There will be two upcoming City Council meetings on the tree and butterfly situation at Ellwood Mesa: Tuesday, September 5th at 6:00 p.m. and Thursday, September 7th at 5:30 p.m. Earlier this summer, the City received a tree health assessment performed as part of the Monarch Butterfly Habitat Management Plan. As a result of this study, the City 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 are temporarily closed due to the potential for falling trees.

At the September 5th evening session, the City’s report on the Emergency Conditions on the Ellwood Mesa will be presented and your thoughts and comments are encouraged. Click here to read the staff report. Staff is not asking the City Council to make a determination at this meeting, but to receive the staff report, ask questions, and listen to public comment. The September 7th meeting is a special Council workshop on Ellwood Mesa. At this meeting, staff will be available to answer questions, additional public input will be heard, and the Council will be asked to decide and direct staff on how to proceed with the project.

For more information on the situation please visit the project page on our website available in English and Spanish. Sign up for email/text alerts on the Ellwood Mesa at http://tinyurl.com/ellwoodmesasubscribe.

If you have questions or comments in advance of the meeting, please send them to ellwoodmesa@cityofgoleta.org so staff can address them.