Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint FAQs

Who is sponsoring the Blueprint?
Who is guiding the Blueprint Development?
How will the information collected be used by the project sponsors?
How is the Blueprint engaging landowners, farmers, and community leaders in this process?
Is the County of Santa Barbara or any other governmental agency involved in this project?
What is the project timeline?
Have projects like this been done in other places in California? How was it used?
How is the Blueprint different from other mapping efforts in the state?

About the Data Tools

What is a GIS mapping tool?
What kind of analyses can you do on the Atlas?
Where is the data for the Blueprint coming from?
Can I access Blueprint maps?
Is parcel level data included in the maps?
Will you be able to see data about my property with this tool?
What new data will this project make available?

What is the Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint (Blueprint)?

The Blueprint is a collaborative project which aims to describe the current landscape, natural resources, and community values about land in Santa Barbara County so the community can make more informed decisions about our shared future. Creating the Blueprint is a two-part process. First, it is a data collection process to create an easy-to-use online interactive Atlas that allows users to view and analyze spatial data about resources and land uses in the County. This process will produce maps broken up by five resources themes: water, agricultural and ranch lands, flora and fauna, climate, and community and the land.

Second, the Blueprint explores community values to better understand what these maps tell us, our collective thoughts about the land, and what resources and assets are particularly important to keeping Santa Barbara County a beautiful, desirable and healthy place to live and work. Key maps and learning from this second part of the process will be presented through the Blueprint Report and website in the spring of 2017. Once the Blueprint is completed, the Atlas and Report will serve as tools to inform conservation practitioners, including project sponsors, as they develop their strategic plans and conservation efforts. It will also be a valuable resource to the community members as they discuss a broad range of conservation and resource management issues.

What are the goals of the project?

The project goals are to:

Create a comprehensive compilation of the County's resources, conservation opportunities, and community values.
Provide a shared public platform (website, maps, reports, tools) to inform conversations about the future of our landscape.
Understand what a diverse cross section of community members truly believe is important to conserve.
Inspire greater collaboration, trust, and improved working relationships among conservation practitioners, farmers, ranchers, landowners, housing advocates and conservation funders.
Acquire resources to accelerate the pace of voluntary conservation with landowners and managers who want to protect, restore, and steward their properties.
Inform the Santa Barbara Foundation's LEAF Initiative, and new strategic plans for Cachuma RCD and the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County.

Why is the Blueprint Important?

Santa Barbara County is a special place with unmatched scenery, abundant recreation opportunities, an incredible diversity of plants and animals, and productive agricultural lands – all of which contribute to our economy and quality of life. County residents and landowners have been good stewards of these resources with a long history of effective land management, conservation, and environmental protection. Yet with increasing population pressure on scarce natural resources, along with the new realities of climate change, it is critical that we develop the tools we need to better understand our landscape.

This project began when the Land Trust of Santa Barbara County, the Santa Barbara Foundation's LEAF Initiative, and the Cachuma Resource Conservation District came together to develop just such a tool to support their strategic planning needs and better plan for the County's future. They realized that by pooling resources and collaborating with a broader set of stakeholders in the development of the tool, they could provide a valuable public resource that could build shared understanding of our landscape and accelerate the pace of voluntary conservation of Santa Barbara's farmlands and natural heritage. The Blueprint will allow county residents to begin to think together about how we can address the pressures we face to create a more resilient and adaptable future for us all. The project aims to serve as a first step toward imagining and creating a landscape of opportunity for generations to come.

What is the Blueprint? What is it not?

What it is:
The Blueprint is a resource for voluntary conservation, restoration, protection, and land management throughout the county.
It is a non-regulatory effort focused on 5 major resources themes (Water Resources, Agricultural and Ranch Lands, Flora and Fauna, Climate, Community and the Land).
It features publicly available data about resources and land uses in Santa Barbara County.
The Blueprint includes a written report.
The Blueprint includes a publicly available online mapping tool.
It entails a community engagement process to understand what members of the public value within the county.
It provides a way to engage the community around resources and land use in a centralized location that promotes transparency and collaboration.
It is the start of a deeper conversation about the future of Santa Barbara County's landscapes.

What it is not:
The Blueprint is not a tool for mandatory conservation, management, or regulation.
The Blueprint is not a government-led process.
The Blueprint is not an advocacy process.
The Blueprint is not a prioritization map that IDs areas of private land for acquisition.
It is not focused on a specific resource within the county.
It is not about persuading public opinion on a particular topic.
It is not a closed-door process - data will be accessible to everyone and community input is part of its development.
It is not a complete conservation plan for the future of Santa Barbara County's landscapes.
It is not a magic bullet for solving all local land management and conservation challenges.

What is the Blueprint Report?

The Blueprint Report will be a tool to inform better community dialogue and understanding about Santa Barbara County's unique natural resources. It is a summary of maps, data, and insights developed through community-informed research and data collection. The Blueprint enables deeper discussions about how we can create a landscape of opportunity for our shared future. The Blueprint Report will include:

An series of maps depicting key data from around the County through the lens of five themes: water, agricultural and ranch lands, flora and fauna, climate, and community and the land;
A compilation of the different community values collected in our public engagement process;
A list of opportunities for creating a positive future.

What is the Atlas?

The Atlas is an interactive, online mapping portal where community members can view, retrieve, and analyze information about land use and resources in Santa Barbara County. The Atlas is comprised of nearly 200 datasets distilled into about 25 interactive maps to help the community learn about Santa Barbara County's landscapes and natural resource base. The Atlas is designed to make sciencebased spatial data from many sources easily accessible for any user or group.

How can the Blueprint be used?

The Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint is designed to provide data to support greater shared understanding of our natural resource heritage for anyone interested in learning about our landscape. Different users will find many ways to use the data in the Blueprint. It can be used:

By the community

As a resource of science and fact based information to generate a common language and better dialogue about land use and conservation efforts.
To understand where important activities like recreation or groundwater recharge occur.
To better understanding the interconnection between our economic future and the natural resource base we depend upon.
To better prepare and plan for the changes we are likely to experience as our population grows and key resources like water become more scarce and expensive.
To promote greater appreciation and support for conservation and ecosystem health.

By conservation organizations

As a key source of science-based data for their strategic planning and effectiveness.
As input from the community to conservation organizations on what matters to the community regarding conservation and natural resource management.
To support calls for increased funding for conservation, restoration, and best practices implementation.
To help develop plans to shield the County from economic and ecological shocks through smart use of our resources and assets.

By farmers and ranchers

To help understand location-based risks and opportunities.
To identify land resources to sustain and grow their businesses.
To help take advantage of new revenue sources for by-products of sound agricultural practices such as carbon sequestration, payments for habitat enhancement, and water management.

Who is sponsoring the Blueprint?

The Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint is being developed in partnership with Santa Barbara Foundation's LEAF Initiative (Landscapes, Ecosystems, Agriculture, and Food Systems), the Cachuma Resource Conservation District and the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. The Blueprint is funded by a consortium of foundations and donors through the Land Trust and the LEAF Initiative fund:

Santa Barbara Foundation
Jack & Judy Stapelmann Fund
Hollis Norris Endowed Fund
Walter J and Holly O Thomson Fund
California Coastal Conservancy

James S. Bower Foundation
Brittingham Family Foundation
Jack & Gretchen Norqual
Hutton Parker Foundation
Richard L. and Maryan S. Schall Fund
Deckers Outdoor Brands

Neil Dipaola/Mesa Lane Partners
Erik Gregersen
Julie L. Capritto Fund
Jan & Randy Campbell Fund
Peter & Martha Karoff
Nancy B. Schlosser

Who is guiding the Blueprint Development?

The Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint development process is guided by a 12-member Steering Committee representing agriculture, conservation, resource management, and the natural sciences (see full list below). Our executive team consists of leaders from the sponsoring organizations. Project delivery and community engagement are managed by Ag Innovations, a non-profit consultancy that cultivates collaborations with impact for healthy farms, communities, and ecosystems. GIS data development and management is provided by the Conservation Biology Institute, a nonprofit research group specializing in providing GIS and remote sensing data, research, and scientific expertise to support conservation.

Steering Committee

Anne Coates, Executive Director, Cachuma Resource Conservation District
Frank Davis, Professor, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management
Pamela Doiron, Rancher, The Spanish Ranch
Kim Kimbell, Attorney / Partner, Allen & Kimbell, LLP
Sharyn Main, Senior Community Investment Officer / Director, LEAF Initiative, Santa Barbara Foundation
Andy Mills, Cattle Rancher and State Director, Santa Barbara County Cattlemen’s Association, Stewardship Director, CA Rangeland Trust
Greg Parker, Principal, Investec Real Estate Companies and President Board of Trustees of The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County
Matt Roberts, Rancher and Director of Parks and Recreation, City of Carpinteria
Randy Sharer, Farmer and Owner, Sharer Brothers Farms
Paul Van Leer, Farmer and Ranch Manager, Las Varas Ranch
Steve Windhager, Executive Director, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Chet Work, Executive Director, The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County

How will the information collected be used by the project sponsors?

The Santa Barbara Land Trust aims to use the Blueprint and Atlas data to inform restoration, conservation easement, and property acquisition priorities in its upcoming strategic plan. The Cachuma Resource Conservation District will also use the Blueprint to inform its strategic plan and habitat restoration priority areas. For The Santa Barbara Foundation, the project will inform priorities and dialog of the LEAF Initiative (Landscapes, Ecosystems, Agriculture and Food Systems).

How is the Blueprint engaging landowners, farmers, and community leaders in this process?

The Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint has multiple levels of community engagement. Our Steering Committee includes landowners and thought leaders from across the farming, ranching, conservation, academic, and resource management communities in the County. In addition, for each topic area we conduct interviews and hold meetings with key community leaders to learn more about local trends, community concerns, and to vet and user-test our datasets. We attend community meetings to share more about the Blueprint project and development process. In the fall of 2016 we will engage an even broader array of stakeholders in a series of focus groups.

Is the County of Santa Barbara or any other governmental agency involved in this project?

No, the County of Santa Barbara and other agencies have not been involved in the development of the Blueprint. This is a community conceived and driven plan. While the county and other agencies have not taken part in developing the Blueprint, they have been generous in providing publicly available.

What is the project timeline?

Over the course of 18-24 months, an Atlas describing natural resources and land assets in Santa Barbara County is being developed. Planning began in 2015, and data analysis and community input is taking place throughout 2016. In the spring of 2017, the information will be presented in a written report (the Blueprint) and through an online data portal (the Atlas). These tools will be publicly available and regularly updated to continue to support informed discussions on shared values and community needs into the future.

Have projects like this been done in other places in California? How was it used?

Conservation mapping projects have occurred all around the country, with California efforts in Santa Cruz County, Santa Clara Valley, San Joaquin County, and the Bay Area Conservation Lands Network.

Here are some highlights about how other Californiabased projects are being used:

In Santa Cruz County, their conservation planning 'Blueprint' is the accepted frame of reference for most development and conservation decisions. It is described as 'transformational' for uniting different aspects of their community behind a strategic approach.
The Bay Area Conservation Lands Network established conservation priorities across San Francisco Bay area counties, increased cross agency focus on common values and threats to conservation, and fostered conservation of over 100,000 acres of land in the first 3 years.
The Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority's 'Greenprint' identified conservation priorities, increased public understanding of conservation tradeoffs, and fostered conservation partnerships that led to passage of an Open Space, Habitat, Clean Water and Public Access measure that generated funding for implementation.
The San Joaquin Valley Greenprint mapped key resources in the San Joaquin Valley and is being used by community groups to guide conservation efforts and by the project sponsors to fund innovative projects that demonstrate multiple simultaneous benefits to the community based on the data found in the Greenprint.
The Pajaro Compass identified collective values, goals, and actions for the Pajaro watershed developing a series of aggregated maps and tools to identify areas where multiple benefits related to the goals and values of the stakeholders overlapped.

How is the Blueprint different from other mapping efforts in the state?

The Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint is different from other mapping efforts in the state in three main ways. First, it is not producing original datasets, instead it aggregates existing data in a userfriendly online interactive interface. Second, it is not a purely conservation focused effort, it includes collection of community values. Third, there are no regulatory agencies involved in the project. Our datasets are not restricted to federal, state, or local data and can be added to by the community and other parties.

What is a GIS mapping tool?

A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping tool allows users to visualize, inspect, and analyze geographic data.

What kind of analyses can you do on the Atlas?

Through the Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint Atlas you will be able to:

Download scientificallycredible datasets
Upload public or private datasets
Organize content into your own private workspace
Create, customize, and save maps, drawings, and comments
Inspect datasets and overlay layers
Create larger collections of data in galleries and form groups with other members
Interact with other data users

Where is the data for the Blueprint coming from?

Data for the Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint is coming from many different sources including federal, state, and local agencies, universities, non-governmental organizations, and other credible data sources throughout California.

Can I access Blueprint maps?

Absolutely. Using the Conservation Blueprint Atlas you can access all of the maps and information that are available through the written Blueprint. You will also have access to a number of maps that are not available within the Blueprint that explore topics across the Blueprint's five themes.

Is parcel level data included in the maps?

The level of data depends on the data source. All data within the Santa Barbara County Conservation Blueprint is already publically available. Some datasets do contain parcel level detail, however in the Atlas this detail is not included. The goals for the Blueprint do not include parcel level analysis or decision-making.

Will you be able to see data about my property with this tool?

No, parcel specific data will not be available on the Atlas. But, you may upload your own data for your property privately if you wish to view it with other data layers.

What new data will this project make available?

This process is focused on compiling existing data for the greater Santa Barbara County area. The only 'new' datasets that will be produced from this process are compilations of existing information and data (for example, creating a layer of agricultural categories across the County that includes greenhouses, row crops, vineyards, and orchards).

Will this project lead to new regulations?

The Blueprint is not a regulatory process, nor does it promote or propose new regulations. Our hope is to convey the value of conservation of Santa Barbara County's natural resources and unique landscapes, and provide information that could support more incentive-based rather than regulatory management.

Will the SBCCB prioritize areas for conservation in Santa Barbara County?

No, the Atlas and the Blueprint itself will not identify areas for conservation. The information that this process develops may help guide priorities and allow organizations or individuals to make informed decisions about the future of land use in the County.

Is there a glossary of terms for this project?

Yes, a list of glossary terms is in development with input from our Steering Committee and stakeholder interviews.