Santa Barbara County Receives Environmental Award

Santa Barbara County and Amec Foster Wheeler, an engineering and project management company, received the Outstanding Environmental Analysis Document Award for the County’s Environmental Impact Report regarding the Goleta Beach County Park Project.

The award is given to an agency or firm publishing an outstanding environmental analysis or assessment.

The County’s Environmental Impact Report consisted of developing a plan to protect Goleta Beach from erosion and storm damage.

The report concluded that permanently retaining approximately 1,200 linear feet of existing buried rock revetments would have significant impacts to coastal processes at Goleta Beach and down-coast beaches in the future.

The report also noted that a revetment, or type of retaining wall, at Goleta Beach has done a superior job protecting the beach and various public facilities such as restrooms, parking lots, bike bath, utility lines and the children’s play area.

“I am so pleased that the Goleta Beach County Park Project EIR received this award,” said Santa Barbara County Supervisor Janet Wolf. “This EIR was instrumental in aiding the Board of Supervisors in our decision on the best approach for the management of Goleta Beach County Park.”

The County anticipates the Goleta Beach County Park Project will be heard before the Coastal Commission meeting in May.