Brian Steen was the Executive Director of the Big Sur Land Trust from 1980 until 200? (Will check on this). Hope you enjoy hearing Brian speak of the early days of the Land Trust and much else. He was very deeply engaged in the community for many years!

The interview starts about 5 seconds in, sorry about that.

Notes and corresponding time signatures:

5:20:  Arrived as a “Fire Prevention Technician.”

6:50:  BSLT November 1979 Position as Exec for the BSLT

Margaret Owings

9:15 Funding of BSLT land acquisition.

Nancy Hopkins

Howard Welch

13:05 How did you ‘sell’ the idea of selling to the BSLT?

15:00 Grant to identify ‘viewshed’ properties.

Mr & Mrs Packard; Circle M, Rancho Grande, tax write-off, timber rights, conservation easement…

18:15 Land Conservation vs. Financial Gain 

20:00 Confidential transactions.

21:40 Prop 70, $25 million, compensation for selling property and/or rights.

22:20 El Sur Ranch: Development rights sold…$10.5 – 11 Million

23:00  Viewshed Policy not set in stone…

24:30 Plans for big hotels along the Beach North of Andrew Molera…

28:50 1980 A hornet’s nest of strong feelings. National seashore…vs…Local control.

35:00 BSLT condemning properties…!

36:00 Margaret Owings “Eternal vigilance.” 

37:00 Lady Bird 1966 – Scenic Highway!

40:14 High Road and Vision for the Coast by Margaret Owings…

42:30 Would it have bee a good things if Ansel Adams had won!?

47:10 Jeff Norman was my assistant…

49:17 Transactions you are proud of?

51:40 Frank and Walter Trotter…

53.15 San Carlos Ranch failure.

56:14 What are the changes since 1976…?

57:20 $60,000/mile to bury the power lines…

58:34 How is it possible it looks the same!?

59:30 What is Big Sur?

1:02:52: How do we limit traffic? Do we have to do it?

1:06:06 Conundrum of too many visitors…

1:08:20 STR’s allowed or not?

1:11:12 Marble Cone Fire 1977 (185,000 acres burned)

Walter Trotter: ”you can’t stop this!”

1:15:08 Tan Oaks broken by snow!

1:18:32 Hippies!

1:21:10 Allan Funt Ranch

1:24:00 Big Sur Foundation: Eminent Domain!