maintaining the fields exceptionally difficult.
Regarding the Aniso Trail, Wilson said repairs are complicated by requirements to account for future sea-level rise and by a state policy against “hardening” the coastline, which she said can push erosion “in an exacerbated way farther downcoast.”
Gaviota State Park
At Gaviota, planning is heavily influenced by Gaviota Creek, the estuary and the floodplain, LaGrange said, where flooding and erosion shape what is feasible alongside aging infrastructure. She said severe erosion along the creek is destabilizing banks and affecting visitor areas, and the park’s natural resources.
During Wednesday’s workshop, participants asked about frequent closures at Gaviota. Bellman said that most unplanned closures are weather-related, though the campground also closes seasonally. She said the goal of the update is to improve the park in ways that support more reliable, year-round access.
Bellman also said that repairs to Gaviota State Park Road remain a district priority, but would require coordination among multiple agencies. State Parks staff said the district is working with the Santa Barbara County Trails Council on backcountry trails and that wildfire resiliency work has been underway in the Gaviota backcountry during the past year with support from Cal Fire and the California Conservation Corps.
Public Feedback
LaGrange said project materials are available for review online and that a recording of Wednesday’s workshop and a compiled list of questions and answers from both public meetings will be posted in the coming days.
She said the survey will remain open through April 15 at ecrgplanupdate.com/participate/, and the feedback will be used to refine the draft concepts, with State Parks expecting to release a draft general plan and a draft environmental impact report this fall for public review.
Questions and comments can also be submitted to info@ECRGplanupdate.com.