Sustainability committee forwards biodiversity resolution to City Council

The Sustainability Council Committee voted to forward a biodiversity resolution to the full City Council after staff described the measure as a nonbinding policy signal to align city plans with biodiversity and climate resilience goals.

The committee hearing opened with a staff introduction that framed the resolution as an affirmation of the city’s commitment to protect and restore local biodiversity, noting Santa Barbara sits within the California floristic province and contains species not found elsewhere. “Native plants are the structural foundation of this,” the presenter said, adding that the resolution does not itself impose new regulations or direct fiscal costs but would guide future policy alignment.

The resolution was developed in partnership with the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and other regional signatories to a shared community vision. Eric Harden, director of impact and advocacy at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, told the committee the regional platform has 45 signatories and urged the city to adopt the resolution to give biodiversity “a seat at the table.” Harden said the region is facing a biodiversity crisis and called for coordinated action across jurisdictions.

Committee members expressed broad support and emphasized using existing planning processes — notably the upcoming general plan update, the State Street master plan and institutional sustainability plans — to integrate biodiversity objectives. Members highlighted current city work that would support implementation, including creek restoration projects, native‑plant pilots and the city’s integrated pest management program.

Council members also discussed phrasing and terminology in the draft resolution, asking staff to check technical terms (for example, references to the “California floristic province” and the use of the word “hotspot”) and to consider capitalization or wording that could imply unintended meanings.

A motion to forward the recommendation to the City Council was made, seconded and approved by the committee. Staff said the resolution would be taken to the council with a request that departments consider integrating biodiversity into upcoming planning cycles and that staff return with implementation options and potential resource implications as part of future discussions.

The committee’s action sends the resolution to the full City Council; staff were asked to prepare follow‑up material on implementation pathways and wording clarifications before that presentation.