Action Alerts

  • Housing Updates at South County Roundtable - Fri. May 26

    This Friday we will hear some exciting updates about various housing initiatives going on in the City of Santa Barbara and throughout the County. Rob Fredericks from the City of Santa Barbara Housing Authority and Alex Entrekin from Legal Aid will be among the presenters. We hope to see you there!

    SBCAN South County Roundtable
    Friday, May 26, 2023
    12 - 1:30 PM
    Via Zoom - register at the link below

    AGENDA

    1. Call to Order Introductions; Agenda Review
    2. Housing Updates - Rob Fredericks from the City of Santa Barbara Housing Authority will present updates related to the City's HOPE fund. Alex Entrekin from Legal Aid will present about the IV mass eviction situation. 
    3. Our next meetings are to be determined and will be via Zoom.

    Written by
    May 25, 2023

  • BROKE Film Screening, May 16th

    SBCAN will be co-sponsoring a forum this TUESDAY, May 16, beginning with the screening of a 56 minute documentary film by Gail Osherenko, BROKE: THE SANTA BARBARA OIL PIPELINE SPILL OF 2015, followed by a panel discussion of three applications by Pacific Pipeline Corp. (the current owner of the pipeline) and efforts to restart Exxon's platforms off the Gaviota Coast. 
     

    Written by
    May 11, 2023

  • This Thursday - North County Roundtable

    This Thursday evening we will have our North County Roundtable meeting. We will hear from Gail Osherenko from the League of Women Voters about County-wide concerns about the County Jails. We will also hear from Alexander Murkinson from C4 Lompoc: Collective Cultures Creating Change about their work in the community. C4 will be the winner of this year's Giving Back Award at SBCAN's North County Awards Dinner. (Tickets to the Awards Dinner are available now, click here!)
     
    SBCAN North County Roundtable
    Thursday, May 11th, 2023
    5 - 6:30 PM
    Via Zoom - register at the link below
    AGENDA
    1. Call to Order Introductions; Agenda Review (5 min.)
    2. County Jail Reform Gail Osherenko from the League of Women Voters will discuss issues with the County's plans for the South and North County jails. There is an important decision coming up around this issue at the May 16th Board of Supervisors meeting. 
    3. C4 Lompoc: Collective Cultures Creating Change Alexander Murkinson will be sharing about the work that C4 does in the community. 
    4. Updates from participants. Please let us know if there are items you want to bring up. (2 to 5 min. each)
    5. Our next meetings are to be determined and will be via Zoom.
    Register in advance for this meeting:
    https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvcO6gqzMrGdKshVJ-uglZrkUsW-oIey8S

    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

    Written by
    May 09, 2023

  • Thanks for signing up for SBCAN's Clean Water Team during Guadalupe's Earth Day

    Thanks for signing up for Santa Barbara County Action Network's Clean Water Team. We enjoyed meeting you at Earth Day in Guadalupe on April 22.

    SBCANatGuadEarthDay-IMG_1002.jpg

    We just began forming the Clean Water Team in January as part of the Santa Maria River Healthy Watershed Initiative. Our overarching goal is promoting a healthy watershed for the Santa Maria River. There will be several components to the initiative.

    Written by
    May 08, 2023

  • Tickets Available for North County "Looking Forward" Awards Dinner

    Tickets for the North County Awards Dinner are now available for purchase here: https://sbcan.nationbuilder.com/

    Written by
    May 02, 2023

  • Help Protect Agricultural Land in Santa Maria

    Please fill out the City of Santa Maria's Land Use Alternatives survey to let them know how you would like to see Santa Maria grow. The deadline to fill out the survey is Tuesday, May 2nd. https://www.imaginesantamaria.com/community-surveys   
     
    The City of Santa Maria is in the process of updating their General Plan. Currently, they are soliciting feedback on their Land Use Alternative Plans, which will determine how and where the City grows in the future. 
     
    The alternatives are: Annexation, Infill, and Hybrid. SBCAN supports alternative B, which is focused on infill development and does not allow for annexation of prime agricultural land into the City. 

    Written by
    April 28, 2023

  • Earth Day South County Roundatble

    This Friday we will have a special South County Roundtable in honor of Earth Day! We will hear from Garrett Wong with the County of Santa Barbara about their Climate Action Plan, and SBCAN staff will give updates on the efforts to stop ExxonMobil's various projects in the County, and SBCAN's Healthy Watershed Project. We hope you will join us. 
     
    SBCAN South County Roundtable
    Friday, April 28th, 2023
    12 - 1:30 PM
    Via Zoom - register at the link below
    AGENDA
    1. Call to Order Introductions; Agenda Review (5 min.)
    2. Santa Barbara County Climate Action Plan- Garrett Wong, Collaborative Manager of the Santa Barbara Regional Climate Collaborative (30 min.)
    3. Exxon Be Gone!- SBCAN staff will give updates on the different projects ExxonMobil is trying to push through in Santa Barbara County, and how you can help stop them. (20 min.)
    4. Santa Maria River Healthy Watershed Initiative Update - SBCAN staff will present about the Healthy Watershed Initiative project. (20 min.) 
    5. Updates from participants. Please let us know if there are items you want to bring up. (2 to 5 min. each)
    6. Our next meetings are to be determined and will be via Zoom.
    After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

    Written by
    April 25, 2023

  • Stop Exxon's Pipeline Project

    On Wednesday, April 26th the County Planning Commission will decide whether or not to approve ExxonMobil's attempts to upgrade the valves on their existing pipeline. This pipeline, which was formerly owned by Plains, is the pipeline that ruptured in 2015, causing the Refugio oil spill. Since then, the pipeline has not been operating, and is now heavily corroded. For ExxonMobil, getting approval for their valve upgrades is just one step towards reviving this pipeline. 

    Please join SBCAN and our partners in urging the Planning Commission to support the appeals and deny the valve upgrade project or to prepare a supplemental Environmental Impact Report that takes the current corroded state of the pipeline into consideration. 

    The meeting is this Wednesday, April 26th, starting at 9am at 123 East Anapamu Street, Santa Barbara and on zoom. If you plan to attend via Zoom, register in advance at this link: https://countyofsb.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cfjPCnPzRD6foNtaa7qaIQ. This is item #1 on the agenda, and SBCAN and our partners are in support of the appeals. 

    Here are additional talking points on which you can draw to craft your public comment. 

    Thank you for showing up in opposition to dangerous oil projects in Santa Barbara County!

    Written by
    April 25, 2023

  • Cruise Ships Update

    The City of Santa Barbara's Harbor Commission Cruise Ship Subcommittee meeting, which had been scheduled for Tuesday, April 25th, has been cancelled. We will send an update when the subcommittee reschedules its meeting. 

    Written by
    April 24, 2023

  • Earth Day in Guadalupe and Santa Maria on Saturday, April 22, 2023

    We hope to see you at our Earth Day table in Guadalupe on Saturday, April 22 from 9 a.m. to noon at the American Legion Parking Lot, 1025 Guadalupe St.
     
    We'll be talking about our Santa Maria River Healthy Watershed Initiative and how to get involved. Come see some drone photos of how the recent rains have affected the Santa Maria Valley.
    Rancho_Guadalupe_Dunes_Park_entranceDJI_0579-1.jpg
    Entrance to Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, Apr. 16, 2023, by Jeanne Sparks
     
    You might also be interested in the Natural History Museum of Santa Maria's Earth Day event on the same day. It will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 412 S. McClelland St., Santa Maria.  
     
    See the posters below for more information on both events.

    Written by
    April 20, 2023