Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint Resources for Further Learning

Table of Contents:

Theme
General
- Regional Conservation Efforts

Water Resources

Additional resources to learn more about water resources in Santa Barbara County.

Water Wise SB – The water conservation website for Santa Barbara County.
Real-time Rainfall River Stream, and Reservoir Data
Santa Barbara County Water Agency Website – Information, data, and reports on flood control, water use, water supply and water quality within the County.
California Water Science Center – Information on California-wide water data, conditions, and reports.
California Drought Monitor – Real-time drought conditions in California.
Groundwater Information Center Interactive Map Application – Data on groundwater boundaries, well locations, and other groundwater data from the California Department of Water Resources (CA DWR).
Water Management Planning Tool – Data on boundaries for water management and hydrologic management from the CA DWR.
Strategic Actions for Enhancing Local Agricultural Water Efficiency in Santa Barbara County – In 2016 and 2017, the Cachuma Resource Conservation District collaborated with many key agencies and the agriculture community to propose a set of cost-effective, implementable activities and tools that can result in real water efficiency gains in Santa Barbara County agriculture.

Flora and Fauna

Additional resources to learn more about flora and fauna in Santa Barbara County.

UC Natural Reserves within Santa Barbara County
- Santa Cruz Island Reserve
- Coal Oil Point Reserve
- Sedgwick Reserve
- Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve
A Manual of California Vegetation Online – Information on plants and vegetative communities in California.
Cal Flora – Information on native plants and invasive plants in California.
California Invasive Plant Council – Information on invasive plants throughout California.
Whippet – Site and application to help land managers prioritize invasive plant populations.
Cal Weed Mapper – Data and profiles on invasive species within the state and an application to track and record new observations.
EBird – Data, checklists, and information on bird species across the globe.
iNaturalist – A site and application to record your observations, share with fellow naturalists and discuss your findings.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife (Conservation and Management of Wildlife and Habitat) – Information on the state’s wildlife species, vegetative communities and conservation programs.
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden – Information on classes, visiting the garden, and on conservation issues related to the region’s vegetative species.
Santa Barbara Natural History Museum – Information on programs, visiting the museum, and on the many species and communities in the region.
Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office – Information for landowners, educators, and the general public on species conservation and protection.
Cachuma Resource Conservation District Invasives List – Visual resource guide to invasive species in Santa Barbara County.

Ag and Ranchlands

Additional resources to learn more about ag and ranchlands in Santa Barbara County.

Santa Barbara County Cooperative Extension – Information, data, and reports for Santa Barbara County producers, gardeners, and agricultural enthusiasts.
Santa Barbara County Agricultural Commissioner – Information, data, and reports for Santa Barbara County producers.
- See especially Economic Contributions of Santa Barbara Agriculture heavily cited in the Blueprint Report.
UC Rangelands – New website resource hub for supporting working landscapes.
Local Harvest – Information and localities for local food supply throughout the County.
Local Harvest Delivery – Local company and web tool connecting local growers and eaters in Santa Barbara County.
Census of Agriculture – Information on agricultural production, history, and data.
California Department of Conservation (Division of Land Resource Protection) – Information, reports, and maps for landowners, local govt’s and researchers on land resource conservation in California.
California Department of Food and Agriculture – Resources and information on agriculture in California.
- See especially farm ecosystem services database .
Healthy Soils Initiative – Information on the new program focused on protecting and restoring soil organic matter in California’s soils.
Santa Barbara Carbon Farming Compost Study – A partnership of local and state groups identifying local interest in carbon farming, conducting carbon farm plans, and monitoring several field trials in Santa Barbara County – including one of only 17 NRCS trials in California.

Community and the Land

Additional resources to learn more about community and the land in Santa Barbara County.

Santa Barbara Outdoors – Fun outdoor activities in Santa Barbara County.
Hike Los Padres A free resource for exploring Los Padres National Forest.
California State Parks – Information on state parks, locations, and activities throughout California.
Los Padres National Forest Interactive Visitor Map – Interactive map of activities for visitors.
Los Padres National Forest – Information on all activities and resources.
Santa Barbara County Wines – Information on county wineries and the wine industry.
- Map of county wineries.
- Wine trails within the county.
- American Viticultural Areas (Appellations).
Edible Santa Barbara – Magazine celebrating the abundance of local food and wine throughout Santa Barbara County.
Santa Barbara County Food Action Plan – A strategy-based community framework for an accessible, thriving, vsustainable, and healthy food system.
Santa Barbara County Association of Governments – State of the Commute report.
Gaviota Coast Planning Advisory Committee – 2013 GAVPAC Report.
Children and Nature Resources – Research, resources, and tools for nature education.
Ultimate Guide to Gardening Resources – Resources and tools for gardening.

Climate

Additional resources to learn more about climate in Santa Barbara County.

California Climate Change – Information and data from California funded research and initiatives on climate change.
California Climate Console Information on projected climate change that allows for exploring climate change projections and impacts .
California Landscape Conservation Cooperative – Climate Commons – Science and information for climate-smart conservation.
Cal-Adapt – Information on projected climate change that allows for exploring climate change projections and impacts.
Santa Barbara Area Coastal Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment The Santa Barbara Area Coastal Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment (SBA CEVA) is a multidisciplinary research project that investigates future changes to southern Santa Barbara County climate, beaches, watersheds, wetland habitats and beach ecosystems.
Southern California Climate Adaptation Project – A vulnerability assessment, climate-smart adaptation strategies and actions, and implementation plans for focal habitats of the South and Central Coast regions of the CALCC, with a specific focus on four Southern California National Forests (Angeles, San Bernardino, Cleveland, Los Padres).
Our Coast Our Future Our Coast, Our Future (OCOF) is a collaborative, user-driven project focused on providing coastal California resource managers and land use planners locally relevant, online maps and tools to help understand, visualize, and anticipate vulnerabilities to sea level rise and storms.
NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer Sea level rise viewer showing local scenarios, mapping confidence, marsh migration, vulnerability, and flood frequency.
Communicating Climate Change as a Public Health Issue – HEAL SLO Climate webinar series on climate change impacts on public health.
Climate Change & Health Equity Program (CCHEP) – California Department of Public Health The Climate Change and Health Equity Program (CCHEP) embeds health and equity in California climate change planning, and embeds climate change and equity in public health planning.

Regional Conservation Efforts

Additional resources to learn more about other regional conservation and mapping efforts.