Ellwood Mesa is named after Ellwood Cooper who settled here with his family in 1870. Cooper grew a variety of crops including olives, walnuts, grapes, almonds, oranges, lemons, and Japanese persimmons. In 1876 he planted 150,000 blue gum eucalyptus trees. Wood from the forest was harvested by Mr. Cooper, his successors, and Goleta residents. Learn more about Ellwood Cooper at Goleta History. The area is also known for a 1942 attack on oil installations from a Japanese submarine. Monarchs were first documented overwintering at Ellwood Mesa in the 1920s and the population reached its peak in the 1960s and 1970s. Local residents shared stories from that time when their horses were covered by monarch butterflies seeking the nutrient-rich sweat of the horses. Below is a timeline of more recent history that has shaped Ellwood Mesa as we know it today.

1989

Housing Development Proposed » Community Organizes Opposition
An application was submitted for a 161 unit housing development on Ellwood Mesa that would block public access and impact environmentally sensitive habitats and unique coastal resources. The local community formed Save Our Ellwood Shores and brought in the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) to represent them.

1993

County Approves Specific Plan » EDC Files Lawsuit
The County of Santa Barbara approved a specific plan for 161 units on 40 acres on the Mesa. EDC filed a lawsuit on behalf of Save Ellwood Shores, which was withdrawn when the California Coastal Commission denied the plan. Through several years of hearings, plan modifications, and litigation, EDC, Save Ellwood Shores, and the developer settled the case with some protection for sensitive habitat. The County and Coastal Commission, however, were unable to agree on access to the development and the project was unable to move forward.

1998

Santa Barbara Land Trust Purchases 10-acre Preserve Near Ellwood
The Santa Barbara Land Trust purchased 10-acres of land and established the Coronado Butterfly Preserve. The property is flush with native plants and scrub sage and serves as an educational gateway to the monarch butterfly grove in Ellwood Mesa.

2002

City of Goleta Incorporates and Agrees to Consider Land Swap
The City of Goleta incorporated and the Ellwood Mesa development plan became the new City’s first major planning project. 

2003

Friends of Ellwood Coast and Trust for Public Land (TPL) Start Fundraising for the Land Swap 
The assessed value of the City-owned land was significantly less than that of the developer’s oceanfront property. $20.4 million plus the exchange of 36 acres for development on the Santa Barbara Shores Park site was needed to make the proposal work.

Goleta, UCSB, and County Draft Joint Management Plan
The City of Goleta, UCSB, and the County of Santa Barbara enter an agreement and jointly draft the Ellwood-Devereux Coast Open Space Plan, including details of the proposed land swap.

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2004

Trust for Public Land (TPL) achieves $20.4 Million Fund-Raising Goal
TPL led a community fundraising campaign to make the land swap possible. TPL and Senator Jack O’Connell’s office helped secure millions of dollars from federal, state and local agencies, as well as local foundations, fundraising events, and individual donors. Major public donors included the California Coastal Conservancy, California Wildlife Conservation Board, Caltrans, NOAA, and the County of Santa Barbara. Major private donors included the Sperling family, Wendy McCaw, and the Goleta Valley Land Trust. 

City of Goleta approves Habitat Management Plan, Comstock Homes and Land Swap
The Goleta City Council adopts the Ellwood Mesa Open Space & Habitat Management Plan as it pertains to City property, certifies the Final EIR & Addendum and approves the Comstock Homes Project, preserving more than 220 acres, including the entire Ellwood Mesa as public parkland.

2005

City of Goleta Takes Ownership of Ellwood Mesa
The California Coastal Commission approved Comstock Homes and the City parking lot, allowing escrow to close on City Ownership of Ellwood Mesa. Goleta Mayor Jean Blois called the preservation of Ellwood Mesa “one of the city’s most significant accomplishments since incorporation three years ago.” After acquisition, the City of Goleta stopped the harvesting of wood by local residents but otherwise implemented a hands-off approach to forest management of the eucalyptus grove at Ellwood Mesa.

2010

City of Goleta Hires Biological Consultant to Develop Butterfly Habitat Management Plan 
The City hired Daniel E. Meade, Ph.D. with Althouse & Meade, Inc in 2010 to develop a Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan (MBHMP) for Ellwood Mesa. Over a period of almost 10 years, several revisions were drafted while the needs of the habitat and the status of the trees continued to change and require additional sections to address the growing list of issues.

2011

Ellwood Oil, Water, and Monitoring Wells Retired and Sealed
City of Goleta shut down nine oil and water wells in the Ellwood Mesa area as part of the Ellwood Mesa Well Abandonment Project. Three oil wells, five water wells and a groundwater monitoring well were replaced with native grass and wetlands.

2011-2012

Increased Visitation to the Butterfly Grove Impacts Local Neighborhoods
Goleta City staff met with neighborhood groups and held public meetings to address growing concerns arising from increasing numbers of visitors to the Butterfly Grove. To address parking, traffic, and other concerns, the City developed a website and signage using “Goleta Butterfly Grove” so that visitors from out of the area can find appropriate maps and information and be directed to the Hollister parking area.

2012

City of Goleta Prepares Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
The City of Goleta Community Wildfire Protection Plan provides recommendations to reduce potential fire intensity, rate of spread, and severity of effects. 

2012-2016

California Experiences Extreme 5-Year Drought
An extended drought in the region led to widespread forest dieback that degraded monarch butterfly habitat throughout the Ellwood Mesa eucalyptus grove, a condition emphasized by a dramatic decline of monarch population numbers across the six aggregation sites on the mesa.

2017 

Tree Health Assessment Leads to Trail Closure and Proposal to Remove Hazardous Trees
A tree health assessment performed as part of the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan identified 1,800 dead or dying trees severely impacted by the drought and pests. With an abundance of caution and at the advice of the City’s insurer, the City recommended closure of some trails until the hazardous trees could be removed. The proposal was met with harsh public opposition. Friends of the Ellwood Monarchs (FOTEM) hired attorney Ana Citrin of the Law Offices of Marc Chytilo to find a solution to mass removal of trees and trail closure. After hours of public testimony and deliberation, the Council supported an option to remove a minimal number of trees around three key trails to allow beach access from several locations on the Mesa. The City also agreed to prioritize and fund the completion of the Ellwood Mesa Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan, including several in-depth scientific studies to better understand the forest habitat, and to delay large scale tree removal until the habitat restoration plan is prepared and approved.

The City requested and was granted emergency approval from the Coastal Commission to remove 29 trees that were dead or at high risk of failure. A presentation to City Council on the Emergency Permit Issuance for the Ellwood Mesa Tree Removal and Trail Closure Project is available here. A follow-on Coastal Development Permit (CDP) application was required.

2018-2019

City of Goleta Submits Follow On Implementation Plan for Ellwood North
The City of Goleta submitted a follow on application as was required by the 2017 emergency permit for tree removal. The Ellwood Mesa/Sperling Preserve Open Space Implementation Plan detailed the implementation of the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan at Ellwood North. The Commission issued a Notice of Intent to Issue the permit with conditions but the City decided to revise the Implementation Plan to include include Ellwood Main and Ellwood West. 

City of Goleta Pauses Implementation of Ellwood Mesa Coastal Trails and Habitat Restoration Project
The City received authorization to implement the Ellwood Mesa Coastal Trails and Habitat Restoration Project through the Santa Barbara County Trails Council. The City is currently modifying the project description for the Trails and Habitat project and anticipates submitting the modified project description and supporting documents in the next 1-2 years.  

2019

City of Goleta adopts Ellwood Mesa Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan (MBHMP)
Growing concern over the drought-stressed and dying eucalyptus trees in the butterfly groves led to the finalization of the MBHMP which identifies how the City will preserve, restore, and enhance the monarch butterfly overwintering habitat. It also includes the enhancement of other wildlife habitats, education and outreach, trail improvements, signage, monitoring, and research. 

City of Goleta Awarded $3.9 Million for Implementation of the MBHMP
The Coastal Conservancy granted $3.9 million to the City of Goleta for implementation of the Ellwood Mesa Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan (MBHMP). The funds will expedite the completion of the Implementation Plan and necessary permitting to allow the City to begin restoring the ecosystem on the Ellwood Mesa.

Ellwood Mesa Trails Reopen
The City of Goleta announced the reopening of trails on Ellwood Mesa in consultation with the California Coastal Commission. Users are encouraged to use caution on trails and should be aware that many of the trees are drought-stressed and in danger of falling.

2021

City of Goleta Assembles Consultant Team for MBHMP Implementation and Initiates Public Outreach
The Goleta City Council approved several professional design services agreements for landscape architecture, project management assistance, biologists and arborists to assist with the implementation actions at Ellwood Mesa. George Thomson, Parks and Open Space Manager and the project consultant team, including Dr. Dan Meade, monarch butterfly expert, hosted a series of events to address neighbors' questions about what the City is proposing.

2022

City of Goleta Presents Draft MBHMP Implementation Phase 1 to the Community
A series of site tours and public workshops were held to present the MBHMP Phase 1 Implementation Plan to the community including design details and supporting studies for wildfire protection, butterfly habitat improvements, creek restoration, public access improvements, trails and signage and long-term stewardship.

City of Goleta Receives $1.7 Million CAL FIRE Grant to Help Protect Ellwood Mesa Neighborhoods from Wildfire
The grant will help the City address high wildfire risk associated with dead trees while also helping protect monarch butterfly habitat. 

2023 

Winter storms wreak havoc with drought weakened trees
High winds and heavy rains cause dozens of eucalyptus trees to fall or be at risk of falling. High flows in Devereux Creek damage the access road. The City begins emergency repair of the road and tree cleanup.

City of Goleta requests Coastal Commission Waiver to conduct immediate removal of dead and downed eucalyptus trees 
The Ellwood Mesa Neighborhoods Hazard Fuel Reduction Project will create a defensible space buffer on public lands around residences, protect over 3,500 homes from uncontrollable wildfire, conduct a community fire safe education campaign, and protect sensitive wildlife species from wildfire. The work funded by the grant will also address the excessive buildup of dead eucalyptus trees killed by the on-going drought while ensuring monarch butterflies and other wildlife are not harmed.

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Questions, comments or ideas? We'd like to hear from you. Please contact the Parks and Open Space Division at ellwoodmesa@cityofgoleta.org