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Supervisors advance environmental-justice element after community debate; staff to revise maps and implementation details
Summary
Planning staff presented the draft Environmental Justice element required by SB 1000, and the board received extensive public comment asking for stronger mandatory language, more outreach, and a standing advisory body. Supervisors asked staff to shrink some rural boundaries, clarify implementation phases and return with revised materials.
Santa Barbara County’s Planning and Development Department presented the county’s draft Environmental Justice element on March 10, describing the state’s SB 1000 requirements, the state scoring tools used to identify disadvantaged communities and proposed policies and an implementation matrix. The board heard more than a dozen public statements—some urging stronger, enforceable policies and more community outreach; others (including agricultural representatives) asking for map clarifications where working lands might be included unintentionally.
Why it matters: SB 1000 requires jurisdictions to include an Environmental Justice element in their general plans. For unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County this element will guide priorities for air and water quality, open space, healthy food access and community engagement, and determine where targeted actions and resources will be concentrated.
Key points from staff: Planners described an inclusive engagement process (11 hearings and multiple surveys), development of an implementation matrix that assigns responsibilities to county departments and timeframes, and recommended creation of advisory and implementation steps consistent with state guidance. The draft maps identify several communities as priority areas; staff explained mapping constraints and additional data sources used to refine boundaries.
What residents asked for: Community organizations and residents urged stronger mandatory language, a public advisory/review committee, clearer monitoring and a transparent review process. Several speakers asked that the county strengthen monitoring, commit ongoing funding for community engagement and not finalize the element until rural outreach and map corrections are completed for places such as Gaviota/Cuyama and other agricultural areas.
Supervisor direction: Supervisors expressed support for the element’s goals but asked staff to revise maps where agriculture-dominated parcels had unintentionally expanded a boundary and to return with clearer phasing, funding and staffing plans for implementation. The board signaled support for creating a community advisory mechanism and for coordinating reporting with the county’s climate initiative. Supervisors also directed staff to ensure a public review step before any future changes to the implementation matrix that would alter boundaries or staff responsibilities.
Quotes: "This is important work and we need to be clear about implementation and funding," a supervisor said. "We also need to make sure we’re engaging communities that have been historically excluded," one community speaker added.
Next steps: Staff will update the draft maps and implementation appendix, post revised materials online and return to the board for final action after targeted outreach to affected communities and additional staff work on the implementation plan and funding sources.
