Welcome back! See below for information on the upcoming SBCAN roundtable, a historic call to action, and ways SBCAN staff have been out in the community.

SBCAN September Roundtable

Join us on September 25 from 12:00 - 1:30 PM for a countywide Roundtable on the following items:

I. FREE Domestic Well Water Testing in SB County
II. Inclusionary Housing/In-Lieu (County and City of SB)
III. SB County Oil and Gas Prohibition Ordinance Amendments (Phase 2)

Register for the zoom meeting using this link. Details to follow.

Recap: SBCAN Roundtable August 28

Land Use, Energy, and Housing Initiatives

If you missed our last Roundtable, the recording can be found here. Enjoy a rich discussion on the following items:

I. Solomon Hills Proposal
II. Battery Energy Storage System Project in Goleta 
III. New opportunities for housing in SB and countywide
IV. Calls to Action

Call to Action

Oil and Gas Prohibition Amendments (Phase 1)

Join SBCAN and local environmental groups in supporting the a landmark decision, the oil and gas prohibition amendments going before the County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, September 15. 

See the information below from the Environmental Defense Center (EDC):

On Tuesday, September 15, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will consider important changes to the County Code to ban new oil and gas drilling in our communities.

At a time of escalating climate disasters around the world and federal plans for a massive expansion of oil operations on the Central Coast, Santa Barbara County can lead the way to phase out dangerous fossil fuels and move towards a clean energy future.

Please join us at this critical hearing (in person or on Zoom) and ask the Board to ban new drilling to protect the planet and our communities from harm. For more info and resources, please see this tool kit.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 15, 2026
Meeting begins at 9 am

WHERE: Betteravia Government Center
511 E. Lakeside Parkway Santa Maria, CA 93454

If you are planning on sending a written comment one page or less, please send them to [email protected] before 5 pm on Monday, September 14. Your comment will be distributed to the Board and posted online.

In line with this policy, the Supervisors voted last year to authorize staff to implement a two-step approach: 1) ban new onshore oil wells, and 2) phase out operating wells based on an amortization schedule. 

In April, after receiving over 100 comments in support, the Planning Commission made a recommendation to the Board to adopt the ordinance amendments to prohibit drilling new oil and gas wells. 

Please join us at the hearing on Tuesday, September 15 in person or on Zoom. To participate remotely, please don’t forget to register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing important information about joining the hearing.

See the sign-on letter written by the Sierra Club Santa Barbara/Ventura Chapter and signed by SBCAN here. 

SBCAN at Indy40!

SBCAN staff had a great time tabling at the Santa Barbara Independent’s anniversary celebration, connecting with community members and celebrating four decades of local journalism. It was wonderful to see so many friendly faces, catch up with longtime supporters, and meet new members of the community!

Support the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund!

In partnership with the Santa Barbara Independent, the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund was founded in 2020 to ensure that reporting on social justice issues including environmental and housing, were not lost while journalism everywhere was impacted by the pandemic.

This fund was made to help directly support reporting on these issues in Santa Barbara County. 

In 2024, Christina McDermott was hired as the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund Fellow. Her assignment runs through December 2026.  Here is our recap of her first year. 

SBCAN is proud to be a fiscal sponsor of the Mickey Flacks Fund. Please consider supporting local journalism!