Coal Oil Point Reserve Coastal Access and Habitat Restoration: Phase 3

Within Coal Oil Point Reserve (COPR) is 170 acres of a variety of linked coastal habitats including a salt marsh, a vernal pool, a fresh-water pond, dune swales, an estuary, dunes, grasslands, and coastal scrub.The reserve has several rare, threatened, or endangered species such as Tidewater Goby, Western Snowy Plover, and Belding’s Savanah Sparrow. Some of these have been extirpated in the past few decades by agricultural practices, habitat fragmentation, and invasive species.

This project proposes public access improvements and restoration and conservation measures in COPR, Goleta. The Pond Trail will be improved to increase public access and there will be new educational kiosks installed. There will also be a large effort to remove invasive species from the reserve such as Harding grass, tocolote, cape ivy, and dead eucalyptus trees, and revegetate with native species. This project is Phase 3 of the WRP Work Plan proposal submitted in 2010. Phase I and II have been funded by the Coastal Conservancy and Wildlife Conservation Board and are complete.