What is Gratitude Canyon?

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Gratitude Canyon would provide a permanent home for Camp Firework, a program Firework Foundation has operated for more than seven years across 12+ camps. The Camp serves 11-, 12- and 13-year-olds and combines arts, nature, leadership and relationship-building for young people who may not otherwise have access to immersive camp experiences. It is not a probationary, behavioral or recovery program. 

Why this property?

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The vision is intended to carry forward the property’s long association with nature, agriculture, nourishment, wellness, creativity and community; values deeply connected to Patricia Bragg’s stewardship of the land and to Katy and Angela’s own childhood experiences there.

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The site’s natural topography also helps nestle the Camp within a valley setting, allowing much of the activity to remain visually contained within the landscape.

When the property became available, other development pathways could have included residential development or subdivision, subject to applicable law and approvals. Gratitude Canyon instead concentrates development on a limited portion of the site while preserving approximately 97% of the property as open space, agriculture or landscaping. Pasted markdown

How much of the property would actually be developed?

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Approximately 97% of the roughly 110-acre property would remain open space, agriculture or landscaping, with Camp activity concentrated on about 16 acres. Much of the existing apple orchard would remain, and current food-bank donations are expected to continue. 

How many people would be onsite?

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At maximum occupancy, approximately 240 campers and staff would be onsite during camp sessions. Campers arrive by bus Monday and leave Friday, and most staff remain onsite, significantly limiting daily vehicle trips. 

How much of the property would actually be developed?

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Approximately 97% of the roughly 110-acre property would remain open space, agriculture or landscaping, with Camp activity concentrated on about 16 acres. Much of the existing apple orchard would remain, and current food-bank donations are expected to continue. 

What is being done about wildfire risk?

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Fire prevention has been incorporated into the project from the earliest planning stages. The project team has been consulting with Santa Barbara County Fire, and former Santa Barbara County Emergency Management Director and former San Luis Obispo Fire Chief Robert Lewin is leading development of the Fire Protection Plan. Measures include defensible space, vegetation management, emergency access, onsite water, hardened structures, evacuation planning, emergency communications and 24-hour staffing while campers are onsite. Pasted markdown

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The project would also introduce ongoing professional vegetation management, maintenance and fire-risk reduction that does not exist on an unmanaged property today. 

Will the Camp increase neighborhood traffic?

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The Camp has intentionally been designed around a bus-based transportation model. Campers arrive Monday and leave Friday, most staff live onsite during sessions, and routine deliveries are limited. Project traffic studies conclude that Camp operations would not create significant traffic impacts and are expected to generate less routine traffic than historic commercial agricultural operations on the property. Pasted markdown

What other special events can occur at this site?

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Gratitude Canyon is not proposed as a wedding or concert venue.

Outside of summer camp, limited use could include schools, nonprofits and occasional retreats, plus no more than four special events per year. Attendance at those events would be capped at 400 people as a planning-level maximum — not the Camp’s regular operating population and not the capacity of its individual gathering spaces. 

What about noise?

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​The project is not designed around amplified outdoor entertainment. Outdoor sound would be limited to normal Camp activities, such as brief PA use, singing or skits. Acoustic modeling found anticipated sound at the nearest property boundary remained well below the County benchmark used in the analysis. The proposed recording studio would be fully acoustically isolated and used for Camp programming, not as an exterior or commercial music venue. 

What environmental review will the project undergo?

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Gratitude Canyon is at the beginning of a comprehensive Santa Barbara County permitting and environmental-review process, including CEQA. Technical studies are underway covering fire protection and evacuation, traffic, flooding, biological resources, acoustics, land use and other County requirements. The project will ultimately move through multiple levels of public-agency review and public hearings. 

How will neighbors stay informed?

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Firework Foundation has already held community meetings, engaged directly with neighbors, and is continuing to update project information as technical studies and agency review advance. Gratitude Canyon remains an evolving proposal, and the FAQ will continue to be updated as new information becomes available.