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KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOSLocal residents and supporters living near Modoc Road in Santa Barbara, also shown below, protest the proposed plans to remove canary palm and eucalyptus trees along Modoc Road on Saturday.
On Saturday, activists held a protest march to save the Modoc Preserve and the trees along Modoc Road from destruction at the hands of a potential county project to build the Modoc Multi-Use Path through the Modooc Preserve and along Modoc Road.
The efforts of the Community Association for the Modoc Preserve (CAMP) have found widespread support, and their petition to “Save the Trees” has over 3,000 signatures to date.
“I think we had a very good turnout. We had about 40 people with very artistic hand painted signs who walked around and stood by the roadside holding signs and waving to motorists. Motorists honked and flashed thumbs up. It was heartening to see how people got engaged and came out on their Saturday for what they feel is the greater good,” Eva Inbar, CAMP volunteer told the News-Press.
The News-Press asked Ms. Inbar how the rally brought attention to the issue: “It got the word out. So far the county hasn’t done much public outreach. Over social media and the press it has gotten out more. It draws attention to the fact that we are very serious about this,” she said.
“We hope that the county sees this and that there is a determined group that wants to be taken seriously and wants the county to talk to us. They have made progress but they need to do more. The Santa Barbara Land Trust and the La Cumbre Water Company have been silent,” said Ms. Inbar.
The land trust has broken their silence by sending an official letter to Mike Alvarado, general manager at the La Cumbre Water Company, and Chris Sneddon, deputy director of transportation at the Santa Barbara County Public Works Department.
KENNETH SONG / NEWS-PRESS PHOTOSA group of concerned residents demonstrate against the destruction of trees along Modoc Road to clear the way for the Modoc Multi-Use Path.The Land Trust has “concerns about cutting down trees, but also about soil degradation, water degradation and change of water courses, and we believe the project would result in all of that. It is incompatible with the conservation easement. They are also concerned about e-bikes, which are specifically prohibited in the nature protected area,” said Ms. Inbar.
The News-Press asked Ms. Inbar what the next step is for CAMP: “To be a partner in the upcoming process. The county has reset the process and are drafting a new MND and comment period … the whole process was restarted, because it was very faulty and they saw that themselves I think. Right now what we are seeing is basically the same proposal. Fewer trees will come out but there is still plenty of concern with the new plan.
“One more goal for our protest was to make it clear to the county that they need to be more creative in exploring alternative solutions: If you go into the Preserve, choose a different kind of trail, or choose a different route altogether. These have all been suggested, but so far they have doubled down on their original plan, albeit with slight modifications,” Ms. Inbar told the News-Press in an email.
“I think we are really looking to the land trust. Pay attention to what the land trust is doing. They play a very important role around Santa Barbara. The concern is, will they vigorously defend their conservation easement here and elsewhere? They have taken a very important step and we appreciate that, with the county particularly. The land trust also needs to remind the water company that they have an obligation under the conservation easement to uphold it.
The land trust owns other beautiful properties near Santa Barbara. We want to be sure that the land trust actually protects them and that the statement ‘protected in perpetuity’ actually means something. We are very much looking to the land trust here,” said Ms. Inbar.
To sign the petition to “Save the Modoc Trees” go to the following link: https://www.change.org/p/save-the-modoc-road-trees?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=custom_url&recruited_by_id=74a99e20-f65c-11ec-b717-4152e9f36e45
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
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