Each year the Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) presents the Distinguished Trustee Award to an individual or couple who has demonstrated philanthropic leadership in our region. The 2023 award was presented to retired Big Sur Fire Chief, Martha Karstens, for her decades of service to the Big Sur Community. The CFMC recognized her accomplishments at the annual Celebration of Philanthropy on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at The Club at Pasadera in Monterey, with more than 250 donors and partners of the CFMC in attendance.
Fire Adapted Big Sur Newsletter #17 October 10, 2023In this issue: Fire Prevention Week Event with Big Sur FireOctober 12, 1-3 PM, Big Sur River Inn Please join Big Sur Fire and Fire Adapted Big Sur for a Fire Prevention Event at the Big Sur River Inn parking lot on October 12, 1-3 PM!Meet with firefighters – including Fire Chief Matt Harris – and have your fire safety questions answered.Learn about the American Red Cross program that provides and installs smoke alarms at no cost for those in need.Pick up your FREE towing safety chain sleeves – made from genuine Big Sur Fire out-of-service fire hose – while supplies last.Learn about Firewise USA® and other community activities to become more wildfire resilient.Visit the Big Sur River Inn Restaurant, order an original homesteader’s version of Hot Apple Pie, and relax in an Adirondack chair in the river.’Looking forward to seeing you at the Big Sur River Inn!
The atmospheric rivers which pounded the South Coast of Big Sur, over and over again, were brutal. We were flooded, frozen, and isolated from the rest of the world, and yet, we survived and even thrived in some cases. We learned about ourselves and our neighbors and where our strengths and our weaknesses lie in ourselves and in each other.
Our major transportation arteries collapsed in places and were buried in places. Two of them are still being repaired, one, Paul’s Slide, with no date for reopening. The second, Nacimiento-Fergusson is expected to only have the east side of the road repairs finished by August of 2024. The west, and more complicated side, will not even begin repairs until mid October. The dirt roads are under repair, gravel loads are calculated and deliveries being arranged.
Meanwhile, we are being warned of an El Niño gaining strength which might bring an even worse winter our way this year.
It is not something we are looking forward to, but it is something we will face as the global world has had to face with climate change — crazy wildfires in Canada, flooding in Greece and Lybia, glaciers collapsing and sea levels rising. As Dylan sung, “The times, they are a changing.”
I am taking stock and into the fine tuning stage of preparation. I have most of the major things taken care of, and now am stocking up on the shelf stable or freezer stable luxury items — frozen berries, cake mixes, sodas, wine, and the like. But also, double checking all my staples, herbal medical supplies, and general back ups. While I don’t have enough room for a lot of luxury items after I stock 30 more pounds of dog food, a few of them are nice to have on hand.
Meanwhile, I am prepping my blog to make the switch from fire season to flood season. You will watch my links change over the next few days. We have not received enough rain to be out of fire season, yet, so those links will remain for a few more weeks, but I will be adding our El Niño watch links. Enjoy our wonderful Fall weather.
Brice Muenzer, Fire Captain – Pre-Fire Planning, San Benito Monterey Unit called me yesterday in an effort to get information to the Big Sur community regarding a planned prescribed burn to take place sometime mid to late October at Andrew Molera State Park.
Of course, the date ultimately employed will depend on conditions, and a press release will be sent out, but it often cannot be sent until a couple days in advance and rarely includes the details on strategies and ecological benefits Muenzer was able to provide to us in a phone call.
There are two blocks of land slated for prescriptive burns; one is 22 acres and the other is ten. Both are on the west side of Highway One near the El Sur Ranch. Cal Fire has been using multiple masticators on the brush fuel in the area so that they can keep the flame heights to between 2-5 feet, with slightly higher height in the islands, keeping it to the grass line. The purpose is to help restore native grasses to the area, and keeping brush native, as well.
During the operation there will be a helicopter on site, a dozer, numerous engines and hand crews.
Cal Fire will also be working with Caltrans to keep any impacts to highway one and the traveling public to a minimum. It is possible, due to wind direction, that smoke may waft across the highway, necessitating the intermittent closure of one lane. It is not anticipated that a full closure of Highway One will be necessary at any point.
Cal Fire is often asked why it chooses this time of year. The answer, of course, is that this is the optimum time of year due to conditions such as moisture levels, fuel loads, weather conditions including wind, rain, etc.
If you have any questions please feel free to call Cal Fire’s Garden Rd Office. 831 333-4600 and ask for Brice Muenzer.
CREWS CONTINUE TO BUILD UP ROADBED FOR UPDATED REPAIR
AT PAUL’S SLIDE ON HIGHWAY 1
MONTEREY/SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTIES – Crews are working seven days a week at Paul’s Slide, moving enormous quantities of material throughout the site, and positioning fill materials needed to support the future alignment of the road.
The repair design anticipates a slight repositioning of the highway inland. The design also takes advantage of the shape of the mountain to create additional catchment area on the inland side of the road.
The catchment area will be separated from the northbound lane by concrete barriers and fencing, much in the way it had been for the last several years. The enlarged catchment area will have a greater capacity to collect slide materials and give maintenance crews additional room to work in when they clear debris.
Crews are also designing critical drainage infrastructure at the site which will be installed over the coming months.
Highway 1 remains closed to vehicle, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic for two miles, between Limekiln State Park to the south and the town of Lucia to the north.
Due to dynamic conditions at the repair site as well as anticipated impacts associated with inclement weather in the upcoming months, there is no estimated time for full reopening of Highway 1 at Paul’s Slide at this time.
Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.
Aerial views of south end of Paul’s Slide showing materials being positioned to support the new alignment of the roadway.
Here are others to show different angles, first published a few days ago:
