News Release

Los Padres officials to hold public workshop

on coastal zone visitor use management strategy

SOLVANG, Calif.— Los Padres National Forest officials announced that the Monterey Ranger District will host a public workshop as part of its development of a visitor use management strategy to address recreation trends and visitor use of coastal areas managed by the Forest Service along the Big Sur coast and California State Highway One.

The public is invited to attend the open house workshop from 10 am to 3 pm on June 8 at the Big Sur Lodge located at 47225 Highway One. The workshop will be open to all members of the public who are interested in sharing ideas, concerns, and potential management actions.

The visitor use management project is focused on National Forest System lands that are accessed from Highway One from Andrew Molera State Park in the north to San Carpoforo beach in the south and stretching inland to approximately the Nacimiento Summit. This includes portions of the Ventana and Silver Peak Wilderness areas and the Big Sur Wild and Scenic River that are accessed from the coast.

Big Sur is a national and international travel destination that is experiencing unprecedented visitation resulting in traffic congestion, expanded levels of dispersed/concentrated camping on previously undisturbed areas, and an increased potential for an accidental wildfire ignition.

Following the Visitor Use Management Framework, a process outlined by the Interagency Visitor Use Management Council, the goal of this project is to provide sustainable recreation opportunities and access by identifying desired conditions, adaptive management strategies, and management tools.

Those who are interested in the planning process are invited to attend the public workshop for all or part of the scheduled time. If you are unable to attend the workshop, you are invited to review the project information and provide input via the online Coastal Zone Visitor Use Management StoryMap (see “Get Involved” tab for collaborative map options) or by e-mail to  SM.FS.BigSurVisUse@usda.gov.

Questions may be directed to Monterey Ranger District Resource Officer Fin Eifert by e-mail to john.eifert@usda.gov or by calling (831) 385-5434.

###

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lende