A 36-acre section of the
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)…