The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors had a full agenda slated for its April 7 meeting.
The board attracted national attention for reconsidering its August 2008 3-2 decision to allow expanded oil drilling off the county’s coastline.
However, now that the board’s ideological majority has shifted—with the more environmentally friendly Doreen Farr replacing Brooks Firestone as 3rd District supervisor—it’s expected to reinforce the ban on drilling.
Supervisors Janet Wolf (2nd District) and Salud Carbajal (1st District) submitted a measure earlier this month proposing that the board reconsider adopting the moratorium.
Also at the meeting, the board was set to take a position on Senate Bill 170. Written by Sen. Dean Florez (D-Fresno), the bill would cancel the 1965 California Land Conservation act, also known as the Williamson Act, on tribal lands. The bill would recognize tribal cultural centers, infrastructure, and housing as a greater public benefit than preserving agricultural land in a 10-year trust.
As of press time, the board had yet to make a decision on either issue. For an update on the board’s April 7 meeting, visit santamaria sun.com.
This article appears in Apr 9-16, 2009.