Open-Space Preservation Educational Network

The Open-Space Preservation Educational Network (OPEN) project is a program of the Environmental Defense Center that provides a proactive approach to protecting rural and open space lands in Santa Barbara County. The purpose of the OPEN project is to engage interested sectors of our communities in a dialog related to the long-term preservation of agriculture, open space and avoidance of sprawl at the urban/rural interface. The goal of the OPEN project is to create an informed and productive opportunity to cooperatively consider what policies effectively promote (or undermine) the goal of preserving open space lands in our region. 

The OPEN project includes two primary components.  In the “planning” component, proposed policies (and related ordinances) that address the status of agricultural lands, open space, and the urban/rural boundary are assessed for their potential impact on OPEN project goals.  OPEN staff are reviewing relevant General Plan and Community updates that are currently occurring (or scheduled to occur in the near future).  These updates provide an immediate opportunity for a broad discussion in various regions in and around Santa Barbara County about the vision of residents regarding the future of their communities.

The “outreach” component of the OPEN project seeks to involve interested parties in a dialog with the hope that this will lead to promoting mutual goals.   We are seeking to build bridges among environmentalists, progressive groups, farmers and their advocacy groups, ranchers, farm labor advocates, landowners, major food consumers and anyone else with an interest in the project’s objectives.  This dovetails with other projects that EDC participates in, including the Ag Futures Alliance, where a similar group of stakeholders has begun collaborative discussion of other challenges to sustainable farming.

EDC Letter on Los Alamos Community Plan Scoping for Draft EIR. December 1, 2008.

Lompoc Bailey Ave Specific Plan Scoping Comments. November 19, 2008.

OPEN Comment Letter on Lompoc General Plan Update and Scoping. October 17, 2008.

OPEN Comment Letter on Santa Ynez Valley Community Plan Draft EIR. September 15, 2008.