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Goleta OKs $1.006 million agreement with County Fire to reduce hazardous fuels at Elwood Mesa
Summary
The City Council authorized a contract with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department to use Cal Fire grant-funded crews and equipment to remove dangerous brush and dead trees at Elwood Mesa, focusing on defensible space near homes and restoration areas in the butterfly grove.
The Goleta City Council voted unanimously in March 2025 to authorize a not-to-exceed $1,006,332 agreement with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department to conduct hazardous fuels reduction at Elwood Mesa.
City Parks and Open Space Manager George Thompson told the council the work is funded primarily through a Cal Fire grant and is intended to reduce the accumulated dead trees and heavy brush—“the dominant feature at Elwood Mesa” that presents “a large fire risk to the community and to the grove.” Thompson said earlier efforts have already removed about 500 dead trees and cleared roughly 20 acres of brush as part of larger restoration work at the butterfly grove.
Santa Barbara County Fire Marshal Fred Tan described the crews and equipment that will be used under…
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