Santa Barbara County Action Network asks you to speak up for affordable housing on Tuesday, June 10, when the City of Santa Barbara will consider final budget recommendations.
We ask you to urge the City to allocate $5 million per year to the Local Housing Trust Fund, which can provide a match to state funds to create affordable housing in the city.
The City Council Finance Committee will recommend final budget allocations to the full City Council at a meeting from noon to 1:30pm in the David Gebhard Public Meeting Room, 630 Garden St. The City Council meeting itself will follow at 2 p.m. in Santa Barbara City Hall in De la Guerra Plaza.
Public input at both of these meetings is critical to make the greatest impact, or written comment submitted via email to [email protected] prior to the start of each meeting can make a difference. Remote verbal public comment during the meetings via Zoom is possible by registering before each meeting at: https://santabarbaraca-gov.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-tbNSuHPTmquCwDEP9hNaQ#/registration.
Another way to make an impact is to email every member of the City Council. One email can be sent to all council members at once by copying and pasting their addresses into a new email message:
Mayor Randy Rowse [email protected]
Eric Friedman [email protected]
Kristen Sneddon [email protected]
Meagan Harmon [email protected]
Mike Jordan [email protected]
Oscar Gutierrez [email protected]
Wendy Santamaria [email protected]
We hope to see you at our:
- Protect Public Lands & Waters Now! Roundtable on Friday, June 13 and our
- Inspiring Leadership Awards & Fundraiser on Sunday, June 22
If you have events you'd like us to publicize, let us know.
Let's celebrate recent wins:
- Judge Issues Temporary Restraining Order Against Restart of Sable’s Santa Barbara Oil Pipelines - Thanks to the Environmentl Defense Center representing Santa Barbara County Action Network and others, a judge put a temporary restraining order on the Office of the State Fire Marshal, preventing Sable from restarting the pipeline. A follow up hearing was set for July 18. Read more in Noozhawk.
- County initiated a plan to phase out existing oil and gas operations, thanks to tireless advocacy of environmental organizations, including SBCAN. Read Supervisor Laura Capps opinion piece in Noozhawk.
Best,
Jeanne Sparks and Ken Hough
SBCAN Co-Executive Directors
| CALENDAR |
| DATE | TIME | SUBJECT | PLACE |
| Fri, June 6 |
Noon-1pm | Lompoc Stands with Veterans |
Lompoc |
| Sat, June 7 |
3:30pm-4:30pm | Divided We Fall LWVSB Forum, cosponsored by SBCAN and others |
SB |
|
Sun, |
11am-5pm |
Pride Fest, Santa Maria Fairpark |
SM |
|
Tues, June 10 |
Noon & 2pm |
Support affordable housing |
SB |
|
Tues, |
TBD |
Support BOS in Opposing New Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling |
SM SB Online |
|
June 10-12 June 18 July 7 |
Various |
Draft Environmental Impact Statement and hearings on expanded launches at Vandenberg SFB |
Ventura SB Lompoc Online |
|
Fri, |
Noon |
Protect Public Lands and Waters Now! - SBCAN Roundtable |
Online |
|
Fri, |
4pm |
No Kings Poster & Postcard Party |
SM |
|
Sat, |
Noon-2pm |
No Kings Day! |
Lompoc SM SY SB |
|
Sat, |
11am-5pm 11am-6pm |
Juneteenth celebrations |
Lompoc SB |
|
Sun, June 22 |
2pm-5pm |
SBCAN Inspiring Leadership Awards & Fundraiser |
Solvang |
|
Now until ? |
N/A |
Protect Rooftop Solar Contract |
Online |
| Now until ? | N/A | Say no to gold mining on BLM land |
send public comment |
| FRIDAY, JUNE 6 |
Lompoc Stands with Veterans - 1 Hour FLASH Protest!
FRIDAY, JUNE 6
Noon-1pm
LOMPOC
In solidarity with the rally at the National Mall in D.C., www.unite4veterans.org and www.50501vets.com
We are coming together to defend the benefits, jobs, and dignity that every generation of veterans has earned through sacrifice.
Veteran jobs, healthcare, and essential VA services are under attack. We will not stand by.
Join us for a 1 hour FLASH protest starting at NOON.
North H Street and Central Ave., Lompoc
Sign suggestions:
- We stand with Vets
- Support our Veterans
- Support the VA
- Freedom Isn't Free
- Fully Fund the PACT ACT Reverse the VA Cuts NOW!
- Veterans' Care-YES! Billionaires' Tax Cuts-NO!
We rally to:
Defend veteran and military family member employment in the federal workforce. Stop the privatization and weakening of the Department of Veterans affairs. Hold political leaders accountable for policies that harm veterans and their families.
| SATURDAY, JUNE 7 |
Divided We Fall:
American Democracy Under the Two-Party System
SATURDAY, JUNE 7
3:30pm
SANTA BARBARA
League of Women Voters Santa Barbara will host a forum, “Divided We Fall: American Democracy under the Two-party System”. This is a live event at the Santa Barbara Public Library Faulkner Gallery (40 E. Anapamu St.). SBCAN is a co-sponsor of this event that includes a conversation with Political Scientist Lorelei Moosbrugger. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information go to the LWVSB website: www.lwvsantabarbara.org
| JUNE 10 - JULY 7 |
Notice of Availability of
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for Authorizing Changes to the
Falcon Launch Program at Vandenberg Space Force Base
and Public Hearings
The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is issuing this notice to inform the public of the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Authorizing Changes to the Falcon Launch Program at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), California. The Draft EIS was prepared to analyze the potential environmental effects associated with:
- The DAF’s authorization of the redevelopment of Space Launch Complex (SLC)-6 to support Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy operations, including launch and landing at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB);
- The DAF’s authorization of an increase in Falcon 9 launches and landings at VSFB and downrange landings in the Pacific Ocean; and
- The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) licensing Space Exploration Technologies Corporation’s (SpaceX) Falcon operations at VSFB and approval of related airspace closures.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
The DAF is holding three in-person public hearings and a virtual public hearing to provide the public with the opportunity to learn more about the proposal and provide input. For more information about the in-person and virtual public hearings, please visit www.VSFBFalconLaunchEIS.com.
IN-PERSON PUBLIC HEARINGS (5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Pacific Time)
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 Four Points by Sheraton/Ventura Harbor Resort, 1050 Schooner Dr., Ventura, CA 93001
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Thursday, June 12, 2025 Hilton Garden Inn, 1201 North H St., Lompoc, CA 93436
VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARING (6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Pacific Time)
Wednesday, June 18, 2025 www.VSFBFalconLaunchEIS.com
The public is invited to review the Draft EIS and provide substantive comments on the Proposed Action and the environmental analysis. The public is also invited to provide comments on the project’s potential to affect historic properties pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Comments may be submitted at the in-person public hearings, the virtual public hearing, online via the project website at www.VSFBFalconLaunchEIS.com, or by U.S. postal mail to:
ATTN: VSFB Falcon Launch EIS, c/o ManTech International Corporation, 420 Stevens Avenue, Suite 100, Solana Beach, CA 92075
To ensure the DAF has sufficient time to consider public comments during preparation of the Final EIS, please submit comments within the 45-day public review and comment period, which closes July 7, 2025. Please also help the DAF inform the community about the availability of the Draft EIS, public comment period, and public hearings by sharing this information with your community and constituents.
If you have any questions regarding the EIS process, please contact Ms. Hilary Rummel, NEPA Project Manager, at [email protected], or VSFB Public Affairs office at 805-606-3595. To learn more about this project, please visit www.VSFBFalconLaunchEIS.com
| TUESDAY, JUNE 10 |
Urge Board of Supervisors to Oppose New Offshore Oil and Gas
TUESDAY, JUNE 10
Time TBD
On Tuesday, June 10, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors will consider item A-29—a resolution opposing the federal government’s call to open our coast to new offshore oil and gas drilling. Your voice is needed!
The U.S. Department of the Interior is preparing its 2025–2030 Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Leasing Program, which could allow new oil drilling in federal waters off the continental U.S., including off the coast of Santa Barbara County. This is part of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) leasing program outlined in the Federal Register (Vol. 90, No. 84, Doc. No. 2025-07479).
We’ve been here before. In 2018, the County passed a resolution on a 3-2 vote, opposing similar leasing efforts and asking the federal government to exclude the Central Coast's waters from new oil & gas leases.
How you can help:
✅ Write a letter of support for the Board’s resolution. Please submit your comment to the Clerk of the Board at: [email protected]
✅ Attend the June 10 Board meeting (in person or via Zoom) to give public comment - details for participating on Zoom will be available when the full agenda is published by June 6
✅ You can also submit your comment directly to BOEM before the June 16 federal deadline
Santa Barbara County’s coast fuels our local economy, supports incredible biodiversity, and is core to our community identity. This resolution is an important step in reaffirming our values.
You can find the County's Board Letter here and Resolution here.
Item is cosponsored by Supervisors Joan Hartmann and Laura Capps. Contact Hartmann's Chief of Staff Gina Fischer for more information: [email protected]
| FRIDAY, JUNE 13 |
Protect Public Lands and Waters Now!
Protect Public Lands and Waters Now! is the topic of SBCAN’s Friday, June 13 Roundtable to be held online at noon. We will discuss the destruction that has already happened and what could be coming down the line as well as actions we can take to try to stop the devastation.
The administration has already begun destroying the infrastructure that protects our local public lands and waters, and more damage is on the way:
- Santa Barbara office of U.S. Department of Ocean Protection - CLOSED
- Camarillo office of U.S. Bureau of Energy Management - CLOSED
- Ocean and marine protections - SUSPENDED BY EXECUTIVE ORDER
- Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary - AT RISK OF DEFUNDING
- Marine Mammal Commission - AT RISK OF DEFUNDING
- Extreme logging in Los Padres National Forest - PROPOSED
- Uranium mining and oil drilling in Los Padres National Forest - INCREASED RISK OF EXPLOITATION
- Millions of acres of public lands and offshore waters - TARGETED FOR EXPLOITATION
We are asking organizations that are working to protect our local public lands and waters to be guest speakers. We are asking anyone who is concerned with local public lands and waters to attend, to join the discussion, and to help with solutions. We have lined up three guest speakers:
Jim Hines is the conservation chair of the Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter of the Sierra Club. His presentation is based on his perspectives from ongoing meetings with people in power in DC, such as Department of the Interior staff, Office of the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service (for Los Padres National Forest issues) and staff at the House Committee on Natural Resources. He has been following and disseminating information about actions taken and threatened against our national parks, national forests, Bureau of Land Management conservation lands, national marine sanctuaries and national wildlife refuges. He has been following these issues for years and is more alarmed now than ever.
Jeff Kuyper is the executive director of Los Padres ForestWatch, which has the mission of "Protecting the Los Padres National Forest, the Carrizo Plain National Monument, and other public lands along Califoria's Central Coast." As one of the original founders of ForestWatch, Jeff brings more than 25 years of experience in legal and policy advocacy on behalf of wildlife, public lands, and the local communities that depend on them. Jeff holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Oregon School of Law, with a certificate in Environmental and Natural Resource Law, and a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara. He has worked with several of the West’s leading public interest environmental law firms, including the Western Environmental Law Center in Eugene, Oregon; Advocates for the West in Boise, Idaho; and the Environmental Defense Center in Santa Barbara, California.
We are holding an online Roundtable at noon on Friday, June 13 to focus on what we can do right now and in the coming weeks to try to stop the impending devastation and to reverse damage that has been done.
If you have taken action or have information related to these issues and would like to be a guest speaker at this meeting, please email Jeanne at [email protected] to let us know or reply to this email.
We must unite and take action locally and nationally to protect our public lands and waters!
Thank you for caring and taking action.
Jeanne Sparks and Ken Hough
Co-Executive Directors
Santa Barbara County Action Network
[email protected]
www.sbcan.org
| FRIDAY, JUNE 13 |
No Kings Poster & Postcard Party
FRIDAY, JUNE 13
4pm
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 4380 Orcutt Rd., Santa Maria
| SATURDAY, JUNE 14 |
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
No Kings Lompoc!
Noon-2pm
East Central Avenue & North H Street
Sign up:
https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/791209/?followup_modal_context=nonexclusive_newsletter_closest
No Kings Santa Maria
Noon - 2pm
South Broadway & East Main Street
Sign up:
https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/792943/
Wear red, white or blue.
Stand up, speak up!
Spread the word!
Invite four friends!
NO KINGS Santa Ynez Valley
12:30pm-2pm
Solvang Veterans Memorial Hall, 1745 Mission Dr
Sign up:
https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/790979/
NO KINGS Santa Barbara
& Juneteenth
10:30am-12pm
Chase Palm Park, 236 E Cabrillo Blvd
Sign up:
https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/788033/
In America, we don’t put up with would-be kings. NO KINGS is a national day of action and mass mobilization in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption from Trump and his allies. We’ve watched as they’ve cracked down on free speech, detained people for their political views, threatened to deport American citizens, and defied the courts. They’ve done this all while continuing to serve and enrich their billionaire allies.
🚨On Saturday, June 14, we’re taking to the streets nationwide. We’re not gathering to feed his ego. We’re building a movement that leaves him behind.🚨
Donald Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else - INCLUDING IN LOMPOC!
We’re inviting you to get creative so we can create the parade the twice-impeached, four-times-indicted, convicted of 34 felony counts and found liable of sexual assault disgraced current president deserves:
A Parade of Mockery.
At 1pm we'll line up single file for photos and videos - and hold a sidewalk parade of corrugated box tank costumes and so-called POTUS in Burger King crowns!!
On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings. Check out nokings.org for more information.
A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.
| SATURDAY, JUNE 14 |
2025 JUNETEENTH LOMPOC: A RECKONING
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
11am-5pm
Old Town Lompoc, 100 S. "H" Street
Reclaiming the Past, Remembering Black Voices
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.santamarialompocnaacp.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SMLONAACP
| SATURDAY, JUNE 14 |
JUNETEENTH SANTA BARBARA BLOCK PARTY
SATURDAY, JUNE 14
11am-6pm
Juneteenth Santa Barbara is a local celebration of the national recognition of Black Independence Day. It is a collaborative effort to showcase Black culture, talent, and joy in Santa Barbara County. This event centers around a free community block party that will be held seaside at the Plaza del Mar.
The community is invited to enjoy live local music, dancing, poetry, spoken word, artist exhibitions, storytelling, and food. We will also have the Black Artisan Market, which includes Black-led community organizations showcasing their work at their own booths.
Year-round, Juneteenth Santa Barbara utilizes its platform to uplift all Black/African American-led/serving organizations and plays a key role in coordinating Black History Month events and monthly Santa Barbara County Black Leaders Meetings.
| SUNDAY, JUNE 22 |
SBCAN Inspiring Leadership Awards & Fundraiser
Sunday, June 22 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Fountain Courtyard at the Corque Hotel
420 Alisal Road, Solvang
SBCAN Announces our Inspiring Leadership Honorees:
Eder Gaona-Macedo
Gail Marshall
Santa Barbara Tenants Union
Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara
Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara
Voces Sin Fronteras
This year we are combining our north and south fundraisers into one exciting mid-county fundraiser to bring together activists from throughout the county with music, refreshments and a program honoring accomplished community leaders and organizations.
This moment in time calls for us to stand together as one community to face challenges on a number of fronts.
GET IN ON THE FUN!
Sponsor the Event: Click here for sponsorship information
Buy Tickets and Attend: Tickets are $100/person. Click here to purchase tickets
Make Donations: Click here to make a donation
Spread the Word: Forward this email to your friends and associates or send them a link to this information on our website: www.sbcan.org/2025_fundraiser
For more information or for sliding scale tickets, email [email protected]
Thank You to our Early Sponsors:
Diversify, Equalize, Include, and Act Sponsors
Dick Flacks
Dick & Marilyn Mazess
Protect Our Water Sponsor
Gerry DeWitt
Protect Our Farmland and Farmworkers Sponsor
Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians
Anna & Petar Kokotovic
Right to Live, Work, & Play Sponsors
UFCW Local 770
Gail Osherenko & Oran Young
SEIU Local 620
Allan Hancock College
McCune Foundation
David Landecker
The Fund for Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Foundation
Love Your Neighbor Sponsors
Janet Blevins & Gary Smith
Marc Chytilo & Nancy Weiss
Kathy Sharum and David Dennis
Christiane Schlumberger
Santa Maria-Lompoc Branch of NAACP
Pam Gates and Cliff Solomon
Santa Barbara-Ventura Chapter of the Sierra Club
Donors
Karen Mayes
American Riviera Bank
Evely Laser Shlensky
Vicky Blum
County Supervisor Laura Capps
Ruth Ackerman
Check out our 2024 Awards Events:
2024 South County awards photos
2024 South County awards video
2024 North County awards photos
2024 North County awards video
CLICK HERE TO SEE THIS INFO ON OUR WEBSITE
| NOW UNTIL ? |
 |
|
On Tuesday night, [June 3] lawmakers bent the rules to ram through AB 942, the bill that would retroactively break your solar contract. The bill passed narrowly, and now heads to the State Senate. The fight is far from over. A huge public outcry helped weaken the bill and almost stopped it in the Assembly. Your voice can help defeat it once and for all in the State Senate. Will you contact your State Senator today and ask them to vote NO on AB 942? Give me a sample message to send AB 942 squeaked through the Assembly with a margin of just 5 votes. That it moves forward with such a slim margin is a direct reflection of the efforts of tens of thousands of people speaking up: emails, calls, protests, rallies, socials, flyers, letters, and more. THANK YOU! PLEASE KEEP IT UP! -- Dave Rosenfeld, Executive Director & Cailey Underhill, Advocacy and Development Director P.S. If you have some extra time today, you might also want to also call your Assemblymember to hold them accountable if they did the wrong thing, or thank them if they did the right thing. See how they voted here. |
|
Solar Rights Alliance |
| NOW UNTIL ? |
Say no to gold mining on BLM land
NOW
ONLINE
|
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management just proposed allowing exploratory drilling for gold on Conglomerate Mesa, in California. This remote, roadless area just west of Death Valley National Park is home to Bendire's thrashers, western Joshua trees, Inyo rock daisies, countless other sensitive native plants and animals, and many other valuable resources. The agency's proposal spells disaster for the area. Among other things, it would let the mining industry bulldoze nearly 3 miles of wide new roads, expand nearly 15 miles of existing roads, run tracks along yet another mile of untouched landscape, and drill 120 holes — all 1,000 feet deep — in 30 separate locations. All that would happen on designated national conservation lands or within areas of critical environmental concern. And if the project moves forward, exploratory drilling could lead to a full-scale, open-pit gold mine on these delicate landscapes — which would destroy scarce desert water resources, increase dust and air pollution, disturb fragile desert soils, and obliterate wildlife habitat. Conglomerate Mesa and its species are more precious than gold. Urge the BLM to protect this special place from becoming an open-pit mine. |
| ELECTED OFFICIALS CONTACT INFORMATION |
|
Senator Adam Schiff Washington, DC: (202) 224-3553 Fresno (559) 497–5109 San Francisco (415) 981–9369 Sacramento (916) 448–2787 Los Angeles (310) 231–4494 San Diego (619) 239–3884 Congressman Salud Carbajal Santa Barbara: (805) 730-1710 San Luis Obispo: (805) 546-8348 Washington, DC: (202) 225-3601 |
Senator Monique Limón Santa Barbara: (805) 965-0862 Oxnard: (805) 988-1940 Sacramento: (916) 651-4021 Assemblyman Gregg Hart Santa Barbara: (805) 564-1649 Sacramento: (916) 319-2037 |
Jeanne Sparks and Ken Hough, Co-Executive Directors