Goleta OKs $1.006 million agreement with County Fire to reduce hazardous fuels at Elwood Mesa

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 the agreement. Tan said county fire operates multiple fire crews and a grant-funded fuels crew that work hand crews, as well as heavy equipment operators on project work. “We’ll be heavily involved in the Elwood area because we recognize there’s a lot of dead and down,” Tan said, adding that the crews have experience creating long defensible corridors in other parts of the county.

Thompson told council the coming year will be the most productive yet at Elwood: the city proposes to spend roughly $1 million from the Cal Fire grant this year to clear the bulk of hazardous debris. He said crews will target two general zones—defensible space (generally 100 feet out from private residences) and areas inside the grove that have many large standing and downed dead trees. Thompson said work planned for late March anticipates “anywhere from 18 to 30 bodied boots on the ground” along with heavy equipment.

Council members pressed staff on homeowner responsibilities and outreach. Tan and Thompson emphasized the difference between public-lands work funded by the grant and private-property defensible-space obligations: “That 0 to 30 is typically privately owned, and we won’t be doing those areas under this grant. That is the responsibility of the private homeowner,” Thompson said. Tan noted there is state law requiring defensible space around homes and pointed council to the Fire Safe Council for assistance with home-hardening inspections and grant opportunities.

Council members and staff discussed the Firewise USA community program, insurance implications of neighborhood-level mitigation, and the county’s community risk reduction designation. Thompson said the city has done public outreach and weekly website updates describing locations of ongoing work and protective measures such as biological buffers for nesting birds.

The motion to authorize the agreement passed on a roll-call vote: Smith — yes; Kyriaco — aye; Reyes Martin — aye; Mayor Pro Tempore Kasdan — aye; Mayor Perotti — aye.

The agreement expires June 30, 2027, and scope includes hand crews, mechanical equipment where appropriate, and pre-work biological surveys to protect nesting birds and other sensitive resources. Thompson estimated the work will produce a “big visual change” and “obviously, a big improvement in public safety.”