By John Hankins
“The coast is never saved. It’s always being saved.”
(Quote from legendary CA Coastal Commission director Peter Douglas, who helped write the Coastal Act. He passed away in 2012.)
As a full house boarded the Condor Express on Sunday Oct. 23, the anticipation of a trip along the Gaviota Coast was palpable and the weather as perfect as you could wish.
A pleasure cruise yes, but it had much greater meaning of saving a most unique coast that spans 76 miles and some 200,000 acres that has always faced intense development pressures to this day.
It lies between Coal Oil Point and Point Sal. Within are significant archaeological sites, preserving at least 9,000 years of prehistory and marking sites of several Chumash villages inhabited through the early 1800s, including the largest Chumash village that existed anywhere.
As Nancy Black of the Gaviota Coast Conservancy (GCC) put it, the cruise was “In honor of the long Chumash history in this area and to grow our community circle.”
And who better to be along than Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, Tribal Chair of the Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians (Chumash) along with a dozen Chumash neighbors. Also, four GCC board members, including President Greg Helms, formed part of this circle along with GCC staffers Janet Koed and Black and a couple of attorneys, who often act as the tip of the spear against development pressures.
Tagging along was our Sierra Club scribe noting that the chapter has always been close in heart, soul and activism with the Naples Coalition (now merged into the Conservancy).
Julie noted the cruise “can be the start of a relationship . . . to bring back the natural world.”
Highly likely, as GCC is governed by the “Three Pillars”: Preserve the rural character of the Gaviota Coast and encourage regenerative agriculture practices, Ecological Integrity and Public Access, goals the Sierra Club shares.
“The stories, songs and conversations were an exceptional and unexpected gift,” Koed noted. “And then to have the blessing of other family, the whales and dolphins, as well as whoever else was accompanying us above and below, completed the inspiring journey.”
Other highlights included “Aleqwel Mendoza and his wife, Marissa Mendoza, delighting folks on the foredeck by breaking into spontaneous song singing in Chumash, in sync with a huge community of dolphins who surrounded us, dancing in the bow wake. At least one humpback whale showed flukes, staying nearby for a lovely, good while,” Black observed.
The Chumash also spoke of the “swordfish people” who were starving inland and came to the Gaviota Coast to find food. It was said that when a whale was available it was wholly used for its meat, oil and its bones for chairs etc.
More recently, Santa Barbara County approved a Gaviota Coast Plan, and the CA Coast Commission certified it in 2018 “intended to preserve the rural character.” Read it here:
https://tinyurl.com/SBGaviotaPlan
Gaviota coalition goals are to preserve the view sheds, restore the biodiverse habitat, maintain wildlife corridors, protect the sensitive coastal bluff, and provide appropriate public access, recognizing the extreme sensitivity the Chumash Peoples have for this land.
As anyone who’s driven Hwy 101 along the Gaviota Coast, you can see it already contains a lot of development, such as the county’s Tajiguas landfill, Chevron and Exxon oil processing sites (now shuttered), various parks, Bacara resort, a few hundred single family homes scattered mostly in agricultural areas and Hollister Ranch.
What is most heavily opposed is creeping development from Ellwood west.
Most of it is hidden seeing it from the ocean, except Brad Pitt’s residence. Pristine beaches, natural bluffs rising to the hills tell a more ancient and future story of protecting what is precious.
It’s worth a trip to GCC’s website for more detail, and to join in on the circle to save the Gaviota Coast, you may donate:
https://www.gaviotacoastconservancy.org/
There is also a great video called “The Hidden Coast” by Justin Faerman. Check it out here: