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.

District:	05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:	Kevin Drabinski or Celeste Morales
Phone:	(805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237

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. 

“Western Watersheds Project (WWP) map of public lands at risk of being sold off under the U.S. Senate’s newly unveiled budget reconciliation proposal—legislation that would mandate the liquidation of 2.19 million to 3.18 million acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands across eleven Western states over the next five years.”

There are large areas of Big Sur marked for sale. And according to many other reports, this could have an effect on over 250 million acres in all Western States except Montana.

Explanation:

https://www.wilderness.org/articles/media-resources/250-million-acres-public-lands-eligible-sale-senr-bill

Map:

https://wilderness.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html?appid=821970f0212d46d7aa854718aac42310

Both Wilderness.org and Westernwatersheds.org are excellent places to get information.

https://westernwatersheds.org/2025/06/new-map-exposes-lands-targeted-for-sale-in-senate-budget-proposalnew-map-exposes-lands-targeted

What can you do?

Write your Senators and Representatives.

Adam Schiff

Contact

Alex Padilla

Contact

Jimmy Panetta

https://panetta.house.gov/contact/offices

Here is a petition: https://act.wilderness.org/a/senaterec-june25-web – Fill in your info and click Submit.

FOREST ORDER NO. 05-07-00-25-09 USDA FOREST SERVICE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST  FIRE USE RESTRICTIONSPursuant to 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(a), and to provide for public safety and protect natural resources, the following acts are prohibited within Los Padres National Forest. This Order is effective from June 18, 2025, through January 31, 2026.Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire, except in the Designated Campfire Use Sites listed in Exhibit A. 36 C.F.R. § 261.52(a).  Discharging a firearm, air rifle, or gas gun, except in the authorized public shooting ranges listed below. 36 C.F.R § 261.58(m).         a. Winchester Canyon Gun Club         b. Ojai Valley Gun ClubPursuant to 36 C.F.R. § 261.50(e), the following persons are exempt from this Order:Persons with a valid California Campfire Permit are not exempt from this Order. However, persons with a valid California Campfire permit may use portable lanterns or stoves using gas, jellied petroleum, or pressurized liquid fuel within the Los Padres National Forest.  Any Federal, State, or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire-fighting force in the performance of an official duty.  Persons hunting during the open hunting season as specified by the laws of the State of California, and possessing a valid California hunting license, may discharge a firearm at a legal game bird or mammal.This prohibition is in addition to the general prohibitions in 36 C.F.R. Part 261, Subpart A. A violation of this prohibition is punishable by a fine of not more than $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, or imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. 16 U.S.C. § 551 and 18 U.S.C. §§ 3559, 3571, and 3581. Executed in Solvang, California this 17th. day of June 2025. Roman L. Torres Acting Forest Supervisor  FOREST ORDER NO. 05-07-00-25-09 USDA FOREST SERVICE LOS PADRES NATIONAL FOREST FIRE USE RESTRICTIONSEXHIBIT A (Designated Campfire Use Sites) Monterey Ranger District Arroyo Seco Campground & Group Camp Arroyo Seco Day Use Area China Camp Escondido Campground Kirk Creek Campground Nacimiento Campground Mill Creek Day Use Area Plaskett Creek Campground & Group Camp Ponderosa Campground Sand Dollar Day Use Area Memorial Park Campground White Oaks CampDownload Forest OrderDownload Exhibit A

(Please excuse the formatting. I worked on it for 1/2 hour, but some things just wouldn’t reformat to fit my blog)

BIG SUR BYWAY ORGANIZATION (BSBO) MEETING, Wednesday, June 18, 2025

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Participate in Person at:

Carmel Highlands Fire Protection District

73 Fern Canyon Road

Carmel, CA 93923

Participate via Zoom Meeting Link:

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://montereycty.zoom.us/j/93686442752?pwd=rYwjBTcwsWO6Ubd1BfUtrUvD42aFzL.1

Or by phone: +1 669 219 2599

Meeting ID: 936 8644 2752

Public Participation Instructions:

The meeting will be conducted via teleconference using the Zoom program for members of the public, and Committee Members will attend in person unless circumstances prohibit in-person attendance.

Members of the public are also welcome to attend in person. The public may observe the Zoom meeting via computer by clicking on the meeting link listed above, or the public may listen via phone by dialing the phone number listed above and then, when prompted, enter the Meeting ID Access Code listed above as well. You will be asked for a “Participant ID.” You do not need a Participant ID to join the meeting; press the pound key (#) again, and you will be automatically connected.

Members of the public may wish to comment on a specific agenda item while the matter is being heard. When the Chair calls for public comment on an agenda item, they will then call on speakers and unmute their device one at a time. Public speakers may be broadcast in audio form only.

Members of the public who wish to make a general public comment for items not on the day’s agenda may submit their comment via email, preferably limited to 250 words or less, to bsbo@countyofmonterey.gov. Individuals with disabilities who desire to request a reasonable accommodation or modification to observe or participate in the meeting may make such a request by sending an email to support staff at bsbo@countyofmonterey.gov. The request should be made no later than noon two (2) business days prior to the meeting date to provide time for the County to address the request. The Chair may set reasonable rules as needed to conduct the meeting in an orderly manner.

1BIG SUR BYWAY ORGANIZATION (BSBO) MEETING

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

June 18, 2025, MEETING AGENDA

10:00 A.M. – CALL TO ORDER

ROLL CALL

Approval of remote participation for Sarah Harvey due to Highway 1 active closures, per AB 2449

Emergency Circumstances.

District/Region Representative Attendance

Highlands Resident Mark Grandcolas

Mid Coast Resident *Martha Diehl, Chair

Big Sur Proper/Valley Resident *Vacant

South Coast Resident Sarah Harvey

Resident At Large *Vacant

Caltrans John Olejnik, or Alternative

U.S. Forest Service Chevene Simmons, Parker Erickson,

Jason Field, or Alternative

CA State Parks John Hiles, Mike Dippel, or

Alternative

Big Sur Chamber Rick Aldinger

AGENDA, ADDITIONS, DELETIONS AND CORRECTIONS

This is a time set aside for Staff to announce any agenda corrections, deletions, and proposed additions,

which may be acted on by the Big Sur Byways Organization.

PUBLIC COMMENT

The Big Sur Byways Organization (BSBO) will receive public comment on non-agenda items within the

purview of the BSBO. The Chair may limit the length of the individual presentations.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

A. Approval of Minutes of March 5, 2025 (Attachment 1)

SCHEDULED / OTHER MATTERS

A. Election of Chair

B. Old Business

A. In-depth technical presentation on Regents Slide for the community (45 minutes –

Caltrans)

B. C. Follow-up on Mud Creek Project process from BSMAAC – Martha

Bixby Bridge Emergency Task Force – Martha

A. Update on Parking Extension

C. New Business

A. Preliminary introduction of the Caltrans Coast Highway Management Plan Update and

BSBO’s role – Caltrans

B. Sycamore Canyon Road and Highway 1 intersection safety concerns – United States

Forest Service

C. Caltrans project updates and report (Attachment 2) – Caltrans

A. Culvert replacement project, Garrapata bridge, etc.

MEMBER COMMENTS, REQUEST, AND REFERRALS (written reports preferred)

2BIG SUR BYWAY ORGANIZATION (BSBO) MEETING

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

This is a time set aside for members of the BSBO to comment, request, or refer a matter that is on or not

on the agenda. At this time, members may also request that an item be added to future BSBO agendas.

A. Committee Review and Reports

Administration / Organization and Funding, Signs/Roadside Camping/Litter & human

waste/Enforcement, Invasive Species, and Landslide Disposal Sites.

DEPARTMENT REPORT

ADJOURNMENT

NEXT REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING

1. 2025 Regular Scheduled Meetings

• September 24, 2025

• November 19, 2025