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San
Marcos Foothills is the 377-acre property just east of
Highway 154. The San Marcos Foothills Coalition was formed
in March 1999 in response to the proposed Bridle Ridge
development, rejected by the Santa Barbara County Planning
Commission by a 5-0 vote.
The
Coalition grew to a membership of 16 supporting groups
and more than 400 individuals, all endorsing our mission
to protect the entire property. In the Fall of 1999,
the Coalition tried unsuccessfully to negotiate purchase
of San Marcos Foothills. Since then, our efforts have
been focused on building public awareness of the value
of this land as a unique resource for the Santa Barbara
community, while continuing efforts to acquire the land.
This
Stewardship Plan is a major part of that effort. Until
recently, most knowledge of the history and resources
of San Marcos Foothills has been obtained in the course
of development attempts on or near the property. For
example, archaeological information was a by-product
of the widening of Highway 154 and the environmental
review for the Royal Gate proposal conducted in the
early 1980s. The first detailed studies of the site’s
botany and amphibians emerged from the proposed Bridle
Ridge project of 1998. Our studies, summarized in this
Plan, offer additional insights into the resource richness
and synergism present on San Marcos Foothills.
Despite
the environmental review process, this wonderful piece
of California with its unique land forms, Native American
sites, persistent wetlands, and rare animal and plant
associations is at risk of being destroyed. There is
nothing like it that remains near our urban borders.
All other similar foothills in the region have been
marred by residential or agricultural development.
This
land is valuable to the community as an opportunity
for scientific inquiry, rural escape, visual delight,
spiritual replenishment, and the education of every
child in the county. San Marcos Foothills not only offers
countless pleasures, it reveals our history and offers
us the wisdom to shape our future.
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