Santa Barbara Seeks Community Input as the University Plans for Sea-Level Rise

Santa Barbara is seeking public input as the University of California, Santa Barbara develops a more detailed plan to address sea-level rise on campus. UCSB says its 2024 adaptation strategy aims to maximize resilience and protect and restore natural shorelines through proactive, phased management. The shoreline adaptation team is now focusing on eroding bluffs and berms, identifying facilities and public resources vulnerable to rising seas. UCSB will gather community feedback via a survey ahead of a public meeting on Nov. 5, asking residents to weigh features such as coastal bluff trails, beach width, and the campus lagoon function against keeping roads and buildings in place. The plan highlights issues around Lagoon Road, Manzanita Village erosion near a filled 1940s gully, and a berm at Campus Point Beach built in 1942.