IN THIS ISSUE

Back at the Hearst Ranch
Three years ago, a hard-won and convoluted agreement ended one of the most acrimonious land-use battles in California history. The deal ensured that almost all of the 82,000-acre Hearst Ranch on the San Luis Obispo County coast will remain undeveloped, its stunning views preserved forever, with 13 miles of the 18-mile shoreline transferred to California State Parks. More...

Hiking the Hearst Coast
Supervising State Park Ranger Leander Tamoria and environmental scientist Brian Barandon helped David Sneed of the San Luis Obispo Tribune find his way along this spectacular shoreline so he could tell the public about it. Here, in four parts, are some hiking options in the newly expanded San Simeon State Park, based on Sneed’s articles, published in 2006 and abridged and updated here with the Tribune’s permission. More...

Saving the Coast with Pictures
An Interview with Ken and Gabrielle Adelman
In July 2007, at the suggestion of the editor of this magazine, I sat down with my friends Ken and Gabrielle Adelman to reflect upon the success of the California Coastal Records Project’s aerial photography website. More...

LightHawk
For the Love of Aviation and the Environment
On Friday November 8, the day after the Cosco Busan freighter struck the Bay Bridge and dumped 58,000 gallons of toxic fuel oil into San Francisco Bay, Judd Klement, Pacific Coast program manager for LightHawk, put out a call for a volunteer pilot. The mission, requested by Save the Bay, was to fly with a photographer over the water to provide an aerial perspective on the disaster and document its course. More...

Mapping Past and Present Creeks of San Francisco
Blackstone Court follows an old trail that in the 1850s and 1860s ran from town out to the Presidio, skirting the north end of Washerwoman’s Lagoon, an important freshwater source for early San Francisco. In 1882 the lagoon was filled in, and as the city expanded a new street grid was laid overtop, erasing most evidence that the lake ever existed--except for Blackstone Court. More...

Coming Soon:

Those unwelcome house guests are coming back with the rain. Ants! Science meets folklore . . . . The noisy ocean: Large ships are a growing source of chronic underwater noise. Scientists worry about effects on marine life . . . . A concrete-lined channel in Los Angeles has been transformed into a greenway with a new living stream that saves fresh water by feeding the aquifer . . . . Night light and birds . . . . new parklands to enjoy . . . . and much more.

Check out Our Previous Issue:

Tainted Greens--an in-depth look at safety measures being taken in response to last year's discovery of deadly E. coli in packaged spinach finds some may be counter-productive; people are buying homes below sea level in the Delta --what are they thinking? George Davidson and the mapping of the California coast; geocaching alongshore, and more. Click here for the previous issue.

Wheelchair Guides Available:

A Wheelchair Rider's Guide to San Francisco Bay and the Nearby Coast (2006) and A Wheelchair Rider's Guide to the Los Angeles and Orange County Coast (2001) are available free of charge. For PDF versions or to order print copies, contact the Coastal Conservancy. To view the book cover, Click here.

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