Critical Viewshed

One of the most important key policies in the Big Sur Land Use Plan (BSLUP) is the Critical Viewshed Policy.  Big Sur is world renowned for its natural, scenic and untouched beauty.   This policy has protected Big Sur for decades and kept it from becoming just another overdeveloped stretch of coastline that most of California has become. 

The BSLUP clearly states, “Recognizing the Big Sur coasts outstanding beauty and its great benefit to the people of the State and Nation, it is the County’s objective to preserve these scenic resources in perpetuity and to promote the restoration of the natural beauty of visually degraded areas wherever possible.  To this end, it is in the County’s policy to prohibit all future public or private development visible from Highway 1 and major public viewing areas.”

Preserving Big Sur as a scenic wilderness resource is the top priority of the plan and any violations to the Critical Viewshed should be strictly enforced.  This policy also includes any visible changes to the natural landscape for recreational development such as trails, staircases, viewing platforms, bridges, signs, garbage cans, porta potties, etc.

There have been numerous unchallenged violations of this key policy over the years from both the public, private and business sector.  Keep Big Sur Wild is now a watchdog organization to protect Big Sur from present and future violations of BSLUP policies in order to not lose its wild and natural character that we all cherish.