THE BIG SUR LAND TRUST

THE B IG SUR LAND TRUST - POST OFF ICE BOX 221864, CARMEL, CAL IFORNIA 93922 TELEPHONE 831.625.5523 FAX 831.625.0716 - WWW.BIGSURLANDTRUST.ORG

Spr ing 2007 Conser v ing our prec ious land and waters for a l l generat ions

I N S I D E palo corona new river trails

I N S I D E horse pasture property bslt gives grant

I N S I D E glen deven ranch artist in residence

I N S I D E marks ranch growing partnerships

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

DONOR PRIVACY POLICY: The Big Sur Land Trust will not sell, trade or share your personal information with anyone else, nor send mailings on behalf of other organizations.

to reach us:

Telephone: 831.625.5523

Fax: 831.625.0716

E-mail: mail@bigsurlandtrust.org

www.bigsurlandtrust.org

StaffBill 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

ConsultantsLaw Offices of Zad Leavy and Robin Jepsen LEGAL COUNSEL

Doolittle & Ganos INVESTMENT ADVISOR

Post Office Box 221864 Carmel, California 93922

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Board of TrusteesCHAIR

Diane Sena

VICE CHAIR

Stephen Schulte

TREASURER

Phil Wilhelm

SECRETARY

Linda Charles

Ian ArnofDavid Bates

Phillip ButlerDebbie Cervenka

Paul DanielsonKent Evans

Rosalind FisherScot McKayLeslie Snorf

George N. Somero, Ph.D.Nick Wheeler

STEAKLEYEXHIBIT FUNDRAISER FOR BSLT

Douglas Steakley,nationally knownnature photogra-pher, 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 collec-tion of striking scenic and wildlife images from across the westernUnited States.

The Western Landscape includes large format prints and panoramashighlighting Steakley’s recent excursions through Montana, Wyomingand other western states. Steakley received the Ansel Adams awardfrom 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, TheLegacy of The Big Sur Land Trust (2001) and A Photographer’s Guideto The California Coastline (2005). He is currently working on a newbook 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 willbenefit 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 calling831.625.5523, ext. 103.

A MOO LAND CELEBRATIONMAY 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, May12, 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 CarmelRiver, was recently purchased by The Big Sur Land Trust, thankslargely to a $1.9 million grant from the California State Resources

Agency River Parkway Program. Total project costs exceed $2.3 million and the LandTrust continues to raise funds to help pay to restore deciduous riparian forest, removeinvasive 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 excitementof 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 largerCarmel River Parkway program.

Food and beverages will be served at the May 12 event. The Big Sur Land Trust willconduct guided hikes through Moo Land while explaining the history of the propertyand 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 at831.625.5523, ext. 100.

NEW VISION AND VALUES REFLECT

INNOVATIVE DIRECTION FOR BSLTTHE BIG SUR LAND TRUST MEETS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS

TO SET FORTH AN INCLUSIVE FUTURE COURSE.

That’s exactly what The Big Sur Land Trust staff and board have been up to for the past couple ofyears. This journey culminated in a three-day retreatheld last October at the Monterey Bay Aquariumand The Steinbeck Center. The retreat was facilitated by the Center for Whole Communities, a national organization dedicated to working withgroups committed to building healthier communi-ties through stronger, more enduring relationshipsto the land.

Attending the vision and values session were BSLT staff and board members and eight individualsrepresenting a cross section of the MontereyCounty 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 futuredirection of The Big Sur Land Trust, its role in thecommunity, and the forces of change affecting ourland and water conservation mission,” said BSLTExecutive Director Bill Leahy. “To truly achievethat goal, we need to hear from not just the conser-vation community, but all communities of the

continued on page 3

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.

I

Editorial Services – Tom Owens, Tom Owens Communications; Newsletter Design – Bunne Hartmann, Hartmann Design Group; Photography – Douglas Steakley, and BSLT Staff.10

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.

F R O M T H EE X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R

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 approxi-

mately 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 develop-

ment 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 enthu-

siasts.

“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.”

Grants Hike Funds

for Trail Development

at Mouth of Carmel Valley

2

Spring – & Change –Are in the Air

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 Sat. May 19, 7 pm – 9 pmNatural History Museum

Donor Benefits Events LAND GUARDIAN - Blue Moon HikeGlen Deven, Thursday, May 31, from 6 pm –10 pm

LAND CONSERVATOR - Breakfast with BillMitteldorf Preserve, Saturday, September 15, from 9 am - noon

TRUSTEE OF THE LAND - Martin Dunes Walk with Joey Dorrell-CanepaSunday, 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 CliftonSaturday, September 8, from 9 am – 3 pm

WILDERNESS SEEKERS - Picnic on Palo Corona Sunday, April 29, from 4 – 7 pm

FORMER TRUSTEES LUNCHEON - Friday, October 12, from 11 am – 2 pm

LAND & LEGACY LUNCHEON - Tueday June 19, from 11 am – 2 pm

Linda Liscom & Ed PowerPat PriceHannah & Bob PriestleyPierre & Carol ProdisRuth Pryer HardistyMichael & Mary QuiritGerda RayneJason Reed

Bruce Merchant and Sandra Reel

Derek & Margaret RenautTony & Barb RicciardiAlan & Carol RichmondCynthia & Frederick RiebeJames RingroseBrian & Barbara RobinsonGlenn & Elizabeth RobinsonJohn & Marion RobottiTerry RockwoodJean RodriguezBarbara N. RoeckerTom & Lori RolanderAlan & Lyn RosenBrian RosethWayne & Jennifer RossNancy B RothJames & Jennifer RotterDrs. Jerome & Suellen RubinGlen & Corinne RylandTimothy & Jane SandersBarbara SantryDr. George SardinaSharon SarrisBill & Blanche ScheideckerHannah SchultzAnne SeckerSally T SelnerBill & Kathy SharpeMichael DeLapa & Becky ShawKary ShenderMr. Ron G. SherwinDr. and Mrs. David ShollenbargerPeter SimonAndree Siu

Sidney SladePamela SmithMr. & Mrs. Thomas SmithBill Soskin & Marian PennMike and Barbara SovereignBarbara SpringKatherine C SpringerSusan StecklairMargaret SteeleNoelle Steinbroner

Noreen & Lee SteinmetzStellar Solutions FoundationMike and Linda StemlerMorgan & June StockVirginia & Warren StoneMarcella and Mark StullWilliam & Teresa SullivanEarl Y Meyers II &

Bonnie Jean SunwoodVivian SweeneyBarry & Kathleen SwiftJoseph SzewczakEdith TannenbaumCarol & John TegtmeierDaniel & Patricia TellepShirley ThackaraBarbara ThomasLawer ThomasRonald B. ThomasJudy ThompsonJustin and Mary Degroat Thornburg

Baldo Marinovic & Kristen TibbittsBob & Sally TierneyMs. Carol ToddRoger & Mary ToddRobin TokmakianMark & Katy TravailleMichael, Erik & Diane UppmanDaan van AlderwereltGenie P Van TyleJim & Pat VanceSarah & Phillip VedderHope VerdugoMr. and Mrs. Richard VolbergCatherine & Joseph Von SchwindDana J. WestonGigi WhartonRichard WheatDiana WheelerMichael & Marilynn WhitcombCathy WhiteJo & George White, Jr.Claudia WiegandThe WildthingsDon Edwards & Edie WilkieFrederick B WilliamsGordon & Beverly WilliamsHope WilliamsJosephine & Roger WilliamsMr.and Mrs. Gerald WilliamsSylvia WilliamsGeorge & Ann WilsonMaryellen & Michael WilsonMartin & Karen WiskoffKathi & Bill WojtkowskiJudith WolfeWilma WoolDr. Suzanne WorcesterMrs. Darby Moss WorthConstance WrightKen & Mary Wright

Wutke Family Vern YadonDr. Rod M. YeagerG.E. Young, Jr.Cynthia Snorf ZakBradley ZeveDr. and Mrs. Rick Zug

LAND & LEGACY

CIRCLELAND & 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

Susan Thacker has a love-hate relationship with thecity of Los Angeles. She loves the creative energy ofa vibrant art community. She loves her studio whereshe paints. She loves her home in Beverly GlenCanyon, which she shares with her husband, two-time Grammy award winning recording engineer Ed Thacker, and her three children.

But she hates the traffic. She hates the smog and theheat of muggy summers. She hates the spread of thecity, the smell, the noise of too many people in notenough space.

“A lifetime of residing in Los Angeles hasremained manageablefor one reason,” saidThacker. “In my imagi-nation, I’ve lived in Big Sur ever since visiting there at theage of 14.”

Imagination to RealityThis past winter, Thacker no longer had to dependon her imagination to conjure up Big Sur. Thanks to an innovative artist-in-residence program jointlydeveloped by The Big Sur Land Trust and the Big SurArts Initiative, Thacker spent six weeks living, paint-ing and loving Big Sur at the Land Trust’s GlenDeven Ranch.

The creation of this pilot artist-in-residence programhas a hint of destiny to it. A few years ago, Thackersigned up for an artists' tour of Italy. On the trip shemet Tom Birmingham and Erin Gafill, husband andwife and co-founders of the Big Sur Arts Initiative.The three struck up a friendship and Thacker sharedher experiences as a teenager visiting Carmel, BigSur and the Monterey Peninsula. The new friendskept in touch following their enjoyable trip.

Meanwhile, about a year ago, Tom Birmingham and The Big Sur Land Trust Executive Director BillLeahy met. Birmingham shared his vision for the Big Sur Arts Initiative and Leahy shared his goal ofhaving The Land Trust institute an art program atGlen Deven Ranch. They talked and came up withthe idea of using the ranch to host artist retreats.

Come last July, Susan Thacker called her friend ErinGafill during a sweltering heat wave in Los Angeles(that hate relationship), and Thacker expressed aburning desire to come to Big Sur. Gafill immediatelybrought up the incubating idea of the artist retreat at Glen Deven Ranch, and Thacker grabbed the bull by the horns. She drafted a detailed, passionateproposal to become the first Glen Deven artist-in-residence. A few months later, she was packing herbags and gathering her equipment for a six-week stayatop Garrapata Ridge, southeast of Garrapata Creek.

Art on Glen Deven RanchThe 860-acre Glen Deven Ranch was bequeathedto The Big Sur Land Trust by Dr. Seely and VirginiaMudd. Virginia, a writer and artist, had constructedon the property her own studio separate from theranch house. Here is where Susan Thacker set upher easel, spread out her paints and began her sixweeks in heaven.

“Seely’s and Virginia’s spirits are very strong on theproperty, and Virginia’s is especially strong aroundthe studio,” said Thacker. “With the quiet that I had,you can’t help but notice the unspoken parts ofthings.”

Thacker recalled that when preparing for the trip, she was torn as to herartistic direction during her stay.Should she continue working on aseries of paintings she had started inher Los Angeles studio, or should shego in with a total lack of directionand let the Big Sur experience affecther work? The latter choice was risky, but won out in the end.

Thacker made the trek north to BigSur in November. After three days ofacquainting herself with her surround-ings, she found her inspiration.

“There was a mountain in the view of the studio that was literally tauntingme,” she said. “Come on, try to paint me.”

That led to the beginning of a seriesof paintings she called “Sede,” or seat. The series,she said, was inspired by her reading Henry DavidThoreau’s Walden, in which he compares land to aseat from which to view the world. She soon founda familiar companion showing up in her landscapepaintings.

“I kept dropping into the landscape this whiteupholstered chair, similar to one I have in my livingroom in Los Angeles,” she said. “It seemed the bestmetaphor for feeling at home in another place.”

Thacker discovered that her surroundings not onlyaffected what she painted but how she painted. “I was surprised when I started painting, I was usingmy entire arm as my brush,” she said. “It just want-ed to move. So I went with that and ended up witha much more gestural exuberant mark on my paper.I decided to trust it. I was gesturally painting theatmosphere around me in the colors that I felt.”

Thacker says she thoroughly enjoyed her time onGlen Deven Ranch. Days of solitude were spicedwith excursions into Big Sur and to the MontereyPeninsula for supplies and the companionship offriends. She met up with Seely Mudd’s daughter Liz,

whom Susan had known from her days in Carmel asa teenager. Thacker brought Liz up to the ranch forher first visit since Seely had died. Another highlightwas a welcoming reception at Nepenthe restaurantwhere 25 local artists shared their work and theirfood with a potluck offering.

Thacker also became friends with Jim Cox, GlenDeven Ranch Manager for The Big Sur Land Trust.He would visit the studio when feeding nearbyhorses and share wonderful stories of his years withthe Mudd family. “I think Jim has a great biographyin him,” she said.

Thacker’s only complaint was that the time flew by far too quickly. She packed up her belongings

and headed back to Los Angeles a few days beforeChristmas. Just before leaving, she received a veryspecial email from one of the sons of the Mudds,thanking her for her visit and telling her howpleased his parents would have been.

Susan Thacker wrote an extensive blog while atGlen Deven Ranch. You can read more about heramazing artist-in-residence experience at susan-thacker.blogspot.com.

Future Artist-In-Residence ProgramsAccording to Jill Crawford, Program Director for the Big Sur Arts Initiative, the initial artist-in-resi-dence experience was so successful there are nowplans 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 applicationprocess for artists interested in participating in theprogram. She suggests watching the Big Sur ArtsInitiative website – www.bigsurarts.org – for furtherinformation, or calling their office at 831.667.1530.

ART IST- IN -RES IDENCE PROGRAM

LAUNCHED AT GLEN DEVEN RANCH

4

haring anArtistic VisionB S LT A N D B I G S U R A R T S I N I T I AT I V E

Sede Il – Susan Thacker

Sede IV – Susan Thacker

2006

DONORSWE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT

Wilderness SeekersRobert & Angela AmaranteIan & Andrea ArnofS.D. Bechtel, Jr. FoundationCatherine L. & Robert O. McMahan

FoundationDebbie & Bob CervenkaRandall & Linda CharlesCommunity Foundation for Monterey CountyDavid & Lucile Packard FoundationBill & Nancy DoolittleMarit EvansFlorrie & Paul KaganPhyllis Geer Krystal FundJoseph ManganelloBruce & Harriet NewellNewman's Own FoundationBarnet Segal Charitable TrustRobert Stephens & Julie PackardBrigitte WassermanWhiteley & Nick WheelerJ.A. Woollam FoundationJack & Syb Zaches FoundationMarsha McMahan Zelus

President's CircleGeorge Somero & Amy AndersonBob & Marilyn CallanderPaul & Margaret DanielsonNed & Sandra DeweyKent & Lyn EvansRosalind & Howard FisherPeggy & Steve FossettJulia Foster and David BatesKinnoull FoundationGary KurisLumpkin Family FoundationAnn & John MahoneyMichael & Denise MalcolmSue McCloud Heidi and Scot McKayGreg MinshallMorgan Family FundStephen & Margaret SchulteDiane SenaLeslie & Charles SnorfPhil & Carol Wilhelm

Trustees of the LandPat and Lloyd AddlemanArkay FoundationSharon W. BatesRoberta BialekBig Sur International MarathonMr. Frederic BohlanderFred Terman & Nan BorresonBarbara Baldock & Phillip ButlerMike & Nancy CanningWilliam & Sandra CooperDawn CopeBunny & Craig Davis

James & Gloria DidionSusan DuCoeurClint & Dina EastwoodKaren & Hugo FerlitoHappy FitzgeraldElaine FoxFox Family FoundationSusan & Charles FranklinKathleen GatesJim & Jeri GattisBarbara & Harlan HallSara HarkinsMr. & Mrs. Sydney HarrisonMr. William R. Hearst, IIIJan & Rich HollowayThe Holmsky FamilyHeidi HopkinsKip & Jay HudsonDr. & Mrs. Rolf JohnsenRichard KalinyakErling LagerholmDave & Suzanne LarkyThe Ralph and Gladys Lazarus FoundationLaw Offices of Zad Leavy & Robin JepsenMr. & Mrs. Robert LeahyZad & Laela LeavyGary & Judy LoganRobert & Connie LurieDoug & Shawn MacKenzieMaureen MasonRod & Peggy McMahanLeslie Montgomery & Paul McManusKonny MurrayCary & Debbie NeimanCharlotte NeuvilleCharles & Karen OsborneSharon & Judd PerrySue A PiusJerome F. PolitzerMichael & Michelle RaggettDavid E. Reese Family FoundationNancy Riddle IversenMuriel Isom RowlandJon Kannegaard & Pat SandovalDr. Don ScanlonFrank & Denise SchiavoneLary & Carlleen ScottMary ShawHarriet & Furman SheppardRoy & Sarah SignerMr. David TaggartRobert TalbottRichard TevisMarilyn ThomasDr. and Mrs. Mike TurbowMr. and Mrs. Louis UngarettiUpjohn California FundJanet Effland & Bill UrbachMary Martha WaltzBetty White LuddenDoug & Ann WilhelmSusan & Michel WilleyR.A. WilliamsJulia B. WilsonDr. and Mrs. John A WoollamDawn Zinser Church

Land ConservatorBrian BajariMrs. Talcott BatesMr. and Mrs. Robert BeckHenrietta Stern and Tom BiggsBruce & Anne BloxomRandell Kent Bishop & Robert BogerHeather Brady

John & Terri BrazinskyLacy & Bob BuckCarmel Rotary ClubPauline K. DallMr. & Mrs. Ralph DavisDebby and Frank DegnanDaniel DeKimpeDorothy & Peter DenningRoger & Rochelle DolanDavis & Christine FactorJudy FieldGeorge & Susan FugelsangMarion GetzPeter HeubleinJoanne HivelyCarol Lee HollandRod & Alma HolmgrenGary & Sandra HornbuckleCatherine M. HorneHans & Elizabeth JannaschJustin Dart Family FoundationJesse & Carol KahnGeorge & Raimie KristeJack L. LarsenBill & Lorien LeahyPam & Gifford LehmanLarry & Judith LippmanJohn & Marina Zeiber Little, MDManitou FundStan & Sherry McKeeRobert Reid & Jacqueline McManusVirginia Meade, DODr. & Mrs. L. Bruce MeyerRoberta Hunter & Donna MeyersDon & Laura NewmarkShirley NootbaarRuth & George NyeMarjorie PerrinePaul RembertSteven RickettsMr. and Mrs. Lee RosenJan Avent & David RossettiSeidler FoundationRita & Shelby SteeleLadd & Pat StrnadTab of Monterey and SalinasDr. Stephanie TaylorThe Mosaic FoundationRoberta TroxellJim & Fran VorhesNed & Kate WashburnScott WilliamsonPaul Wineman & Jennefer Lloyd Wineman

Land GuardianSue AddlemanBarry & Betsy AdlerLisa & James AllisonFrank & Reggie AmatoDawn AndersonLarry & Sharon BaconMr. Ted BalestreriWendy & Dave BanksTony BatesSarah & Clay BerlingDiana BersohnDr. & Mrs. Robert L. BlackJohn & Marion BottomleyDavid & Stephanie BoucJean BrennerRobert & Pat BurgessRobert & Giselle CadleMarvin ChandlerCharles & Sandra ChrietzbergMr. Alan W. ChurchAnn & Ed CliftonAlan & Sherry CosseboomMr. & Mrs. William CrockerJacqueline & Douglas CurranJames E DayShirley DoeDunlap, Steinbruner and LubowOlga EamesFannie Mae FoundationSheala FinchDr. Anne FitzpatrickMichael & Elaine FrescoPaul & Linda GeigerNatasha GranoffCarol and Richard GrayCharles HaberMigsy & Jim HamasakiVirginia Hanson

John & Marcia HarterRolf Lygren & Katherine HellerDon & Carol HilburnHerb Hindler & Cynthia WoodJoAnn & Mark HolbrookLarry & Jean HoranLucy G HornA.J. & Tiffany HoustonGeorge & Lillian HuenerfauthJoanne IrmasCarol JacobsPatricia A JacobsRalph & Yeelan JohnsonVernon J. JohnsonWilliam JohnstonDaniel KellerMr. & Mrs. Charles J. KittrellMarjorie LongoShirley & Herschel LoomisElizabeth MartinMick & Nicki McMahanLinda & Jack McMenimonAllen & Sandra Lee MearsAnne & Rod MillsPaul & Karen MunninghoffJoy B. OsborneThomas ParkerMaria PaternoPam & Jim PattersonMary H PickardMichael Glenn & Mo PierceGeorge & Carole PooleDr. James PretzerStephen C. PretzerEd ProhaskaBarbara and Buzz RainerTom ReevesCarl RehnborgKim RichardsonRandy RobinsonMelinda RolfsKirk SamisNatalie and James SammetRobin & Chris SawyerDarren & Stacy SchmidtAlan & Sandra SilvestriEvangelos & Kathleen SimoudisMichael W. StampMr. and Mrs. Wilbur J. Strohm, Jr.Connie StroudJeanne ThompsonVonda & Daniel TibbittsMichael P. TomitzMichael VanderkarrSean WachlobElizabeth Chornesky & Charles WahleWilliam & Donna WaldenStuart & Paula WalzerOtto & Idell WeissBill & Catherine WennerDee Dee WhiteBrayton & Judy WilburJerri McMillan & Sam A WilsonMargaret Eaton & Ron Yara

Land StewardMargot A AbeloeDr. and Mrs. Michael AdamsLillian AglianoJoele B AllisonDonald AndersonJudy & Tom ArchibaldDavid & Christine ArmanascoPeggy Arnold-SmithSteve & Pam AustinBill BarkerBrandt BatesDr. and Mrs. Charles BatesKathe & Bill BeadleJulie BeckTom & Lil Wenzel BeggsDr. and Mrs. Jan BelzaLaurie & David BenjaminDr. & Mrs. Arthur BenoitPhil & Ruthann BerckScott & Janet BilletsMrs. George A BlackstoneMr. and Mrs. Gene BlattmanStephen BlochCarol Maehr & Ken BloodMarshall & Suzanne BloomMr. and Mrs. Charles Bloxham, IIIEvalyn Gendel & Emmett BonnerBert & Karen BoothroydBeau & Helen BreckJanet BrennanBob Utley & Elizabeth BrintonHoward BrittainNellie & Paul BrocchiniSteve & Barbara BrooksKeith & Suzanne BrownHoward & Courtney BrunnJanel BryndaDr. & Mrs. Kenneth Bullock

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Lynn Burgess Alison BurleighDr. and Mrs. Don BurnettLelaine BusheyRick and Diana BusmanGlenda R. ButlerRobert & Dorothy ByersDaniel & Maxine CallinanGordon & Elizabeth CampbellJerry Fielder & Daniel CampbellLucy & Jeff CampenVicki CanningMr. and Mrs. David CanrightAnn Finlinson & John CantLee & Barbara CanterMr. and Mrs. John CarleyCarmel by the Sea Garden ClubJoseph & Margaret CaseyJohn & Mary CastagnaJohn & Joan ChambersJudi Wallner & Larry ChandlerMax & Cynthia ChaplinRobert & Pat ChapmanMichael ChristieMichael & Audrey Mac Lean ClairInge ClarkeMr. and Mrs. Doyle ClaytonMr. Robert CliffordNancy CollinsPhyllis ConlanRobert CooperRichard CotchettMr. & Mrs. David CovellAmelia CraigLawrence CrapoPamela CreanStuart & Penny CrymesRita & John DalessioSisters of Notre DameJim DarlingDr. Richard Dauphine & Hon. Susan DauphineAshley DavisWilliam & Helen De Martini

Barbara and Bill DeasyJeffrey DeeterDr. and Mrs. Eric Del PieroSandra DelayThais DerichLyndon C. DespardBarbara & Peter DietzeNancy & Hugh DitzlerDave & Carol DixonSheila DixonJohn & Esther DolanKen and Jacqueline Dombroski, Ph.D.Bruce & Fran DoughertyHallie & Brad DowMs. Nancy DowneyDianne DriessenGail & Stan DrydenHarriett & Alec DuarteJon DunganMr. James DunnChris Jakle & Cindy DunningMac and Susan DunwoodyRobert & Susan DuttonBarbara EckhardtSandra & Larry EdgettJames & Helen EgertonPeter & Janie EichornMartha Diehl & Ken EkelundMr. and Mrs. Randolph ElliottLaura B EnosDavid & Lois EpelDr. and Mrs. Ronald M FaiaDr. John Faia III, DDSFran M. FarinaBob FieldSean & Becky FlavinGeri & Gretchen FlesherDean & Rene FlippoJohn Laird and John FloresJoe & Mary Ann FordLisa & Chris FordRuss Foster

Viola & Charles FoxLinda & Peter FrederiksenAllene & Roger FremierVirginia F. FryDr. and Mrs. Ron FuerstnerGeorge & Priscilla GalakatosMary R GaleMichael Leavy & Susan GalvinGayle GarzaFrances & Donald GaverJohn & Margaret GeeverMr. Gary GeigerBarry & Jane GendelmanMary Pat George

Mr. and Mrs. Richard GerberGus & Julie GianuliasFred W GilbertDesiree GillinghamVearl & Sharon GishJerry & Kathleen GleasonJack R GoddardSheree & Lee GoldmanAnn Prego & Andy GonzalezJoie & Lou GoodkinCarolyn GoPalanRosanne GouldKen & Pat GrayJudy & Mike GreenPeggy & Bill Grier

Hilde GrillJim & Ann GronvoldWolfgang HaasRuss & Monty HaisleyVinzenz & Barbara HakeHope & Sandy Hale, Jr.Jeanne HamiltonJonathan Penn and Karen HandyPeter & Peggy HardingBurt & Pamela HarrisJudy & Chris HarroldAnn Flood & Barry HarrowArt HaseltineAnn & Joe HasselbachBarry Connelly and Jessica HaynesHomer HaywardHayward LumberMrs. Betty HeavisideKlaus & Katrina HedbabnyHeiland FamilyMr & Mrs Kenneth HelmsDavid HerrickDick & Feesie HeuerTrish HibbenMarianne N. HillDale HillardCeleste Williams & Peter HillerAnn & Glen HinerHarvey & Margaret HinmanNicole and Jeff HitchcockGail HoffmanTom & Lisa HoivikMrs. Jeanne S. HolmquistTheodore & Sue HookerPeter T HossJay HouseJorg & Iris HuberEmily Hull ParsonsMichael HummCharles HutchinsNancy HutchinsonElsa Con & Bucky JacksonEric & Cheryl JacobsonDr. and Mrs. Paul & Ellen JamesFrank & Sanda JasperJim JefferyBruce & Martha JohnsenDexter & Georgeta JohnsonHarry JohnsonMr. & Mrs. Stoddard P. JohnstonVerna JohnstonDeeAnn Thompson and Michael JonesMerrill JonesPeter JonesReggie & Anne JonesDeborah JuStephen KahnMarie-Luise Schubert KalsiJim & Betty KassonDr. Richard KehoeRalph Keill, MDKelly & Richard KeirWayne & Phyllis KelleyBrian & Marsha KellyJoe & Madeline KeppBarry KilzerMay & Walt KitagawaJustin KitzesDr. and Mrs. Melvin KlineBobbi & Ron KohenSharon & Bob KolbrenerMr. and Mrs. Harvey KuffnerScott and Lynn KurteffGlenn and Kristen KuseBetsie LaysCarol Le NeveDr. and Mrs. Jeffrey LehrLorin & Karen LetendreRobin & Stan LeutRichard & Lindy LevinMark E. Lewis

William W. LewisDavid LigareJonathan LockhartPatrick LondonMs. Angela Look

Mylo & Charlene LoweryMr. & Mrs. Edwin R. LowryFran LozanoRichard & Jane LundyMr. and Mrs. Patrick LynchDr. Christopher MankeFrank & Marietta MarcusJack & Betty MarshDuane & Betty MattersonMary Ann MatthewsDavid MaxnerNancy & George Mc InnisLynne & James McCammonTimothy & Kirsten McCarthyOnnette McElroyPatricia McGrathMichael McMillanMr. & Mrs. Roy MeazellAndrea MennengaElizabeth and John MenzMr. and Mrs. Charles MerrifieldGlen Metz, MDMichelle Comeau & Grover MeyroseNeil Shapiro & Sandra MeyrosePatrick MichelettiHolly MikkelsonEric & Susan MillerMax Lloyd & Sharon MillerBarbara MillsMrs. Frances Ross MiltimoreMirkin ProductionsJames MitchellPeter MonteforteJanette C. MoodyLloyd MorainJoann MoreyMr. Ronald MorganNorman & Eleanor MoscowAlice MoserDerek MoulaisonRachel & Richard MuellerMrs. Lyman Dorothea MumfordRonald & Sally MunroMr. & Mrs. John A MurphyDr. Linda-Lee MyersDr. Spencer W MyersPriscilla NesbittNancy B. NewgardWalter & Joanne NewmanLinda & Bruce NicholsonMr. Emile NormanMichael NybergDavid OakesBarbara Occhiogrosso & Savannah GroocockJohn & Jane OlinAlan Greenbaum & Laurel OlslundJohn & Carol O'Neil

Frederick & Joanne O'SuchSteven & Ann PackerDr. Manuel PardoJudy ParsonsMr. & Mrs. J.D. PattersonRichard & Ann PattersonAntonio Paulo FerrazJohn & Vicki PearsePembroke FundPeppersLeland & Marion PetersenBob & Kathy PettyAlma & Jim PhillipsDr. and Mrs. John P PhillipsFred & Helen PinkhamTim PipesJon & Care PittmanFuensanta PlazaJim PlourdJulia PoduchAllison and Mark PorchDouglas & Francoise Porch

NEW VISION AND VALUES continued from page 1

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Central Coast, including those unfamiliar with The Big Sur Land Trust and what we do. We neededto 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, ranchingand construction communities, as well as govern-ment entities and nonprofits. To achieve our mis-sion, we have to move forward with strategies andgoals that take into account current and futureneeds of the whole community.”

According to Leahy, substantial population growthand booming property values have shifted the play-ing field dramatically for land trusts like the BSLT.For example, one historic tactic for land conserva-tion involves purchasing large tracts of undevelopedland and turning them over to the state or federalparks. While such purchases can still be feasible, as demonstrated by the Marks Ranch project, thisapproach becomes less viable as property values continue to rise. Furthermore, other communityconcerns, such as maintaining the economic viabilityof traditional rural land uses, may not be well servedby this strategy.

These challenges, said Leahy, are why The Big SurLand Trust needed to take a fresh look at how itaccomplishes its mission. This re-examination, hesays, required community input in order to discoverinnovative and workable solutions to preserving themany landscapes that make the Central Coast sospecial while recognizing the needs of a burgeoningcommunity.

The retreat participants first got together for a working dinner at the Monterey Bay Aquarium anddialog commenced. Participants engaged in a frankexchange of opinions and ideas. The Land Trustheard the good and the bad as community represen-tatives explained their perceptions of what was rightand wrong with the BSLT. Issues such as the lack of affordable housing and the economic threat tofamily farms and ranches were explored within thecontext of the conservation movement.

NEW VISION AND VALUESBy the end of the third day of discussions, the groupagreed to a vision statement for The Big Sur Land Trust:

We see a future for our communities in which rich natural resources, working landscapes, prosperinghuman 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 departurefrom our traditional vision,” said Leahy. “However,it expands the notion of who benefits from ourefforts by including references to the human andsocioeconomic 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. Thefollowing reflects a distillation of those values theLand Trust will use to help guide its strategic plan-ning efforts in the coming months. These values arenot goals for the organization; rather they are meantto serve as guides for planning and implementingconservation projects and initiatives in a way thatwill both allow a broader set of partners and stake-holders to participate and, ultimately, achieve moreenduring and effective conservation results.

1. ECOLOGICAL WELL-BEING: We will ensureour land and water is conserved for wildlife habitat and sustainable economic and recreational uses.

2. COMMUNITY VITALITY: We will promotecommunity vitality through local, economic devel-opment and partnerships that support conservationof significant lands and waters. We recognize therole of food production as an essential ingredient of community and keep options open for those whomake a living from the land and water.

3. STEWARDSHIP: We will strive to inspire landand water conservation in all local citizens, especiallyin our children. We will establish learning opportu-nities to motivate a new generation who desire to livein direct connection with the land and its resourcesthrough farming, ranching, stewardship, etc.

4. INSPIRING STORIES: We will take time tolearn about and communicate the history and storyof the places we are conserving, letting these storiesinspire and inform our work.

5. HEALTHY PEOPLE: We will provide allMonterey County citizens opportunities to experi-ence lands and waters through healthy recreation,hands on stewardship, and farming and conservationeducation.

6. SERVICE: We will seek and find opportunities to serve “the many” through our conservation work,especially landowners, civic partners and neighbor-ing communities where powerful collaborations leadto 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 whilepreserving opportunities for communities to meettheir housing and infrastructure needs. We will helpmaintain economic viability in concert with landand water conservation.

The vision and values retreat concluded with arenewed appreciation of The Big Sur Land Trust’srole in the community and a greater understandingof how new challenges call for new land conserva-tion strategies.

Steve Dorrance, a family rancher who shares the4,300-acre Dorrance Ranch with his two brothers,expressed appreciation for being invited to theretreat. He was particularly pleased that the LandTrust recognized the estate planning issues facingranchers 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 overto the next generation for ranching or farming,” said Dorrance. “Range land generates thirty to fiftydollars an acre, gross. You can’t make it. Withoutadvanced planning, without bringing income upand the land value down, there’s only one thing to do. It has to be sold.”

Dorrance said he also appreciated the fact that theBSLT recognizes that family ranchers and farmersoften make the best stewards of their land and thathelping preserve working ranches through easementprograms often makes more sense than trying toobtain the property outright.

Frank Pinney of Pinney Construction has followedthe activities of the Land Trust for most of the 35years he has lived and worked in Big Sur. He said hewas happy to see that the BSLT was paying attentionto the needs of the people, as well as the land, of Big

Sur. He fears for the health of the Big Sur communityas it shifts to an absentee work force due to a shortageof 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, changesof 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 share-holder profits and recognizes the needs of employeesand communities. He sees consistencies betweenthat 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 BSLTboard members to be open to new ideas,” he said.“What was being offered up conceptually was different from what many of them perceived tobe 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 strategicplanning session showed a willingness of all partiesto reach a common ground that considers the wholecommunity.

“I was pleased to see we are reaching to make it(vision and values planning) as broad and creative as possible.”

LOOKING FORWARDThe Big Sur Land Trust staff and board membersrecognize the Central Coast of California is facingtremendous pressures that will test its ability tomaintain its uniqueness. These forces are challeng-ing the Land Trust to reconsider its vision and thecommunity it serves. The BSLT uniformly praised the community members who gave up their time to participate in the vision and values retreat. Theysaid this input was invaluable in helping them con-sider new approaches to foster conservation on abroader, more expansive scale than could have everbeen imagined in the Land Trust’s founding years.

Looking forward, the BSLT will take its new vision and values and integrate them into its strate-gic planning for 2007 and beyond. It will continueto collaborate with local communities, expandingthe voices heard in its effort to build a truly collaborative land conservation movement.

“We recognize that our land and water conservationwork must do more to strengthen communities andinspire a stewardship ethic,” said Leahy. “Throughpartnerships and collaborations like our retreat, wemust consider the needs of people whose livelihoodsare connected to healthy landscapes, incorporatingtheir ideas and concerns into our strategies. We lookforward to more conversations like these as we moveinto long-range strategic planning for the future.”

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