In 1985, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County was formed when the Santa Ynez Valley Land Trust and Carpinteria Valley Land Trust combined to serve the entire county. Today, the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County has helped to preserve over 25,000 acres of natural resource and agricultural land, including the Arroyo Hondo Preserve, Sedgwick Reserve, Carpinteria Bluffs, Coronado Butterfly Preserve, Point Sal, Carpinteria Salt Marsh and several ranches on the Gaviota Coast. The Land Trust works to preserve and enhance our county’s natural open spaces and agricultural heritage for present and future generations. 

The Land Trust:

• Acquires and protects land with natural, agricultural, scenic, recreational and/or historical significance through fair market transactions.
• Shares our knowledge of land conservation strategies with local landowners, planners, public agencies and other conservation organizations.
• Facilitates private conservation of agricultural lands.
• Educates the community through field trips with experts in ecology, agriculture and the arts.

The Land Trust is a sponsoring member of the national Land Trust Alliance (LTA), and has adopted policies, based on the model LTA Standards & Practices, governing land project selection, due diligence, monitoring and stewardship, ethical fundraising, financial and asset management, and conflict of interest.

Who We Are

The Land Trust is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is supported by over 900 members and governed by a volunteer board of trustees. Our conservation projects receive financial support from landowners, individuals, foundations and government grant and tax incentive programs. Our non-profit tax identification number is 95-3797404.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, awarded accredited status to the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County in May 2009 and our accreditation was renewed in 2014 per the Alliance’s five-year cycle.