It’s been a week full of fantastic news at Big Sur Land Trust!

We are deeply grateful and so excited about the Salinas City Council’s unanimous decision to authorize the contribution of $1,000,000 as an initial step toward closing our Carr Lake Park project’s funding gap. The money will be coming from the City’s available fund balance. We’re sending our sincerest thanks to Mayor Kimbley Craig, Council members Tony Barrera, Christie Cromeenes, Carla Viviana González, Steve McShane, Orlando Osornio, and Anthony Rocha, along with City Manager Steve Carrigan, Assistant City Manager Jim Pia, City Attorney Chris Callihan, Finance Director Mark Roberts, Libraries and Community Services Director Kristan Lundquist, and other amazing City staff for their work with us on this multi-benefit project. We appreciate the City’s commitment as a powerful, early step toward helping us keep our collective promise to the communityand create a park at Carr Lake in the heart of Salinas that they have dreamed of for decades.

Salinas is a very special place, and we are fortunate and honored that the community has put their trust in us. The opportunity to work with Center for Community Advocacy along with other partners and residents to plan this park has been an incredibly inspiring learning process for Big Sur Land Trust. This is a large, ambitious urban greening project that requires a significant amount of funding. Even with the City’s generosity, we still have a $3 million funding gap. We are excited that beginning Thursday, November 10 through the end of the year, residents in Monterey County will have an opportunity to support this much-needed park project through MCGives! The money that is raised will help fund:

• A 6-acre neighborhood park with play areas, a skate spot, places to barbecue and picnic, and more.
• A 67-acre restoration area featuring seasonal wetlands, habitat for wildlife, and trails.

And speaking of trails, the other significant news is that on Saturday, November 5, the Lobos-Corona Parklands Partners are opening San Jose Creek Trail, just south of Carmel! A managed approach gives access to this stunningly beautiful trail while protecting sensitive habitats and culturally significant ancestral lands. With reservations and permits, interpreter/docent-led hikes and self-guided hikes are available through California State Parks, Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District (MPRPD), and Big Sur Land Trust. On Saturday, November 19, BSLT is offering a rigorous 9-mile roundtrip hike to San Jose Creek. You can learn more here about the collaboration that made the connectivity and access to San Jose Creek Trail possible.

These are just two of the many inspiring stories that keep us feeling immense gratitude for our donors, funders, and partners. Together, we are making great strides toward our collective vision for healthy lands, healthy people, and healthy communities. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts — we hope you find time during the busy season to enjoy the lands you love!

Thank you,

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P.S. Don’t forget to save Thursday, November 10 as the kick-off to Monterey County Gives! Please consider donating to our Carr Lake Park project so that the dream of a park for people to gather and play in green, open space in the heart of Salinas can become a reality!