Often described as America’s best idea, public lands are OUR lands. In so many ways, they profoundly connect us to the natural world and one another, while enhancing our physical, spiritual and mental health -- and happiness. The Central Coast of California is surrounded by remarkable public lands to enjoy, explore, and appreciate. Each of us has an important ownership stake in our public land heritage.

All levels of our government – national, state, county and city – manage our public lands. This website includes representative examples of each type of public lands, including: National Parks, National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges, Bureau of Land Management Monuments, California State Parks, California State Ecological Preserves, and County and City parks and Open Spaces.

The federal government manages over 640 million acres of land in the US, which is 28% of the total US land base. In California, the percentage of federally owned public land is over 45%. While smaller in acreage, the public lands managed by the State of California, the County of Santa Barbara, the City of Santa Barbara, the City of Goleta, Isla Vista, and other local governments are widely used, notable and relished.

Each type of public land has its own history, laws, and management practices. For my UCSB class, I have my students read: America’s Public Lands by Randall Wilson, which I highly recommend because it thoughtfully explores our national public land heritage. Another remarkable book is Our Common Ground: A History of America's Public Lands by John Leshy.

These are our lands to experience and enjoy!