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Recent storms caused extensive damage at Arroyo Hondo Preserve, including flooding, landslides, and impacts to trails, roads, parking areas, and infrastructure. While the preserve is resilient, the effects of this storm are significant. For safety reasons, Arroyo Hondo Preserve is currently closed. The land is still shifting and settling, and some areas remain difficult to…
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Gaviota, CA – [May 19, 2025] The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County is proud to announce the successful acquisition of Steelhead Lookout, an 80-acre property expanding the beloved Arroyo Hondo Preserve to more than 900 acres. This critical inholding—once the last unprotected property in the Arroyo Hondo watershed—was acquired on March 31, 2025 from the…
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Gaviota, CA – In a groundbreaking update to an inspiring conservation effort, critically endangered Southern California steelhead trout rescued from Topanga Creek after the January 2025 Palisades Fire have successfully spawned in their new home at the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County’s Arroyo Hondo Preserve. “Life finds a way- the next generation of steelhead are…
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Gaviota, CA – In a significant conservation effort, over 200 critically endangered Southern California steelhead trout, rescued from Topanga Creek following the devastating Palisades Fire in January 2025, have been successfully relocated to The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County’s Arroyo Hondo Preserve. This release made possible through a partnership between The Land Trust, the California…
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The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and The Nature Conservancy have partnered with Vandenberg Space Force Base to execute a $15 million conservation easement over the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve. Check out the headlines! GET THE STORIES:
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SANTA BARBARA, CA—Today, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), in partnership with Vandenberg Space Force Base, announced the execution of a $15 million conservation easement that maximizes conservation protections and secures funds critical to long term land management of the Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve. Located along the Gaviota Coast, the largest stretch of…
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Senator Monique Limón and Assemblymember Gregg Hart presented $500,000 of state funding to the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County to support the acquisition and preservation of the Gaviota Overlook at the Arroyo Hondo Preserve! GET THE STORIES:
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SANTA BARBARA, CA—Today, Senator Monique Limón, along with Assemblymember Gregg Hart, presented $500,000 in state funding to the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County to support the acquisition and preservation of the Gaviota Overlook at the Arroyo Hondo Preserve. Senator Limón secured this funding with support from Assemblymember Hart in the 2023 State Budget to…
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The successful completion of the $3 million fundraising campaign to purchase Gaviota Overlook made headlines recently! GET THE STORIES:
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GAVIOTA COAST, CA—The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County is thrilled to announce the successful completion of the $3 million fundraising campaign to purchase Gaviota Overlook. Protecting Gaviota Overlook accomplishes the first new piece of land conservation on the Gaviota Coast since the early 2000s, when the Land Trust, with a vision of preserving this…
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The news of the anonymous $500,000 gift the Land Trust received at the end of February for Gaviota Overlook made headlines recently! GET THE STORIES:
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GAVIOTA COAST, CA—The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County launched a community fundraising campaign on Valentine’s Day to raise $750,000 to add 48 acres of rolling hills with views along the Gaviota shoreline to the Arroyo Hondo Preserve, expanding public access for the first time in twenty years. At the end of February, an anonymous…
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Mike Hodgson of the Santa Maria Times interviewed Land Trust Executive Director Meredith Hendricks about welcoming the public back to the Arroyo Hondo Preserve for the first time since the Alisal Fire in October 2021. Action link: Read the full story here.
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The Santa Barbara Independent’s Tyler Hayden recently spoke with Land Trust Executive Director Meredith Hendricks about the reopening of the Arroyo Hondo Preserve after several months of Alisal Fire recovery. Action link: Read the full story here.
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After several months of recovery, repair, and regrowth, the Land Trust is pleased to reopen the Arroyo Hondo Preserve to the public on the first and third full weekends of the month. Learn more about our reopening in this recent Santa Maria Times article. All open dates are subject to change in accordance with government…
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The last two years have been full of unexpected challenges, for the Land Trust, for our state, and for the wider world. During the week of October 10th, 2021, the Alisal Fire burned more than 17,000 acres along the Gaviota Coast and the Santa Ynez Mountains in the Los Padres National Forest. Unfortunately, the Alisal…
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View and download these handy trail resources for your family or school’s next trip to Arroyo Hondo! Lee y descarga estos prácticos recursos para el próximo viaje de tu familia o escuela a Arroyo Hondo!
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Virtual Presentation, Part 1 Wednesday, September 2, 12:30-1:30pm For the second year in a row, the Land Trust and Andreina Diaz of Eye See Santa Barbara are hosting a photography clinic. Andreina will present her professional tips and tricks for taking quality landscape photos in the great outdoors. Learn how to compose and capture vivid…
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Ongoing violence against Black and Brown communities at systemic and individual levels of our society make it clear that there is more work to do for true liberation, equity, and safety for community members of color. Thank you to those of you who have reached out and initiated conversations with us, reminding us that our…
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Whether you are an avid avian watcher or new to the world of birding, volunteer coordinator Sally Isaacson created these simple bird guides with helpful identification tips and information for various species, as well as notes specific to species found at Arroyo Hondo. American Kestrel European Starling Western Bluebird
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Read about our recent Tri-County Land Trust Meetup on page 7!
OFFICE:
1530 Chapala St., Suite A,
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
MAILING:
P.O. Box 91830, Santa Barbara, CA 93190
PHONE:
(805) 966-4520
Non-profit tax ID:
#95-3797404
Recent winter storms caused extensive damage at Arroyo Hondo Preserve, impacting trails, roads, and infrastructure. For safety reasons, the preserve is currently closed while the land continues to shift and recovery efforts begin.
Our stewardship team is actively assessing conditions and planning the careful work ahead. We’re sharing updates and photos as recovery progresses and inviting the community to support this effort.