Coveted oceanfront land in Ventura County will become a nature preserve for the Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties in an effort to preserve the environment.
The new plan, unveiled Thursday, would convert parts of the 6,400-acre oceanfront Land Between the Lakes into a wildlife, open space and recreation area.
The property, located off Highway 101 in Ventura, is owned by the City of Ventura. The land was listed for sale this summer and the Ventura City Council held a hearing on March 8 to discuss their options. A report on the meeting was posted to the city’s website.
The current plan would create a nature preserve on the Santa Barbara-San Luis Obispo County line, where the Santa Ynez Mountains meet with the Pacific Ocean. It would bring the total value of the land up to $6.2 million, according to the City of Ventura.
“The goal is to protect and preserve the natural landscape and the wildlife habitats that currently exist in the area,” said David McNehr, the city’s Parks and Recreation Services Director. “There is a tremendous amount of natural beauty and recreational opportunities here in this area.”
The Nature Conservancy, which has an 18,000-acre nature preserve spanning both counties, has worked with the city to create a similar resource in the area.
The preserve was created in 2008 and the Nature Conservancy is working with the city to keep the site as natural as possible. They are in the process of installing a new trail system and working on an update of the facilities.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved the new plan Thursday. It will be placed on a public referendum in 2019. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will make a final decision on the nature preserve.
The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved a new plan Thursday that will guide the city’s efforts to preserve as much nature as possible.
The new plan calls for the addition of 3,050 acres of undeveloped acreage within the city – an increase of 675 acres from the current