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Ellwood Mesa Has Been Saved!

Rich Reid, Colors of Nature

Thanks to the generosity and commitment of many individuals and organizations, both public and private, Ellwood Mesa is now finally and forever protected. The city of Goleta assumed public ownership of the mesa on February 4th, 2005, ensuring that this beautiful place will be preserved in its natural state for the enjoyment of future generations. The 137-acre mesa will be dedicated as the Sperling Preserve at a community celebration on March 4th, 2005.

Rich Reid, Colors of Nature

Ellwood Mesa is a spectacular coastal property. It is home to a variety of flora and fauna, as well as some 60,000 migratory butterflies. It's also a sanctuary for hikers, joggers, birders, artists, and families. Its protection took a concerted effort by the local community, the Trust for Public Land, Friends of the Ellwood Coast, the City of Goleta, private donors nationwide, and dedicated supporters at the local, state, and federal government levels. After nearly 30 years of hard work, we are pleased to announce that this cherished community asset is safe from residential development.

Rich Reid, Colors of Nature

The stakes were high. After two decades of contentious battles, a developer was finally willing to work with the community to protect this spectacular coastline. In January of 2003, TPL and its local partner, Friends of the Ellwood Coast, launched a private fundraising drive with an initial challenge grant from the Goleta Valley Land Trust of $500,000, followed by $500,000 later that year. A $1 million grant for the Wendy P. McCaw Foundation was announced in May, 2003, followed by a $5 million pledge from Peter and Stephanie Sperling in June. By July of that year, more than $7 million had been raised by the community.

Rich Reid, Colors of Nature

In December of 2003, the County of Santa Barbara stepped up to the plate and awarded the project a $368,000 Coastal Resource Enhancement Fund grant, which would later be followed by an additional $400,000 grant. In addition, Congresswoman Lois Capps helped to secure nearly $800,000 in federal Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program Funds.

In 2004, with the strong leadership of then-Assembly Member Hannah-Beth Jackson, the California Wildlife Conservation Board, the State Coastal Conservancy and Cal-Trans cumulatively contributed $10.5 million to ensure the success of the project.

Photo: Rich Reid/Colors of Nature

In early January of 2005, an anonymous donor closed the gap by donating the final $307,000. Less than two weeks later, the deal was closed and Ellwood Mesa's preservation ensured.

Thank you for your continued support. We are truly grateful for the outpouring of support from the local community. After more than two years we accomplished a huge feat in raising a total of $20.4 million in public funds and private donations. TPL will continue to accept donations to help develop signage on the site and seed an endowment for the long-term stewardship of the mesa.

Updated 2/2005