Sustaining and enhancing the native oak resources of Santa Barbara County
Oak Tree Education Program
The Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau’s Oak Tree Education Program is designed around educating county residents of all ages about the importance of the oak population in our area. To do this, we visit local high schools and grade schools to talk about the oaks and plant seedlings with the students. We also put out informational material on Facebook, the Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau Website and in local media. This program is in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Agriculture Commissioner’s Office and their Oak Tree Protection and Regeneration Program.
Oak seedlings will be made available to the public in May of each year. If you would like to pick up some oak seedlings, you can stop by our office at 180 Industrial Way, Buellton, CA 93427 anytime Monday - Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Please stop by our office and fill out our Seedling Pick Up Form before you leave. If you have any questions, feel free to give us a call at (805) 688-7479.
Program Goal
The goal of the Oak Tree Protection and Regeneration Program is to sustain and, where possible, enhance the native oak resources of Santa Barbara County. To accomplish this, the program has two main components: Protection from large scale removal on agricultural lands through the County’s Oak Tree Protection Ordinance and voluntary oak regeneration.
More Information
The Agricultural Commissioner’s Office is available to assist agricultural landowners in following the ordinance, creating management plans and assisting with any necessary mitigation. Our Plant Pathologist and Entomologist can help diagnose problems with oak trees and recommend solutions.
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Contact the Ag Commissioners Santa Barbara Office at (805) 681-5600 or their Santa Maria Office at (805) 934-6200 for assistance with these matters.
The Oak Tree Protection Ordinance only covers land that is zoned for agriculture that is not in the coastal zone and not part of any project that would require a building permit. Questions about oak removal on non-agricultural land, in the coastal zone or projects requiring building permits should be directed to the Planning and Development Department.