Category: Environment

Public Comment on Off-Shore Drilling closes this Friday

On January 4, 2018, the Trump Administration announced its Draft Proposed National Oil and Gas Leasing Program. This proposal lays out a plan to open 90 percent of our nation’s Outer Continental Shelf for potential oil and gas exploration and development, including two oil drilling lease opportunities off of the central coast of California.

If this proposal is enacted, it would have a huge impact on the health of our ocean, our coastal communities, our tourism industry, and our environment. Fortunately, you have the opportunity to share your opinion about this plan.

The Administration is accepting public comments about the proposal through this Friday, March 9, 2018.

Comments can be made through the regulations.gov web portal. Navigate to http://www.regulations.gov and under the Search tab, in the space provided, type in Docket ID: BOEM-2017-0074 to submit comments and to view other comments. Information on using http://www.regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing documents, submitting comments, and viewing the docket after the close of the comment period, is available through the links under the box entitled “Are you new to this site?”

Comments can also be made by mail, in an envelope labeled “Comments for the 2019-2024 Draft Proposed National Oil and Gas Leasing Program” and mailed (or hand delivered) to Ms. Kelly Hammerle, Chief, National Oil and Gas Leasing Program Development and Coordination Branch, Leasing Division, Office of Strategic Resources, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM-LD), 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166-9216, telephone (703) 787-1613. Written comments may also be hand delivered at a public meeting to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management official in charge.

In Congress, I have cosponsored bills that would prohibit oil and gas exploration and leasing in off of our coast, including the West Coast Ocean Protection Act and the California Clean Coast Act. I will continue to fight to protect our oceans and coastlines so that our communities, country, and future generations can continue to enjoy the natural beauty of the Central Coast.

While I and my fellow Members of Congress work to protect our oceans through legislation, it is important for our community members to share their thoughts about the proposed program directly with the Trump Administration before the March 9th deadline.

Sincerely,

JIMMY PANETTA
Member of Congress
Washington, D.C. Office
228 Cannon HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: (202) 225-2861
Fax: (202) 225-6791 Salinas Office
100 W Alisal St.
Salinas, CA 93901
Phone: (831) 424-2229
Santa Cruz Office
701 Ocean St., Room 318C
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: (831) 429-1976
This is an official correspondence from Congressman Jimmy Panetta. If you have any questions please contact my office.
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Short Term Rentals in Big Sur

One cannot look at the impacts of tourism in Big Sur without also looking at the impact of Short Term Rentals (STR). In one week, the Planning Commission will hold a public workshop to discuss this issue. Below you will find the announcement in a pdf format converted to jpg. In the days ahead, as necessary weather reports allow, I will post information on the issue to help those of you who wish to prepare for the meeting. On the weather front, we will finally get some rain today, thankfully.

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STRs in Big Sur Land Use Plan area withdrawn from Planning Commission meeting

This is a long letter, but I feel important enough to post in full. Because of the way they are formatted, I must post as images. It is just over 3 pages.

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Los Padres NF – Monterey District Closure Order, 11/7/17

Los Padres Issues Closure Order for Key Trails, Camps on Monterey Ranger District

GOLETA, CA, November 7, 2017…Los Padres National Forest officials today issued a forest order to maintain a temporary closure of the Pine Ridge (Forest Trail No. E306), Terrace Creek (Forest Trail No. 3E22) and Ventana Camp (Forest Trail No. 2E14) trails, as well as Barlow Flat, Sykes, Redwood, Terrace Creek and Ventana Camps.
The remainder of the Soberanes Fire closure instituted last December on the Monterey Ranger District has been lifted.
Forest Service law enforcement officers will strictly enforce the new closure order, which carries a penalty of $5,000 and/or six months in jail. The order will expire November 6, 2018.
The closure order prohibits the public from being on these three trails or entering these five developed recreation sites due to continued public safety and natural resource concerns within the Soberanes Fire burn area. The closure will remain in effect until the hazardous trails conditions can be mitigated. Adequate surveys of these trails are being undertaken to determine the amount of damage, the subsequent repair needs, environmental planning, and funding sources to accomplish the necessary trail repair work before allowing public access to these popular trails and camps.
The scoping regarding this temporary closure included discussions with local landowners, members of the public, government agencies, as well as cooperators and volunteers.
For additional information, please contact the Monterey Ranger District at (831) 385-5434, or by visiting the Los Padres National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.

TO BE CLEAR – THE SOBERANES EAST LOOP IS STATE PARK AND NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ORDER. IT IS STILL CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! AS ARE THE LIMEKILN TRAILS, I BELIEVE.

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LOVING THE WILDERNESS TO DEATH…

“If you were to hike nearly nine miles into a wilderness area, paralleling a creek through alpine meadows and woods, you might expect to find solitude. But that’s not the case at Conundrum Hot Springs, an extremely popular area of natural pools at an elevation of over 11,000 feet with views of surrounding peaks in White River National Forest. Dozens — and on busy weekends, sometimes hundreds — of overnight visitors hike in. Some even carry speakers and cases of beer. “It’ll be like you’ve gone to someone’s backyard for a pool party,” Karen Schroyer, Aspen-Sopris district ranger, says.”

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One can read the rest of this article here: http://www.hcn.org/articles/recreation-the-conundrum-of-loved-to-death-wilderness?utm_source=wcn1&utm_medium=email

 

Dispersed Camping on Nacimiento Rd to be banned

The paperwork has been completed to ban dispersed camping along Nacimiento-Fergusson Rd. It is currently out of the district for review before it comes back for signature. We won’t know for sure how long it will be banned until the order comes back into the district. It is not in effect until signed, but it is a very good step.

Monterey County Visitors Bureau Response

Hi Kate

Thanks for sharing this feedback. And I’d also like to thank you for sharing with your followers the list of things we are doing to support responsible tourism in Big Sur (https://bigsurkate.blog/2017/07/21/monterey-co-visitors-bureau-outreach/). One of the main points of that list was to illustrate the wide range of ways we are trying to support the businesses in Big Sur and the people they employ – but do so in a way the emphasizes respect for the environment and the people who live in Big Sur.

As much as we are doing to maintain balance, there is always room for more ideas and collaboration. So appreciate your sharing this latest comment. Some feedback on that:

· Bixby Bridge – clearly we know people are going to take pictures. So much of our messaging is designed to encourage people to be safe and smart. To use proper parking/pull-outs and be cautious at all times… We’ve posted such messaging in our social channels, stress this with travelers who come to our Visitor Center and among other things on our website, we have a Dos & Don’ts page for Big Sur on our website that further elaborates on this.
· On the line of copy about “sleep under the stars” – this was vague so we made more specific and refer directly ‘sleep under the stars… at Fernwood Resorts’. This has been updated in our material.
· One of the comments in today’s post (https://bigsurkate.blog/2017/07/26/moco-visitors-bureaus-disconnect-with-big-sur/) was whether MCCVB was directing people – on purpose or inadvertently – to private property. We certainly do not do this, in fact, we ask travelers to be respectful specifically of private property. But we’ll look at our messaging to see how we can further emphasize.

Again, we appreciate your sharing the outreach we are doing with your followers as well as receiving critical comments so that we can address. In fact, we’ve gone to great lengths over the years – not just related to the road closure – to ensure we are not ‘disconnected with Big Sur’. But there is always opportunity for more and better connectivity. So please feel free to reach out to me directly anytime with any suggestions.

Given that Big Sur is one of the most iconic and beautiful places on Earth, we know people are going to travel to experience it. The question is how can we make them more respectful tourists – that is a top priority.

Please let me know of any further questions/suggestions/ideas. We’ll take all the collaboration we can get…

Many thanks

Rob O’Keefe

Thanks, Rob for being so receptive. Now, if we could just find ways to get the “on the ground funding” we need for porta potties, trash collection, and patrolling to prevent campfires and illegal camping. Anything you can do in that regard, we would be very appreciative of, because no matter how much educating we try to do, it will not reach probably more than 1/2 the people it needs to reach. Of the 4000 people a day who contact you, how can we know how many don’t bother?

Traffic Issues are back, 7/3/17

5 pm update – from a follower: “today was ugly, be aware and on the lookout, sobranes, garrapatta, rocky creek & bixby all way overcrowded and people parking in the highway”

Due, at least in part,  to an aggressive campaign by the Monterey Visitors and Convention Bureau, the traffic issues we have been without are back with a vengeance. And this is just since the trail opened to the public on Saturday. Imagine what is coming when Paul’s Slide opens this month.  Fire danger, anyone? What is the plan? Or *IS* there a plan?

At Point Lobos: 11:26 AM 1 [1] 20 VEHS PARKED ILLEGALLY

At Soberanes Point: 12:00 PM 1 [1] 3 VEHS PART 1125 [blocking roadway]

And at Hurricane Point and Bixby Bridge:
11:08 AM 4 [21] Incident Re-opened: STATE PARKS HAD RPT OF NAILS BEING DELIBERATLY DROPPED ON BIXBY BRIDGE
8:22 AM 3 [18] A27-022 22 1097 THE AREA [10-97 arrived at scene]
7:46 AM 2 [3] RP DOES NOT NEED ASSIST FOR HIS VEH ( 12 GRY NISS PATHFINDER)
7:46 AM 1 [2] RP ADV ON THE SHOULDER AND ON THE EDGE OF THE ROAD

And a friend in town stated that at noon, there was an 8-mile backup of cars on Highway One.

And this was Garapatta yesterday. (Photo by Martha Diehl)

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Big Sur Shuttle Service

A new service will be instituted beginning July 1st, which will coincide with the opening of the State Park. The website explains what the service offers. Interestingly, only those utilizing the shuttle, or campers in the State Park, will have access to the TapHouse Trail, which the shuttle service calls the Community Trail. Also the service is providing educational information in the form of pamphlets and story-telling. This could be an interesting experiment on how to minimize some of the impact of the overuse of tourists in our area after the bridge is open. It will have several months of a sort-of “trial” run to see how this works. It could easily be part of the solution, which is always good to hear. Please go to their website to check it out:

Big Sur Shuttle Service

And for current State Park Information, check out this website:

Pfeiffer State Park

Eels in the Big Sur River?

Photos by John Galt taken at the Riverside Campground river crossing

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