Community Meeting on the Ellwood Mesa Habitat

Source: City of Goleta

The City of Goleta invites the public to a community meeting on the Ellwood Mesa Habitat and more specifically — the tree health and impending temporary trail closures. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 26, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. in the Goleta City Council Chambers, 130 Cremona Drive, Suite B. The City’s consulting biologist and arborist as well as City staff will provide a presentation followed by an opportunity for community members to ask questions. 

As a result of a tree health assessment performed as part of the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan, the City recently learned that a significant number of trees in the Ellwood Mesa are dead or dying. Many of the dead and dying eucalyptus trees in the forest were severely impacted by the drought which increased their vulnerability to pests. In an abundance of caution, and at the advice of the City’s insurer, some trails on the Ellwood Mesa will be temporarily closed due to the potential for falling trees. The City will need to remove several hundred dead or dying trees and trim others to protect the safety of the public as well as that of the healthy trees. This information was presented to the City Council on Tuesday, July 18.

More information and the presentation and PowerPoint can be found here.