Spring 2007 Newsletter - Big Sur Land Trust

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personal information with anyone else, nor send mailings on behalf of other organizations.
contact
10
to reach us:
Telephone: 831.625.5523
Fax: 831.625.0716
E-mail: mail@bigsurlandtrust.org
www.bigsurlandtrust.org
Board of Trustees
Post Office Box 221864
Carmel, California 93922
Return Service Requested
CHAIR
Diane Sena
VICE CHAIR
Stephen Schulte
TREASURER
Phil Wilhelm
SECRETARY
Linda Charles
Ian Arnof
David Bates
Phillip Butler
Debbie Cervenka
Paul Danielson
Kent Evans
Rosalind Fisher
Scot McKay
Leslie Snorf
George N. Somero, Ph.D.
Nick Wheeler
Staff
Bill Leahy, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Donna Meyers, DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Martin McCarthy DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS
Lana Weeks, DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY
Heather Brady, STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM MANAGER
Joanna Devers, CONSERVATION PROGRAM MANAGER
Donna Walden, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Sheila McMahon, ANNUAL FUND COORDINATOR
Jo Lynn Rosbach, PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Jim Cox, GLEN DEVEN RANCH MANAGER
David Zweifel, MITTELDORF PRESERVE CARETAKER
Consultants
Law Offices of Zad Leavy and
Robin Jepsen LEGAL COUNSEL
Doolittle & Ganos INVESTMENT ADVISOR
printed by an economical direct to plate process, on recycled paper using soy based inks.
A MOO LAND CELEBRATION
MAY 12 FESTIVITIES OPEN NEW CARMEL VALLEY VILLAGE PARKLAND
Come celebrate the community opening of Moo Land, the
new riverside parkland in Carmel Valley Village, Saturday, May
12, at the neighboring Carmel Valley Trail & Saddle Club.
Festivities begin at 12 p.m. and continue until 4 p.m.
Moo Land, a 32-acre stretch of the south bank of the Carmel
River, was recently purchased by The Big Sur Land Trust, thanks
largely to a $1.9 million grant from the California State Resources
Agency River Parkway Program. Total project costs exceed $2.3 million and the Land
Trust continues to raise funds to help pay to restore deciduous riparian forest, remove
invasive non-native weeds, repair trails and create educational and recreational
programs that include signage, picnic facilities, and a new seasonal bridge.
Donna Meyers, Director of Conservation Programs, says the entire BSLT staff and
our partners at the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District share in the excitement
of welcoming the public to Moo Land.
“This is such a key project for Carmel Valley,” she said. “The property is a vital
link between the Garzas neighborhood, Dampierre Little League Field, Garland
Ranch Regional Park and the Village. Purchasing Moo Land ensures the permanent
protection of a vital neighborhood trail and provides great access to the river.”
Moo Land is one of the neighborhood trails envisioned by BSLT as part of the larger
Carmel River Parkway program.
Food and beverages will be served at the May 12 event. The Big Sur Land Trust will
conduct guided hikes through Moo Land while explaining the history of the property
and discussing restoration efforts already underway.
The Carmel Valley Trail and Saddle Club is located at the end of East Garzas Road
in Carmel Valley. From Carmel Valley Road, take Boronda Road west and turn left
at Garzas Road.
To RSVP by May 4, or for further information, call The Big Sur Land Trust at
831.625.5523, ext. 100.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PA ID
Permit No. 93
Carmel, CA
93922
STEAKLEY
EXHIBIT
FUNDRAISER
FOR BSLT
Douglas Steakley,
nationally known
nature photographer,
is hosting
a private BSLT-member reception, Saturday May 19, from 7 p.m. to
9 p.m., at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. The reception
features Steakley’s latest exhibit, “The Western Landscape,” a collection
of striking scenic and wildlife images from across the western
United States.
The Western Landscape includes large format prints and panoramas
highlighting Steakley’s recent excursions through Montana, Wyoming
and other western states. Steakley received the Ansel Adams award
from the Sierra Club for his environmental photography. Several
books of his photographs have been published including Pacific Light,
Images of The Monterey Peninsula (2000), Big Sur and Beyond, The
Legacy of The Big Sur Land Trust (2001) and A Photographer’s Guide
to The California Coastline (2005). He is currently working on a new
book to be titled The Hidden Architecture of Big Sur, which should
be published in 2007.
All proceeds from the sale of photography during the reception will
benefit The Big Sur Land Trust.
“It is incumbent on those of us who enjoy visiting these beautiful
locations to make sure we help preserve them for future generations,”
said Steakley. “That’s why I create opportunities like this reception
to give back to organizations such as The Big Sur Land Trust.”
BSLT members wishing to attend the reception and meet the
photographer are asked to RSVP by Monday May 14 by calling
831.625.5523, ext. 103.
Editorial Services – Tom Owens, Tom Owens Communications; Newsletter Design – Bunne Hartmann, Hartmann Design Group; Photography – Douglas Steakley, and BSLT Staff.
THE BIG SUR LAND TRUST
Spring 2007 Conserving our precious land and waters for all generations
INSIDE palo corona new river trails
INSIDE glen deven ranch artist in residence
INSIDE marks ranch growing partnerships
INSIDE horse pasture property bslt gives grant
The health and vitality of the land and its wildlife
will be determined by the health and vitality of
the communities that dwell on that land.
– Wallace Stegner
NEW VISION AND VALUES REFLECT
INNOVATIVE DIRECTION FOR BSLT
THE BIG SUR LAND TRUST MEETS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS
TO SET FORTH AN INCLUSIVE FUTURE COURSE.
I t’s a good thing to occasionally
step back and take stock of your
situation. It’s beneficial to take
an objective view of where you’ve
come from, where you are, and
where you are going. It’s an eye-
opener to call in your associates,
partners and fellow travelers in
your community and take a really
hard look to see if you are still
on course with your mission, and
whether your vision and values
still hold true.
That’s exactly what The Big Sur Land Trust staff
and board have been up to for the past couple of
years. This journey culminated in a three-day retreat
held last October at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
and The Steinbeck Center. The retreat was
facilitated by the Center for Whole Communities,
a national organization dedicated to working with
groups committed to building healthier communities
through stronger, more enduring relationships
to the land.
Attending the vision and values session were
BSLT staff and board members and eight individuals
representing a cross section of the Monterey
County community. Sitting at the table were:
Alfred Diaz-Infante, Community Housing
Improvement Systems and Planning
Association
Blanca Zarazua, Attorney at Law
Brett Melone, Agriculture & Land Based
Training Association
Brian Rianda, Monterey County
Agriculture & Historical Land Conservancy
David Armanasco, Armanasco
Public Relations
Frank Pinney, Pinney Construction
Michael L. Thomas, Monterey Institute
of Social Architecture
Steve Dorrance, The Dorrance Ranch.
THE MISSION
“The mission of The Big Sur Land Trust is to
conserve the significant lands and waters of
California’s Central Coast for all generations.”
“Our goal for the retreat was to examine the future
direction of The Big Sur Land Trust, its role in the
community, and the forces of change affecting our
land and water conservation mission,” said BSLT
Executive Director Bill Leahy. “To truly achieve
that goal, we need to hear from not just the conservation
community, but all communities of the
continued on page 3
THE BIG SUR LAND TRUST - POST OFFICE BOX 221864, CARMEL, CALIFORNIA 93922 TELEPHONE 831.625.5523 FAX 831.625.0716 - WWW.BIGSURLANDTRUST.ORG

FROM THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Spring is a special time of year on the California Central Coast.
Our wonderful landscape comes alive with wildflowers, native shrubs
and grasses, and the next generation of wildlife of all shapes and sizes.
This spring is a special time of rebirth and growth at The Big Sur
Land Trust as well. Our changing natural landscape reflects the
changes in the landscape of our human communities and the
conservation groups that serve them. With growth comes change,
and to remain a vibrant land trust providing true value to our
constituents, we must change as well.
This spring issue of our newsletter illustrates some of the important
changes The Big Sur Land Trust faces as we move forward on our
mission to create a more enduring and inclusive land and water
conservation movement on California’s Central Coast. Our cover
story explains how the Land Trust recently sought input from
representatives of many varied communities in our quest to serve
an ever-wider spectrum of individuals, families and organizations.
Some things don’t change. We continue to protect and preserve our
precious lands. This is illustrated in our recent efforts to acquire
Marks Ranch and Moo Land, and, most recently, to help the
Wilderness Land Trust purchase the 160-acre Horse Pasture Property
in the northern Las Padres National Forest near Tassajara.
Equally important, we are taking more active steps to reconnect the
people of the Central Coast – all of the people of the Central Coast –
to this amazing landscape. Marks Ranch is a prime example of this
effort. In addition to serving as a critical wildlife corridor, the Marks
Ranch project is a golden opportunity to provide Salinas-area children
and families an opportunity to reconnect to their land and to the
roots of our ranching and agricultural history. Groups like the Boys
& Girls Club of Monterey County are coming to the forefront to
help us bring that vision into focus.
The recent retreat is both the culmination of our extended effort
to gain community input on our vision and just a starting point
for turning that vision into reality. Your opinion is important as
we move forward, and we encourage you to take an active role in
shaping our future.
We also encourage you to take advantage of your member benefits,
such as the many day and moonlight hikes we have planned for 2007.
I hope to see you on the trails and at the many exciting functions we
have planned for this year.
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Spring –
& Change –
Are in the Air
Grants Hike Funds
for Trail Development
at Mouth of Carmel Valley
Two grants recently secured by The Big Sur Land Trust represent
a giant step in the creation of the Carmel River Trail Parkway.
According to Donna Meyers, Director of Conservation Programs with the Land Trust,
the two grants -- totaling $1.85 million -- are targeted for two specific projects that
will greatly increase access to the Carmel River at the mouth of the valley. Both of the
projects are the result of creative partnerships with local and state agencies including
California State Parks, Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, the Transportation
Agency of Monterey County, and Monterey County Public Works.
ADA ACCESS TO
RIVER AND OAK
WOODLANDS
The BSLT has
obtained a $1.35
million grant for
developing approximately
five miles of
trails along the south
side of Carmel River
at Palo Corona
Regional Park.
Included is a
one-mile stretch
of an ADA-compliant trail that features handicapped parking and wheelchair access
into oak woodland habitat. The trails, located on the “Front Ranch” of Palo Corona
Regional Park, will be developed in partnership with Monterey Peninsula Regional
Park District who is providing trail building expertise and some materials for the project.
The grant is provided by the California River Parkways Program through Proposition
50 funds approved by California voters in 2004.
“This is a major step in connecting our entire community to the river,” said Meyers. “In
addition to the trails and parking, we’ll develop educational signage that highlights key
information about the river environment and the history of the ranch where the trails are
located.”
HATTON CANYON TRAIL LINKS NEIGHBORS, MERCHANTS
The second grant secured by The Big Sur Land Trust provides $500,000 for construction
of a trail through Hatten Canyon to the mouth of Carmel Valley. A partnership between
BSLT, the Transportation Agency of Monterey County and California State Parks will
develop the trail from the top of Carmel Hill down to and under Carmel Valley Road,
linking to the Carmel River Trail system.
According to Meyers, the businesses at the mouth of the Carmel Valley are also playing
an active role in the planning process. She says that representatives from both The
Barnyard Shopping Center and the Carmel Mission Inn provided letters of support to get
the project off the ground.
“We’ll continue to work with them on trail design so that it supports their businesses as
well as provide access to the river parkway,” Meyers said. “So far they have been great
partners.”
The Hatton Canyon Trail will require extensive planning, designing and mapping, and
actual construction will likely not begin until 2009.
HELP FROM THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
Meyers also reported that The Big Sur Land Trust received an assistance grant from the
National Park Service that will provide expert consultation services for further development
of the Carmel River Valley Conservation Program. She says the award will help The
BSLT look at how they can better operate and maintain the parkway into the future
while integrating the interests of public agencies, local businesses and recreation enthusiasts.
“The National Park Service provides a broad perspective on how to support the whole
community with our efforts,” said Meyers. “We look forward to receiving their advice.”
Linda Liscom & Ed Power
Pat Price
Hannah & Bob Priestley
Pierre & Carol Prodis
Ruth Pryer Hardisty
Michael & Mary Quirit
Gerda Rayne
Jason Reed
Bruce Merchant
and Sandra Reel
Derek & Margaret Renaut
Tony & Barb Ricciardi
Alan & Carol Richmond
Cynthia & Frederick Riebe
James Ringrose
Brian & Barbara Robinson
Glenn & Elizabeth Robinson
John & Marion Robotti
Terry Rockwood
Jean Rodriguez
Barbara N. Roecker
Tom & Lori Rolander
Alan & Lyn Rosen
Brian Roseth
Wayne & Jennifer Ross
Nancy B Roth
James & Jennifer Rotter
Drs. Jerome & Suellen Rubin
Glen & Corinne Ryland
Timothy & Jane Sanders
Barbara Santry
Dr. George Sardina
Sharon Sarris
Bill & Blanche Scheidecker
Hannah Schultz
Anne Secker
Sally T Selner
Bill & Kathy Sharpe
Michael DeLapa & Becky Shaw
Kary Shender
Mr. Ron G. Sherwin
Dr. and Mrs. David Shollenbarger
Peter Simon
Andree Siu
Sidney Slade
Pamela Smith
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Smith
Bill Soskin & Marian Penn
Mike and Barbara Sovereign
Barbara Spring
Katherine C Springer
Susan Stecklair
Margaret Steele
Noelle Steinbroner
Noreen & Lee Steinmetz
Stellar Solutions Foundation
Mike and Linda Stemler
Morgan & June Stock
Virginia & Warren Stone
Marcella and Mark Stull
William & Teresa Sullivan
Earl Y Meyers II &
Bonnie Jean Sunwood
Vivian Sweeney
Barry & Kathleen Swift
Joseph Szewczak
Edith Tannenbaum
Carol & John Tegtmeier
Daniel & Patricia Tellep
Shirley Thackara
Barbara Thomas
Lawer Thomas
Ronald B. Thomas
Judy Thompson
Justin and Mary Degroat Thornburg
BSLT 2007 Season of Events
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––---------------------------------------------------------------------------–
BSLT All-Member Events Moo Land Barbeque/Celebration Sat. May 12, noon – 4 pm
Steakley Art Exhibit at Pacific Grove
Natural History Museum
Sat. May 19, 7 pm – 9 pm
Donor Benefits Events LAND GUARDIAN - Blue Moon Hike
Glen Deven, Thursday, May 31, from 6 pm –10 pm
LAND CONSERVATOR - Breakfast with Bill
Mitteldorf Preserve, Saturday, September 15, from 9 am - noon
TRUSTEE OF THE LAND - Martin Dunes Walk with Joey Dorrell-Canepa
Sunday, April 22 – Earth Day, from 9 am – 1 pm
Global Warming Lecture with George Somero, Thursday, Nov. 1, at 7 pm
PRESIDENTS CIRCLE - Geology Walk on Point Lobos with Ed Clifton
Saturday, September 8, from 9 am – 3 pm
WILDERNESS SEEKERS - Picnic on Palo Corona
Sunday, April 29, from 4 – 7 pm
Baldo Marinovic & Kristen Tibbitts
Bob & Sally Tierney
Ms. Carol Todd
Roger & Mary Todd
Robin Tokmakian
Mark & Katy Travaille
Michael, Erik & Diane Uppman
Daan van Alderwerelt
Genie P Van Tyle
Jim & Pat Vance
Sarah & Phillip Vedder
Hope Verdugo
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Volberg
Catherine & Joseph Von Schwind
Dana J. Weston
Gigi Wharton
Richard Wheat
Diana Wheeler
Michael & Marilynn Whitcomb
Cathy White
Jo & George White, Jr.
Claudia Wiegand
The Wildthings
Don Edwards & Edie Wilkie
Frederick B Williams
Gordon & Beverly Williams
Hope Williams
Josephine & Roger Williams
Mr.and Mrs. Gerald Williams
Sylvia Williams
George & Ann Wilson
Maryellen & Michael Wilson
Martin & Karen Wiskoff
Kathi & Bill Wojtkowski
Judith Wolfe
Wilma Wool
Dr. Suzanne Worcester
Mrs. Darby Moss Worth
Constance Wright
Ken & Mary Wright
Wutke Family
Vern Yadon
Dr. Rod M. Yeager
G.E. Young, Jr.
Cynthia Snorf Zak
Bradley Zeve
Dr. and Mrs. Rick Zug
FORMER TRUSTEES LUNCHEON - Friday, October 12, from 11 am – 2 pm
LAND & LEGACY LUNCHEON - Tueday June 19, from 11 am – 2 pm
LAND & LEGACY
CIRCLE
LAND & LEGACY CIRCLE
ANNUAL LUNCHEON
TUESDAY, JUNE 19, 11 AM
GLEN DEVEN RANCH
The Land & Legacy Circle is an honored
group of donors who make the notable
decision to include The Big Sur Land Trust
in their charitable estate plans. Their legacy
gifts make a personal and lasting statement
in protecting our glorious, irreplaceable
landscapes for generations to come.
The Land & Legacy Annual Luncheon
will be held at Glen Deven Ranch on
Tuesday, June 19. For more information
about our Land & Legacy Circle, please contact
Lana Weeks at 831.625.5523 ext. 102.
9

4
Sede IV – Susan Thacker
Susan Thacker has a love-hate relationship with the
city of Los Angeles. She loves the creative energy of
a vibrant art community. She loves her studio where
she paints. She loves her home in Beverly Glen
Canyon, which she shares with her husband, twotime
Grammy award winning recording engineer
Ed Thacker, and her three children.
But she hates the traffic. She hates the smog and the
heat of muggy summers. She hates the spread of the
city, the smell, the noise of too many people in not
enough space.
Imagination to Reality
“A lifetime of residing
in Los Angeles has
remained manageable
for one reason,” said
Thacker. “In my imagination,
I’ve lived in
Big Sur ever since
visiting there at the
age of 14.”
This past winter, Thacker no longer had to depend
on her imagination to conjure up Big Sur. Thanks
to an innovative artist-in-residence program jointly
developed by The Big Sur Land Trust and the Big Sur
Arts Initiative, Thacker spent six weeks living, painting
and loving Big Sur at the Land Trust’s Glen
Deven Ranch.
The creation of this pilot artist-in-residence program
has a hint of destiny to it. A few years ago, Thacker
signed up for an artists' tour of Italy. On the trip she
met Tom Birmingham and Erin Gafill, husband and
wife and co-founders of the Big Sur Arts Initiative.
The three struck up a friendship and Thacker shared
her experiences as a teenager visiting Carmel, Big
Sur and the Monterey Peninsula. The new friends
kept in touch following their enjoyable trip.
Meanwhile, about a year ago, Tom Birmingham
and The Big Sur Land Trust Executive Director Bill
Leahy met. Birmingham shared his vision for the
Big Sur Arts Initiative and Leahy shared his goal of
having The Land Trust institute an art program at
Glen Deven Ranch. They talked and came up with
the idea of using the ranch to host artist retreats.
Come last July, Susan Thacker called her friend Erin
Gafill during a sweltering heat wave in Los Angeles
(that hate relationship), and Thacker expressed a
burning desire to come to Big Sur. Gafill immediately
brought up the incubating idea of the artist retreat
at Glen Deven Ranch, and Thacker grabbed the
bull by the horns. She drafted a detailed, passionate
proposal to become the first Glen Deven artist-inresidence.
A few months later, she was packing her
bags and gathering her equipment for a six-week stay
atop Garrapata Ridge, southeast of Garrapata Creek.
Art on Glen Deven Ranch
The 860-acre Glen Deven Ranch was bequeathed
to The Big Sur Land Trust by Dr. Seely and Virginia
Mudd. Virginia, a writer and artist, had constructed
on the property her own studio separate from the
ranch house. Here is where Susan Thacker set up
her easel, spread out her paints and began her six
weeks in heaven.
“Seely’s and Virginia’s spirits are very strong on the
property, and Virginia’s is especially strong around
the studio,” said Thacker. “With the quiet that I had,
you can’t help but notice the unspoken parts of
things.”
Thacker recalled that when preparing
for the trip, she was torn as to her
artistic direction during her stay.
Should she continue working on a
series of paintings she had started in
her Los Angeles studio, or should she
go in with a total lack of direction
and let the Big Sur experience affect
her work? The latter choice was risky,
but won out in the end.
Thacker made the trek north to Big
Sur in November. After three days of
acquainting herself with her surroundings,
she found her inspiration.
“There was a mountain in the view
of the studio that was literally taunting
me,” she said. “Come on, try to paint me.”
ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
LAUNCHED AT GLEN DEVEN RANCH
haring an
Artistic Vision
BSLT AND BIG SUR ARTS INITIATIVE
That led to the beginning of a series
of paintings she called “Sede,” or seat. The series,
she said, was inspired by her reading Henry David
Thoreau’s Walden, in which he compares land to a
seat from which to view the world. She soon found
a familiar companion showing up in her landscape
paintings.
“I kept dropping into the landscape this white
upholstered chair, similar to one I have in my living
room in Los Angeles,” she said. “It seemed the best
metaphor for feeling at home in another place.”
Thacker discovered that her surroundings not only
affected what she painted but how she painted.
“I was surprised when I started painting, I was using
my entire arm as my brush,” she said. “It just wanted
to move. So I went with that and ended up with
a much more gestural exuberant mark on my paper.
I decided to trust it. I was gesturally painting the
atmosphere around me in the colors that I felt.”
Thacker says she thoroughly enjoyed her time on
Glen Deven Ranch. Days of solitude were spiced
with excursions into Big Sur and to the Monterey
Peninsula for supplies and the companionship of
friends. She met up with Seely Mudd’s daughter Liz,
whom Susan had known from her days in Carmel as
a teenager. Thacker brought Liz up to the ranch for
her first visit since Seely had died. Another highlight
was a welcoming reception at Nepenthe restaurant
where 25 local artists shared their work and their
food with a potluck offering.
Thacker also became friends with Jim Cox, Glen
Deven Ranch Manager for The Big Sur Land Trust.
He would visit the studio when feeding nearby
horses and share wonderful stories of his years with
the Mudd family. “I think Jim has a great biography
in him,” she said.
Thacker’s only complaint was that the time flew
by far too quickly. She packed up her belongings
Sede Il – Susan Thacker
and headed back to Los Angeles a few days before
Christmas. Just before leaving, she received a very
special email from one of the sons of the Mudds,
thanking her for her visit and telling her how
pleased his parents would have been.
Susan Thacker wrote an extensive blog while at
Glen Deven Ranch. You can read more about her
amazing artist-in-residence experience at susanthacker.blogspot.com.
Future Artist-In-Residence Programs
According to Jill Crawford, Program Director for
the Big Sur Arts Initiative, the initial artist-in-residence
experience was so successful there are now
plans to hold two such programs each year.
“We are really excited,” she says. “Things are still
in the early planning stages.”
Crawford notes there will be a formal application
process for artists interested in participating in the
program. She suggests watching the Big Sur Arts
Initiative website – www.bigsurarts.org – for further
information, or calling their office at 831.667.1530.
Wilderness Seekers
Robert & Angela Amarante
Ian & Andrea Arnof
S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
Catherine L. & Robert O. McMahan
Foundation
Debbie & Bob Cervenka
Randall & Linda Charles
Community Foundation for Monterey County
David & Lucile Packard Foundation
Bill & Nancy Doolittle
Marit Evans
Florrie & Paul Kagan
Phyllis Geer Krystal Fund
Joseph Manganello
Bruce & Harriet Newell
Newman's Own Foundation
Barnet Segal Charitable Trust
Robert Stephens & Julie Packard
Brigitte Wasserman
Whiteley & Nick Wheeler
J.A. Woollam Foundation
Jack & Syb Zaches Foundation
Marsha McMahan Zelus
President's Circle
George Somero & Amy Anderson
Bob & Marilyn Callander
Paul & Margaret Danielson
Ned & Sandra Dewey
Kent & Lyn Evans
Rosalind & Howard Fisher
Peggy & Steve Fossett
Julia Foster and David Bates
Kinnoull Foundation
Gary Kuris
Lumpkin Family Foundation
Ann & John Mahoney
Michael & Denise Malcolm
Sue McCloud
Heidi and Scot McKay
Greg Minshall
Morgan Family Fund
Stephen & Margaret Schulte
Diane Sena
Leslie & Charles Snorf
Phil & Carol Wilhelm
Trustees of the Land
Pat and Lloyd Addleman
Arkay Foundation
Sharon W. Bates
Roberta Bialek
Big Sur International Marathon
Mr. Frederic Bohlander
Fred Terman & Nan Borreson
Barbara Baldock & Phillip Butler
Mike & Nancy Canning
William & Sandra Cooper
Dawn Cope
Bunny & Craig Davis
2006
DONORS
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT
James & Gloria Didion
Susan DuCoeur
Clint & Dina Eastwood
Karen & Hugo Ferlito
Happy Fitzgerald
Elaine Fox
Fox Family Foundation
Susan & Charles Franklin
Kathleen Gates
Jim & Jeri Gattis
Barbara & Harlan Hall
Sara Harkins
Mr. & Mrs. Sydney Harrison
Mr. William R. Hearst, III
Jan & Rich Holloway
The Holmsky Family
Heidi Hopkins
Kip & Jay Hudson
Dr. & Mrs. Rolf Johnsen
Richard Kalinyak
Erling Lagerholm
Dave & Suzanne Larky
The Ralph and Gladys Lazarus Foundation
Law Offices of Zad Leavy & Robin Jepsen
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Leahy
Zad & Laela Leavy
Gary & Judy Logan
Robert & Connie Lurie
Doug & Shawn MacKenzie
Maureen Mason
Rod & Peggy McMahan
Leslie Montgomery & Paul McManus
Konny Murray
Cary & Debbie Neiman
Charlotte Neuville
Charles & Karen Osborne
Sharon & Judd Perry
Sue A Pius
Jerome F. Politzer
Michael & Michelle Raggett
David E. Reese Family Foundation
Nancy Riddle Iversen
Muriel Isom Rowland
Jon Kannegaard & Pat Sandoval
Dr. Don Scanlon
Frank & Denise Schiavone
Lary & Carlleen Scott
Mary Shaw
Harriet & Furman Sheppard
Roy & Sarah Signer
Mr. David Taggart
Robert Talbott
Richard Tevis
Marilyn Thomas
Dr. and Mrs. Mike Turbow
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Ungaretti
Upjohn California Fund
Janet Effland & Bill Urbach
Mary Martha Waltz
Betty White Ludden
Doug & Ann Wilhelm
Susan & Michel Willey
R.A. Williams
Julia B. Wilson
Dr. and Mrs. John A Woollam
Dawn Zinser Church
Land Conservator
Brian Bajari
Mrs. Talcott Bates
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Beck
Henrietta Stern and Tom Biggs
Bruce & Anne Bloxom
Randell Kent Bishop & Robert Boger
Heather Brady
John & Terri Brazinsky
Lacy & Bob Buck
Carmel Rotary Club
Pauline K. Dall
Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Davis
Debby and Frank Degnan
Daniel DeKimpe
Dorothy & Peter Denning
Roger & Rochelle Dolan
Davis & Christine Factor
Judy Field
George & Susan Fugelsang
Marion Getz
Peter Heublein
Joanne Hively
Carol Lee Holland
Rod & Alma Holmgren
Gary & Sandra Hornbuckle
Catherine M. Horne
Hans & Elizabeth Jannasch
Justin Dart Family Foundation
Jesse & Carol Kahn
George & Raimie Kriste
Jack L. Larsen
Bill & Lorien Leahy
Pam & Gifford Lehman
Larry & Judith Lippman
John & Marina Zeiber Little, MD
Manitou Fund
Stan & Sherry McKee
Robert Reid & Jacqueline McManus
Virginia Meade, DO
Dr. & Mrs. L. Bruce Meyer
Roberta Hunter & Donna Meyers
Don & Laura Newmark
Shirley Nootbaar
Ruth & George Nye
Marjorie Perrine
Paul Rembert
Steven Ricketts
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Rosen
Jan Avent & David Rossetti
Seidler Foundation
Rita & Shelby Steele
Ladd & Pat Strnad
Tab of Monterey and Salinas
Dr. Stephanie Taylor
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continued next page
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2006
DONORS
Lynn Burgess
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Sisters of Notre Dame
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8
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NEW VISION AND VALUES continued from page 1
Central Coast, including those unfamiliar with
The Big Sur Land Trust and what we do. We needed
to hear from residents of Big Sur and Carmel Valley,
as well as residents of Salinas and other inland areas.
We needed to hear from the agricultural, ranching
and construction communities, as well as government
entities and nonprofits. To achieve our mission,
we have to move forward with strategies and
goals that take into account current and future
needs of the whole community.”
According to Leahy, substantial population growth
and booming property values have shifted the playing
field dramatically for land trusts like the BSLT.
For example, one historic tactic for land conservation
involves purchasing large tracts of undeveloped
land and turning them over to the state or federal
parks. While such purchases can still be feasible,
as demonstrated by the Marks Ranch project, this
approach becomes less viable as property values
continue to rise. Furthermore, other community
concerns, such as maintaining the economic viability
of traditional rural land uses, may not be well served
by this strategy.
These challenges, said Leahy, are why The Big Sur
Land Trust needed to take a fresh look at how it
accomplishes its mission. This re-examination, he
says, required community input in order to discover
innovative and workable solutions to preserving the
many landscapes that make the Central Coast so
special while recognizing the needs of a burgeoning
community.
The retreat participants first got together for a
working dinner at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and
dialog commenced. Participants engaged in a frank
exchange of opinions and ideas. The Land Trust
heard the good and the bad as community representatives
explained their perceptions of what was right
and wrong with the BSLT. Issues such as the lack
of affordable housing and the economic threat to
family farms and ranches were explored within the
context of the conservation movement.
NEW VISION AND VALUES
By the end of the third day of discussions, the group
agreed to a vision statement for The Big Sur Land Trust:
We see a future for our communities in which rich
natural resources, working landscapes, prospering
human communities and the unique character
of place are conserved and cared for through
collaborative partnerships and mutual support.
“This vision statement is not a significant departure
from our traditional vision,” said Leahy. “However,
it expands the notion of who benefits from our
efforts by including references to the human and
socioeconomic benefits of our work.”
From this vision, the group identified a number
of core values that, arguably, are shared by both
the Land Trust and the broader community. The
following reflects a distillation of those values the
Land Trust will use to help guide its strategic planning
efforts in the coming months. These values are
not goals for the organization; rather they are meant
to serve as guides for planning and implementing
conservation projects and initiatives in a way that
will both allow a broader set of partners and stakeholders
to participate and, ultimately, achieve more
enduring and effective conservation results.
1. ECOLOGICAL WELL-BEING: We will ensure
our land and water is conserved for wildlife habitat
and sustainable economic and recreational uses.
2. COMMUNITY VITALITY: We will promote
community vitality through local, economic development
and partnerships that support conservation
of significant lands and waters. We recognize the
role of food production as an essential ingredient
of community and keep options open for those who
make a living from the land and water.
3. STEWARDSHIP: We will strive to inspire land
and water conservation in all local citizens, especially
in our children. We will establish learning opportunities
to motivate a new generation who desire to live
in direct connection with the land and its resources
through farming, ranching, stewardship, etc.
4. INSPIRING STORIES: We will take time to
learn about and communicate the history and story
of the places we are conserving, letting these stories
inspire and inform our work.
5. HEALTHY PEOPLE: We will provide all
Monterey County citizens opportunities to experience
lands and waters through healthy recreation,
hands on stewardship, and farming and conservation
education.
6. SERVICE: We will seek and find opportunities
to serve “the many” through our conservation work,
especially landowners, civic partners and neighboring
communities where powerful collaborations lead
to advancement of mutual goals and objectives.
7. FAIRNESS: We will engage with members of
the community whose interests heretofore have
been ignored or not served by the land conservation
movement.
8. COMMUNITY RESILIENCE/VIABILITY:
We will promote land and water conservation while
preserving opportunities for communities to meet
their housing and infrastructure needs. We will help
maintain economic viability in concert with land
and water conservation.
The vision and values retreat concluded with a
renewed appreciation of The Big Sur Land Trust’s
role in the community and a greater understanding
of how new challenges call for new land conservation
strategies.
Steve Dorrance, a family rancher who shares the
4,300-acre Dorrance Ranch with his two brothers,
expressed appreciation for being invited to the
retreat. He was particularly pleased that the Land
Trust recognized the estate planning issues facing
ranchers as they struggle to pass on their way of
life to the next generation.
“If the land is selling for $100,000 an acre across
the fence, there’s going to be no way to turn it over
to the next generation for ranching or farming,”
said Dorrance. “Range land generates thirty to fifty
dollars an acre, gross. You can’t make it. Without
advanced planning, without bringing income up
and the land value down, there’s only one thing
to do. It has to be sold.”
Dorrance said he also appreciated the fact that the
BSLT recognizes that family ranchers and farmers
often make the best stewards of their land and that
helping preserve working ranches through easement
programs often makes more sense than trying to
obtain the property outright.
Frank Pinney of Pinney Construction has followed
the activities of the Land Trust for most of the 35
years he has lived and worked in Big Sur. He said he
was happy to see that the BSLT was paying attention
to the needs of the people, as well as the land, of Big
Sur. He fears for the health of the Big Sur community
as it shifts to an absentee work force due to a shortage
of housing and escalating land values.
“Attempts to preserve land often times went
counter to what was perceived as the interests of
the community due to loss of housing sites, changes
of ownership and loss of our community-based
culture,” said Pinney. “It’s good to see more
empathy for the people of the community.”
Michael Thomas, Founder and Senior Principal
with the Monterey Institute for Social Architecture,
makes a living showing corporations how to adopt
a “full stakeholder model” that looks beyond shareholder
profits and recognizes the needs of employees
and communities. He sees consistencies between
that model in the corporate world and what The
Big Sur Land Trust is doing within its community.
“I was impressed with the willingness of the BSLT
board members to be open to new ideas,” he said.
“What was being offered up conceptually was
different from what many of them perceived to
be the role of a land trust. Instead of having the
role of securing land and protecting it from the
people, it’s more a role of reconnecting the people
to the land. That’s a huge shift in thinking.”
Attorney Blanca Zarazua concurred that the strategic
planning session showed a willingness of all parties
to reach a common ground that considers the whole
community.
“I was pleased to see we are reaching to make it
(vision and values planning) as broad and creative
as possible.”
LOOKING FORWARD
The Big Sur Land Trust staff and board members
recognize the Central Coast of California is facing
tremendous pressures that will test its ability to
maintain its uniqueness. These forces are challenging
the Land Trust to reconsider its vision and the
community it serves. The BSLT uniformly praised
the community members who gave up their time
to participate in the vision and values retreat. They
said this input was invaluable in helping them consider
new approaches to foster conservation on a
broader, more expansive scale than could have ever
been imagined in the Land Trust’s founding years.
Looking forward, the BSLT will take its new
vision and values and integrate them into its strategic
planning for 2007 and beyond. It will continue
to collaborate with local communities, expanding
the voices heard in its effort to build a truly
collaborative land conservation movement.
“We recognize that our land and water conservation
work must do more to strengthen communities and
inspire a stewardship ethic,” said Leahy. “Through
partnerships and collaborations like our retreat, we
must consider the needs of people whose livelihoods
are connected to healthy landscapes, incorporating
their ideas and concerns into our strategies. We look
forward to more conversations like these as we move
into long-range strategic planning for the future.”
3