SBCAN ROUNDTABLE

Friday, March 27
Noon-1:30pm

Register for SBCAN's online Roundtable

Click image for 2-minute video for No Kings III from Indivisible Team

ROUNDTABLE TOPICS:

I. No Kings Day III

We will hear from Indivisibles based in Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria and Santa Maria as we discuss No Kings Day III during SBCAN's Roundtable on Friday, March 27.

Join us to hear what local Indivisibles are planning - then get out there and be part of what is likely to be the biggest protest in our country's history!

II. HUD Proposal on Mixed-Status Families

Find out how mixed-status families could lose their housing.

III. Future of Oil in Santa Barbara County

You will want to see this visual recounting of oil development in Santa Barbara County and what could happen in the future. Plus how to get involved on April 8!

Looking for a song to sing on No Kings Day?

Try this rewrite by Bette Midler of Woodie Guthrie's "All You Fascists Bound to Lose."

Thanks to Dick Flacks for pointing it out.

I. NO KINGS III - SATURDAY, MARCH 28

We are inviting all Indivisible organizations in the county to give information on their plans for No Kings III and other activities.

So far we have confirmed Lompoc Indivisible and Indivisible Santa Barbara. We are still reaching out to the others.

We know they are getting ready for what is likely to be the biggest protest in our country's history on Saturday, but we still hope to hear from more of them and find out how best to support them and get involved with No Kings III.

If you know of other No Kings III events in the county, please let us know.

Upcoming No Kings III events in SB County:

No Kings Santa Maria

No Kings Lompoc

No Kings Santa Ynez Valley

No Kings Santa Barbara

No Kings Carpinteria

Visit Indivisible Isla Vista's Instagram account for more information on their activities

A Hancock College group has formed and is having a meeting on April 1

If you know of other No Kings Day protests in the county, please let us know so we can publicize them also.

II. PROPOSED HUD RULE WOULD CAUSE HOMELESSNESS

Click here for impacts of the proposed rule

Click here for the letter from the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara to HUD

Click here for California Association of Housing Authorities’ (CAHA) comment letter

Click here for a Word document to use in preparing your own comments

Click here for a Spanish version of the Word document if preferred for your comments

Click here to submit your comments to the Federal Register

III. THE FUTURE OF OIL IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

Maureen Ellenberger of the Sierra Club will give a Powerpoint Presentation on the future of oil in our county.

A few tidbits she will cover:

1896 - Oil drilling in the county began
1935 oil spill in Santa Barbara
1969 oil platform blowout
2015 Plains All American Pipeline Spill
Proposed Cat Canyon expansion
Huff and Puff
Chemical Soup
Closing the Door

Join us for an informative presentation and information on how you can get involved, especially with the upcoming Planning Commission hearing on April 8.

OIL AND GAS PROHIBITION

On April 8, 2026, the County Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing to consider the Phase I Oil and Gas Prohibition Amendments to the County Land Use and Development Code and the Coastal Zoning Ordinance. The County Planning Commission will consider making recommendations to the Board of Supervisors

Click here for more information

Planning Commission Webpage

SBCAN AT 25

Honoring the Work. Empowering the Future.

As we enter SBCAN’s 25th year, we reflect on the impact our community has created together. Your support—whether through donations, volunteering, or simply championing our work—has helped us protect our environment, strengthen local communities, and empower residents to make a real difference.

We invite you to sponsor our annual celebration, SBCAN at 25: Honoring the Work, Empowering the Future on Sunday, June 28 at Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Your gift will help ensure that our work continues to grow and impact the community we all care about.

More than a fundraiser, SBCAN at 25 is a joyful gathering of our supporters—a chance to reflect on our collective achievements and envision the path forward for SBCAN in the years to come.

Because of supporters like you, SBCAN exists today as a thriving organization making a real difference in Santa Barbara County. Your participation as a sponsor will help us continue building a strong, resilient future together.

Please see the attached sponsorship form and make a gift at a level that feels meaningful to you, either by mail or online at sbcan.org/fundraiser.

We hope you won’t mind a call from us in the next few days to check in with you.

Thank you for your continued support!

Click here to view this letter as a PDF

Click here for the sponsorship form

FROM KATE CONNELL

I want to alert you to a new law in effect at the end of 2026, that will automatically register all men, and people identified male at birth, ages 18-26, for the military draft. This includes all undocumented residents as well. Please see more information below and share with your contacts about this urgent issue!

Tell Congress: REPEAL AUTOMATIC DRAFT REGISTRATION AND THE SELECTIVE SERVICE SYSTEM

Send an email message to your House and Senate members using this computerized system sponsored by the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL): https://fcnl.quorum.us/campaign/32642/

As the Trump administration escalates military threats and actions globally, a diverse coalition of peace, civil liberties, and faith groups is mobilizing against a significant and under-reported federal law that paves the way for a military draft.

Please see our coalition's media release and full statement with 50+ organizational signers.

We are available for an interview or to provide further comment via the contacts listed in the release, Kate Connell and Edward Hasbrouck.

All the best,

Kate Connell

805-708-8058

Proposed County Jail Expansion

SBCAN asks you to urge Board of Supervisors to reduce the size of the planned jail expansion

Thank you to the 40 participants who attended SBCAN's Roundtable on Friday, January 30 to focus on sustainable growth strategies for our county and reducing the jail population. Click here to view the recorded Roundtable.

From CLUE SB and the League of Women Voters SB

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is considering approval of over $460 million (including long-term financing and staffing) to expand the North Branch Jail by 1½ Housing Units (384 beds).

We call on the Board to limit the addition to just one housing unit (256 beds)at a savings of approximately $147 million.

The Board’s current plan would more than double the capacity of the Santa Maria jail and lock the County into decades of financing and higher operational costs. Our County is facing $23 million in cuts to social and safety-net programs next fiscal year and a $66 million deficit over the next 5 years.

Our jails hold many non-violent residents (including those with mental health or substance use disorders) who do not need to be in jail to protect public safety. Our jails are not designed as treatment facilities. Expanding jail capacity instead of community rehabilitation services will not improve public safety.

Sign this petition to urge the County to save about $147 million in construction, financing and operational costs on expanding the North County Jail.

Enable closure of most of the outdated South County Main Jail.
Enable funding to be redirected toward Board accepted jail population reduction measures, such as mental health counseling, addiction treatment, and other essential services.
Choose crime prevention over incarceration to make Santa Barbara a safer place to live.

We respectfully but firmly call on our County Supervisors for their votes in support of a fiscally smarter, more affordable and humane choice. Build just one housing unit (256 beds) and defer or cancel other jail expansion.

Click here to see a letter signed by 18 local organizations calling for no more than one additional jail housing unit (256 beds).

PROPOSED PT. SAL
MARINE PROTECTED AREA

SBCAN URGES YOU TO SUPPORT
THE PROPOSED PT. SAL
MARINE PROTECTED AREA

We have an opportunity to expand Caifornia's Marine Protected Area network with the creation of an MPA at Pt. Sal, roughly 50 miles northwest of Pt. Conception.

Officials are developing their recommendations now on several proposed areas. The California Fish & Game Commission is expected to vote to approve or deny them in May 2026. Our state agencies need to hear loud and strong support from the public now!

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT:

Sign the petition for Pt. Sal SMCA
Write a l etter of support and email it to [email protected] ASAP
Show up to speak in support at the public hearing on May 5, in Santa Barbara

Point Sal State Marine Conservation Area

Point Sal is part of the ancestral territory of the Chumash people and holds great historical and cultural significance. The Point Sal State Marine Conservation Area (SMCA) proposal is co-sponsored by the Northern Chumash Tribal Council, and seeks to enhance Tribal co-stewardship.
- Designating this MPA would honor and strengthen Chumash stewardship of their ancestral waters, and elevate historical and present-day Chumash connections to the region.
Point Sal is exceptionally rich ecologically, supporting diverse ocean wildlife and habitats—including kelp beds, rocky reefs, tidepools, sandy beaches, a migratory whale corridor, a critical larval retention zone, and a seabird and sea lion rookery.
Point Sal is an important area for baby fish and invertebrates in their earliest phase of life. Protecting it would help maintain these populations and boost ecosystem health.
Because Point Sal is remote and accessible only by trail, it remains relatively pristine and healthy. Safeguarding areas like Point Sal is increasingly important amid warming waters, shifting ocean conditions, and expanding uses such as aquaculture, offshore wind, and continued oil and gas activity.
By adding Point Sal to the state’s MPA network, Central California’s coast will benefit from increased habitat connectivity, representation, and replication – all key to increasing biodiversity in our waters.
Safeguarding this unique and relatively undisturbed area now will help bolster ocean health and promote climate resilience into the future.
Click here for more information

Mishopshno State Marine Conservation Area

The California Fish & Game Commission will also consider a proposal to create a Marine Conservation Area at Carpinteria.

After hearing concerns from the commercial fishing sector, the SBCANboard decided not to take a position unless, or until, they could get more information.

The Natural Resources Defense Council gives these reasons to support it:

Designating the Mishopshno SMCA would protect essential habitats—including sandy beaches, rocky reefs, and persistent kelp forests—that are showing signs of degradation.
Mishopshno is the name of a thriving historical Chumash coastal village nearby where tomols were built, a traditional canoe used for hunting, transportation, and ceremonial voyages.
- Designating this MPA would honor and strengthen the Chumash peoples’ stewardship of the area and elevate their historical and present-day connection to the region.
- The Mishopshno MPA proposal is co-sponsored by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, and seeks to support Tribal co-management and the continued use of marine resources for cultural and subsistence purposes for all Chumash people.
The Mishopshno SMCA would protect one of the state’s last remaining persistent kelp forests. California’s iconic kelp forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, with losses exceeding 90% in parts of the state—threatening wildlife, coastal communities, and overall ocean health.
Including this SMCA in the MPA network helps to improve connectivity between southern coastal ecosystems and increase the network’s representation of rocky intertidal and rocky reef habitat.
Click here to download more information