Spatial modeling to identify wildfire resilient green spaces, areas for prescribed herbivory, and irrigated agriculture buffers in Santa Barbara front country.
Conservation Biology Institute is supporting the Spatial Informatics Group – Natural Assets Laboratory (SIG-NAL) on a multi-year Regional Wildlife Mitigation Program (RWMP) in Santa Barbara county that is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Specifically, CBI in partnership with SIG-NAL will develop and propose a fire-resistant buffer or “greenbelt” area in strategic locations within the program area to create wildfire resilient green space, working lands, and habitats. Program outcomes will also provide numerous co-benefits that support watershed and coastal ecological health using a suite of tools including:
- Live oak shaded fuel breaks
- Habitat restoration
- Prescribed herbivory
- Hydrated and agricultural buffers
- Land Conservation
The RWMP is designed to assess hazard, exposure and vulnerability and equitably reduce wildfire hazard across the Santa Barbara front country. The program goals are to decrease the risk of wildfire impacts to structures and infrastructure, promote wildfire resilient green space, working lands, and habitats, and develop community capacity to adapt and recover from the shocks of natural disasters. The Program is divided into three primary Resilience Domains: the Landscape Resilience Domain, the Built Environment Resilience Domain, and the Community Resilient Domain. Each domain will work collaboratively to foster resilience and build adaptive capacity that will allow the community to prepare, respond and recover from the shock of large wildfires. More details can be found at this link: https://rwmpsantabarbara.org/.
