I know I’ve used this one before, but it bears repeating now more than ever. While we saved our public lands from sale, we did not save them from being raped by taking their trees, their minerals, and their oil and gas reserves. We need to continue our fight to prevent their destruction. We need to support and protect our public lands for our children and grandchildren by electing people to Congress that CARE about our forests, our immigrants, our poor, our children, our veterans, our disabled, who care about US, ALL of us.

The top artwork is by: That artist is my friend Robert Bissell whose work is just extraordinary.  Thanks!! https://robertbissell.com/ (from Ali Van Zee)

Here are some organizations one can donate to that are local and care about our public lands:

Big Sur Land Trust: https://bigsurlandtrust.org/

Keep Big Sur Wild: https://www.keepbigsurwild.org/

Los Padres Forest Watch: https://forestwatch.org/

Ventana Wilderness Alliance: https://www.ventanawild.org/

Don’t give up. It takes US — all of us to fight this attack on our public lands and to our democracy. Don’t despair. We have hope and we are not done!

This map was created a month ago, and some changes have manifested since then. First, Rock Creek is now open in both directions, BUT there is still work going on there, so there may be flagging and delays.

On the South Coast, work at Shale Point is complete, but there is work going on at Mud Creek, including the bringing in of large boulders, presumably for shoring up the hillside. There may be flagging and delays in this area.

For those of you who will inevitably ask, no, there is no anticipated opening date for Regent’s Slide. It is still moving and Caltrans is still working. They are not even hazarding a guess at the moment.

Jennifer Rubin of The Contrarians on SubStack had this to say about today:

“Nearly 250 years ago, after listing the offenses against the colonies, the signers of the Declaration felt compelled to declare their break from Britain as the only means to unshackle themselves. We must not (as Trump has) resort to insurrection and/or violence. Thanks to the handiwork of the Constitution ratified 12 years after the Declaration, we have all the tools (e.g., elections, free speech) necessary to maintain our status as a “Free and Independent” people.
We all can use this Independence Day to rouse our fellow Americans from their stupor, recall for them the offenses of our modern tyrant, and summon them to embrace the spirit of the Declaration (“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”).

”We can remind them that generations of Americans have pledged their Lives, Fortunes and sacred Honor for the right to live as free citizens, not helpless subjects of a mad king. And we might then enlist them in the immense task of peacefully recapturing our democracy and reforming all branches of government. Then we might be worthy of the greatest inheritance one might receive: the privilege of being a free people in a country capable of transcending its faults.
I hope you have a meaningful, inspiring, and joyful Fourth of July!”

Even now, especially now, there is something sacred about choosing hope in the face of despair.

This is still our country. Our fight. Our Fourth of July. And we’re not done yet.

HIGHWAY 1 AT ROCKY CREEK TO FULLY REOPEN MONDAY EVENING, JUNE 30

MONTEREY COUNTY — Caltrans announced today that Highway 1 at Rocky Creek is set to reopen to two lanes of travel on Monday, June 30, by 8 pm following completion of emergency repairs and construction of a viaduct.

Travel on Highway 1 through Rocky Creek, (12 miles south of Carmel), has been under one-way traffic control since March 30, 2024, when a landslide resulted in the loss of a southbound section of roadway. Caltrans completed the project on an expedited schedule. 

“The challenges posed by the slide on Highway 1 at Rocky Creek 15 months ago were met with an immediate commitment to restore access to this iconic roadway and symbol of north coast vitality,” said Caltrans District 5 Director Scott Eades. “Today’s reopening represents an engineering marvel and triumph in resilience for Big Sur residents, business owners and their elected officials. The restoration of service along this famed transportation lifeline is a shared success and testament to their patience, hard work and community spirit.”

For six weeks following the slide, travelers were able to drive through Highway 1 at Rocky Creek in twice-daily convoys using the viable northbound lane, allowing for critical access to the communities of Big Sur. 

Crews worked daytime and overnight shifts to stabilize the remaining roadway and prevent additional slide

activity. To execute a key step in restoring stability to the damaged area, crews lowered rock dowels into vertical shafts drilled deep into the slope. This engineering strategy allowed work to continue, while keeping workers in a safer environment.  

Gordon N. Ball, Inc. of Walnut Creek and Teichert Construction in Sacramento served as the contractors throughout the repair effort. The total cost for the project is estimated at $15.4 million.

Caltrans would like to thank the residents and businesses of Big Sur for their patience and communication during these emergency repairs. These valued partnerships helped the department create work schedules that reduced disruptions to planned community events.

Caltrans continues to repair the damaged seawall at Rocky Creek. The restored barrier will better protect this section of Highway 1 and increase roadway resiliency. Travelers can anticipate intermittent traffic control at Rocky Creek through the summer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATE #48

FULL OVERNIGHT CLOSURE OF HIGHWAY 1 AT ROCKY CREEK

SET TO START SUNDAY, JUNE 29 AT 10 PM

MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans is continuing with emergency repairs to Highway 1 near the Rocky Creek Bridge, 12 miles south of Carmel.

Full Overnight Closure of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek Sunday, June 29

Travelers will encounter a full overnight closure of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek starting Sunday, June 29 at 10 pm until Monday, June 30 at 6 am. Crews will take advantage of this full overnight closure to use a crane to deliver materials down to the shoreline in support of efforts to reconstruct a seawall below the new viaducts.

Overnight Traffic Control at Rocky Creek Set for June 25

Travelers will encounter overnight traffic control with flaggers at Rocky Creek on Wednesday, June 25 from 8 pm until Thursday, June 26 at 8 am. Delays should not exceed 20 minutes.

The North and South Coast of Big Sur Remain Open and Accessible Via Hwy. 1

Travelers are reminded that over 100 miles of Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast remain open and accessible. Travelers from northern California will find easy access to historic bridges, waterfalls, restaurants, and lodging amenities. Travelers from southern California will find that the highway brings them directly within reach of the unparalleled views, lodging amenities, and natural wonders of Lucia, the Camaldoli Hermitage, Gorda, Treebones, Ragged Point, San Simeon, and Cambria. Highway 1 remains closed at Regent’s Slide, 40 miles south of Carmel.

The estimate for final completion of the Rocky Creek viaduct is summer 2025, with that date dependent on conditions encountered during construction. The contractor for this project is Gordon N. Ball, Inc. of Walnut Creek, CA.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: X/Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.