The Chumash name for the wetland where the Modoc Preserve is located is Kaswa’a…”Little Swamps”…the Spaniards called it Cieneguitas…and, this wetland drains from the stream in the 29 palms area at the east end of the Modoc Preserve down into the Modoc Preserve and out into Cieneguitas Creek…down to the ocean

Santa Barbara County Public Works Department had the original Multi-Use Path cutting down 63 trees and going down into the wetland of this protected nature preserve…it is currently under water...not only was trying to construct this asphalt road down in the wetland stupid and lacking in common sense…it was also against environmental law…good thing that our opposition forces stopped them before doing irreparable harm…

Again, we implore the County to simply extend the Obern Trail Multi-Use Path (MUP) shown in these images with a vehicle barrier in the existing asphalt infrastructure, outside of the Modoc Preserve, north of the tree line, a few hundred yards down Modoc Road to Via Senda…keeping this protected nature preserve 100% in tact…

As you can plainly see in this video and image gallery, the 4.5 mile Obern Trail does not have 5′ wide Class II bike lanes on either side of it…in fact, the bridge crossing is barely 10′ wide…and, blind…so, a 10′ wide extension down to Via Senda with a vehicle barrier will solve this kerfluffle…

We must hold the County accountable for ignoring environmental laws.
Common sense says to build their 14′ wide Multi-Use Path (MUP) up on Modoc Road out of the protected Modoc Preserve on existing asphalt infrastructure as they proposed in the $5.35MM ATP grant they wrote back in May, 2018. We are now L@@King at a $10MM unnecessary project, that if built as currently proposed, will pave a path of destruction through a valuable greenbelt at the edge of urban encroachment.

Our goal is to keep this ecologically valuable open space from encroaching urban developers. Please contribute to the Modoc Preserve Legal Fund to continue to help save these 100+ year old iconic, and historic, heritage trees before it's too late. Everything helps!

You can also donate by check in name of MODOC PRESERVE LEGAL DEFENSE FUND...please EMAIL us for mailing details...