Environmental Management

The project began in 2005 as part of a 3-year monitoring period which will include monitoring of bird use, invertebrate colonization (clams, snails, and other mollusks, as well as insects), tidal levels, and vegetation. This site-specific data will address the potential birdstrike issue and will provide guidance to Santa Barbara Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration on how to proceed with future coastal wetland restoration projects.

Area I is a 25-acre site on the south side of the Goleta Slough near UCSB. The Santa Barbara Airport is restoring this site to its native wetland habitat as part of a 4-to-1 mitigation for impacts to wetlands that take place during the Creek Relocation. This restoration includes the removal of invasive species.

At Area I, the Santa Barbara Airport has removed invasive non-native species and planted native plants. These plants were carefully grown by Growing Solutions at the Airport Nursery using seeds collected on in the Slough.

These restoration projects are excellent examples of how the Airport has improved safety operations while enhancing the environment.