Keep Big Sur Wild
Photo Credit: The Weston Family
ALERT! Keep Big Sur Wild requesting a moratorium on new Visitor Serving Units (VSUs) while the Planning Commission continues its important work on the Land Use Plan Update.
ALERT! Keep Big Sur Wild requesting a moratorium on new Visitor Serving Units (VSUs) while the Planning Commission continues its important work on the Land Use Plan Update.
BIG SUR THREATENED - LET’S PROTECT IT!
Our Mission:
SERVE as a watchdog to address issues affecting the character, culture, and natural beauty of the Big Sur Coast.
PRESERVE the protections of Big Sur’s natural beauty and the public’s access to see it, provided in the 1986 certified Big Sur Land Use Plan.
EDUCATE the broader community of the uniqueness and fragility of the Big Sur coast.
ENHANCE the current protections by seeking action to assure the preservation, in perpetuity, of its wilderness character and environmental integrity.
PROTECTING THE PLAN THAT PROTECTS THE COAST
KEEP BIG SUR WILD came together two years ago with a single focus, to defend the policies and intent of the Big Sur Land Use Plan, the governing document for all land use on the Big Sur Coast. Its primary purpose is to preserve the unspoiled rustic character and natural beauty of the coast and to protect the public's access to the scenic highway. Monterey County's failure to enforce the Plan's limited development policies has prompted our group to gather for its defense. The Big Sur Coast is already experiencing serious overcrowding, congestion and public safety issues during busy periods of the year. Development beyond the Plan’s established limits will bring to this national treasure the chaos and degradation of so many popular places.
We are raising money for our legal counsel and planning staff to assist us in the protection of the Plan. We are reaching out to raise the public's awareness of this growing threat to urbanize this international natural treasure. These threats are being brought about by the failure of Monterey County and the Coastal Commission to enforce the protective policies which for forty years, have successfully preserved its unmolested beauty and public access to the scenic highway. Consider joining us to defend this treasure and the public’s access to see it.
CURRENT PROJECTS ALERTS!
Enjoy some recent interviews from Magnus Toren of the Henry Miller Library with Keep Big Sur Wild Co Founder Marcus Foster and community member Dave Smiley
Listen to an interview with Tim Green of Keep Big Sur Wild and Rachel Anne of KSQD
Read Andrew Pridgen’s 10/25/23 San Francisco Gate article titled: Update of 40-year-old land use plan sparks fears in quiet Big Sur
Key Policies of the
Big Sur Land Use Plan
THREATENED PROTECTIONS IN THE CURRENT LAND USE PLAN
“To preserve for posterity the incomparable beauty of the Big Sur country, its special cultural and natural resources, its landforms and seascapes and inspirational vistas. To this end, all development must harmonize with and be subordinate to the wild and natural character of the land.”
— LUP Section 2.1 - Philosophy and Goals
“The basic recreational resource of Big Sur is the visual beauty of its striking landforms and unspoiled landscapes.”
— LUP Section 5.1.3 -Land Use and Development
“Maintenance of the quality of the natural experience along the Big Sur coast has precedence over development of any permitted uses, whether residential, recreational or commercial.”
— LUP Section 3.1 -Resource Management
"The County's purpose will be to maintain and enhance the highway's aesthetic beauty and to protect its primary function as a recreational route".
— LUP Section 2.2.3 -Objectives and Policies
“The protection of visual access should be emphasized throughout Big Sur as an appropriate response to the needs of recreationists.”
— LUP Section 6.1.3 -Key Policy
“Future land use development on the Big Sur coast should be extremely limited, in keeping with the larger goal of preserving the coast as a scenic natural area. In all cases, new land uses must remain subordinate to the character and grandeur of the Big Sur country. All proposed uses, whether public or private, must meet the same exacting environmental standards and must contribute to the preservation of Big Sur's scenery.”
— LUP Section 5.4.1 -Key Policy