South Coast Habitat Restoration

What South Coast Habitat Restoration does

South Coast Habitat Restoration (SCHR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Carpinteria, California, operating under fiscal sponsorship of Earth Island Institute since 2007. The organization implements watershed restoration projects across the Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, with a stated mission to protect, conserve, and restore habitat and native biodiversity, with a particular emphasis on recovery of the federally endangered Southern Steelhead Trout. SCHR was founded in 2002 by Mauricio Gomez, who continues to lead the organization as Founder and Director alongside Director of Operations Erin Burns; the team is small (1-10 employees). The organization bills four core service areas: Fish Passage Restoration (removing low-flow "Arizona" concrete creek crossings and replacing them with clear span vehicular bridges), Community Restoration (volunteer-driven invasive species removal and native planting), Bank Stabilization (biotechnical methods including willow wattle fences, rock toes, root wads, and willow trenching), and Watershed Planning (post-fire assessments and strategic planning documents).

SCHR does not sell products or services in a commercial sense. Its revenue is grant-funded and philanthropic, drawn from a broad base of federal and state agencies (California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation Board, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, California Coastal Conservancy, Natural Resources Conservation Service), conservation NGOs (The Nature Conservancy, California Trout, American Rivers, Ojai Valley Land Conservancy), foundations (National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Patagonia via 1% For the Planet, James S. Bower, Hutton Parker, Santa Barbara, Sempra Energy Foundation), corporate giving, individual donations, and cost-sharing contributions from private landowners. SCHR's go-to-market is community- and partnership-led: the organization identifies restoration opportunities through outreach to private property owners, local governments, tribes (including the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians), and wildlife agencies, then designs and implements projects from concept to completion via grant-funded collaborations. Cumulative project outcomes cited in source material include removal of four barriers and 13 miles of opened habitat at Wheeler Gorge (December 2025), over six miles opened at Rancho Tajiguas, 9.5 miles at Lion Creek, and 30+ documented projects since inception.

Name

South Coast Habitat Restoration

Legal name

South Coast Habitat Restoration

Website

https://schabitatrestoration.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

South Coast Habitat Restoration is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Carpinteria, California, that implements fish passage, bank stabilization, and watershed restoration projects for the endangered Southern Steelhead Trout across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, serving government agencies, private landowners, and conservation partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Restoration Services

NAICS

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Ecological Restoration Planning & Monitoring (Habitat, Wetland, Stream) (EUAHAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Riparian & Watershed Reforestation (Streambank Stabilization) (AFAMACAK), Invasive Species Control & Site Restoration (Pre/Post Planting) (AFAMACAN)

Keywords

• Habitat restoration services
• Fish passage barrier removal
• Watershed restoration projects
• Riparian habitat restoration
• Creek bank stabilization

Headquarters

HQ city

Carpinteria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: As a non-profit organization, SCHR applies for grant funding from various government agencies, foundations, and conservation organizations to manage restoration projects from start to finish. Major funders include California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation Board, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, NOAA Fisheries, and California Coastal Conservancy.
2. Donations: Individual donations from supporters, including partnerships with organizations like 1% For the Planet. Donations are used to support habitat restoration and steelhead trout recovery efforts.
3. Private Property Owner Contributions: Property owners contribute to project costs, particularly for fish passage and bank stabilization projects on their land.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

South Coast Habitat Restoration is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that delivers habitat restoration services focused on watershed restoration and endangered Southern Steelhead Trout recovery in the Santa Barbara and Ventura region. The organization removes concrete creek crossings (Arizona crossings) and installs clear span bridges, stabilizes creek banks using biotechnical methods, restores riparian habitat by removing invasive species and planting natives, and conducts watershed planning and post-fire assessments.

Product overview

South Coast Habitat Restoration (SCHR) is a non-profit organization that provides habitat restoration services focused on protecting, conserving, and restoring habitat and native biodiversity in the Santa Barbara and Ventura areas. Their core offerings consist of four interconnected service areas: Fish Passage Restoration (removing barriers and installing clear span bridges to enable steelhead trout migration), Community Restoration (volunteer-based native vegetation restoration), Bank Stabilization (biotechnical stream bank restoration), and Watershed Planning (strategic assessments and post-fire recovery planning). The organization operates as a project-based non-profit, applying for grant funding and collaborating with landowners, government agencies, tribes, and conservation partners to implement restoration projects from concept to completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fish Passage Restoration Projects

Quantifiable outcome

• Opened 13 miles of upstream habitat at Wheeler Gorge
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Earth Island InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007SCHR has been a project of Earth Island Institute since 2007. Earth Island provides comprehensive fiscal sponsorship and project support, serving as the parent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
• California Department of Fish & WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor funder and regulatory partner for fish passage and habitat restoration projects across Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.
• U.S. Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency managing Los Padres National Forest, partnered on Wheeler Gorge Fish Passage Project within Ojai Ranger District.
• The Nature ConservancymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization with shared mission focus on habitat and species protection.
• California Conservation CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency providing conservation corps crews for project implementation, native plant installation, and erosion control measures across multiple projects.
• Ojai Valley Land ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal land trust partnered on Wheeler Gorge project, collecting seed, growing over 1,000 plants at their nursery, and coordinating planting efforts.
• Channel Islands RestorationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partnered on Carpinteria Creek Mouth and Refugio Creek Mouth restoration projects.
• Santa Ynez Band of Chumash IndiansmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederally recognized tribe partnering on Wheeler Gorge Fish Passage Project for watershed restoration.
• California TroutmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization focused on California trout and salmon recovery with shared regional mission.
• American RiversmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational river conservation organization supporting watershed restoration efforts.
• California State ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency managing parkland where multiple restoration projects are located including Carpinteria Creek Mouth and Refugio Creek Mouth.
• County of Santa BarbaramajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partner including Flood Control District for watershed projects.
• Santa Barbara County Flood Control DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty agency partnered on multiple fish passage and bank stabilization projects.
• Southern California Wetlands Recovery ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional wetlands recovery program supporting Carpinteria and Refugio Creek Mouth restoration.
• Cachuma Resource Conservation DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal RCD partnered on multiple watershed restoration projects.
• Carpinteria Creek Watershed CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal watershed coalition collaborating on Carpinteria Creek restoration efforts.
• Ventura County Resource Conservation DistrictmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty RCD partnered on Lion Creek Steelhead Restoration Project.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation organization with major California chapter work on rivers, fish passage, and habitat protection. Much larger scale and broader portfolio but overlapping restoration methods and a listed SCHR partner.

Direct peers

• Sustainable Conservation: California nonprofit advancing stewardship of land, air, and water through partnerships with agencies, landowners, and communities. Comparable nonprofit partnership-driven model and California watershed focus.
• Channel Islands Restoration: California-based nonprofit specializing in habitat restoration and native plant propagation. Direct SCHR partner on Carpinteria Creek and Refugio Creek Mouth projects with comparable community-led restoration model.
• American Rivers: National river conservation organization focused on dam removal, river restoration, and watershed protection. Highly comparable mission and listed SCHR partner.
• California Trout: California-focused nonprofit dedicated to recovery of wild trout, steelhead, and salmon through habitat restoration. Directly comparable mission on steelhead recovery in California and a listed SCHR partner.
• Ojai Valley Land Conservancy: Regional land trust in Ventura County that runs native plant nurseries and partners on habitat restoration. Direct SCHR partner on Wheeler Gorge and overlapping regional restoration work.
• Trout Unlimited: National nonprofit focused on coldwater fisheries conservation, with extensive fish passage barrier removal and stream restoration programs. Highly comparable service lines to SCHR, including volunteer-driven watershed restoration.
• Coastal Ranches Conservancy: Regional coastal land trust on the Gaviota Coast working on watershed and habitat stewardship. Direct SCHR partner and overlapping geography in Santa Barbara County.

Regional players

• Cachuma Resource Conservation District: Santa Barbara-based RCD delivering watershed restoration and habitat projects in the same counties as SCHR. Direct SCHR partner with comparable service mix and local focus.
• Ventura County Resource Conservation District: Local RCD implementing watershed and habitat restoration projects in Ventura County. Direct SCHR partner on Lion Creek Steelhead Restoration with comparable service lines and regional focus.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/gofish_schr
• Facebookfacebook.com/schabitatrestoration
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/south-coast-habitat-restoration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Coast Habitat Restoration