Salinas Planning Commission Supports Carr Lake Park + Mitteldorf Closure + Job Opening

Big Sur Land Trust staff, community partners, and residents celebrate after the Carr Lake Project was unanimously approved by the Salinas Planning Commissioners to be considered at the next Salinas City Council meeting. 

Salinas Planning Commission Supports Carr Lake Park

On Wednesday, August 4, the Salinas Planning Commission unanimously approved to support the resolution recommending that the Salinas City Council adopt the proposed mitigated negative declaration for our project at Carr Lake and approve the general planning amendment and rezone. This is a major milestone in the history of Big Sur Land Trust’s Carr Lake Park project. Next, we move on to the extremely important step of obtaining the City Council’s approval of the project at their next meeting tentatively scheduled on Tuesday, August 24 at 4:00PM in the Salinas City Hall Rotunda. We will keep you informed with more details later this month.

We want to thank all the community members and project partners that worked to publicize the meeting with flyers and on social media, and those who attended the Planning Commission meeting in-person to advocate for the project with their heartfelt comments. A special thank you goes out to the Center for Community Advocacy, for their amazing efforts in helping to get people to the meeting and delivering roughly 1,300 resident signatures in support of our project!

Afterwards, as we all gathered together outside the rotunda, our partners reminisced about our first community engagement meetings several years ago and what it has taken to get to where we are. It is in these moments, celebrating a truly collective community effort to work towards something transformational, that I feel most proud of how we all work together, with the support of our generous donors and funders, to meet our conservation mission.

On behalf of the Board and staff, I am sending our sincerest gratitude!

Big Sur Land Trust

Big Sur Land Trust

Big Sur Land Trust

Big Sur Land Trust

Jeannette Tuitele-Lewis
President/CEO, Big Sur Land Trust


Mitteldorf Closed for Bridge Replacement

August 15 – Early October

In order to complete the long-awaited replacement of Bridge #10, Mitteldorf Preserve will be closed to all hiking from mid-August through early October. We appreciate your patience.

Here’s some background on the project: In July 2016, the Soberanes Fire swept through Mitteldorf Preserve and subsequent heavy winter rains damaged the property further. Bridge #10, which provides access to the lodge, the Nature Loop trail, and the Dewing Redwood, sustained significant structural damage. It is on the verge of collapsing into Williams Creek, threatening sensitive habitat including NOAA-designated critical habit for Steelhead Trout. We are looking forward to having this important project finished as soon as possible!

Learn more about Mitteldorf Preserve here.


We’re Hiring: Stewardship Project Manager

Apply by August 31

Join Big Sur Land Trust and help care for the land so that people, wildlife, and plant communities can thrive.

If you have strong land management skills and are passionate about the health and resiliency of our amazing conserved landscapes in Monterey County, check out our stewardship project manager job description and apply here!