Rancho La Laguna of Santa Ynez Valley wins legal battle for agricultural heritage

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Rancho La Laguna facility in the Santa Ynez Valley won a legal battle against developers looking to subdivide the property.

Rancho La Laguna partnered with the Environmental Defense Center (EDC) and Santa Barbara County Action Network (SBCAN) to preserve its 4,000 farmland acres instead of the dozen proposed properties on the grounds.

Rancho La Laguna's owners sued the County in 2017 after its Board of Supervisors denied the subdivision.

EDC on SBCAN's behalf defended the County's actions to help deny developers the chance to divide the property as developers eventually withdrew their appeal after the Superior Court sided against them in 2023.

“We can all breathe a sigh of relief that Rancho La Laguna will not be subdivided and will remain in open space and agricultural use, while continuing to provide critical wildlife habitat,” said EDC Chief Counsel Linda Krop. "Approval of this project would have set a terrible precedent, literally paving the way for other development projects that would threaten critical agricultural land and biodiversity across Santa Barbara County.”