The Cayucos Land Conservancy has its genesis in the community discussions that took place during the 1990's at the Citizens Advisory Counsel (CCAC) and other places. The focus of those discussions was defining Cayucos: its character, its boundaries and its vision for the future. Initially much of the dialogue was inspired by proposals to develop the 4 miles of coast north of Cayucos. As those proposals, calling for the creation of a resort complex and 160 homes in a gated community, were brought before the CCAC the community became more acutely aware of the growing pressure to develop Cayucos and its surroundings. After nearly 10 years of negotiations, activism and community involvement the owners dropped their plans for building on the bluffs. Shortly after that the Trust for Public Lands (TPL), building on the community's efforts, purchased the property in order to preserve it. Growing out of these events, CLC was incorporated in 1999 and soon after became management partners and conservation easement holders for the newly created Estero Bluffs State Park. CLC's goal in each of these developments was to insure that the community's vision for the property would be honored.

Although CLC's immediate focus was on the Estero Bluffs, its long-term goal has always been to create a permanent greenbelt around Cayucos in order to preserve its rural setting and priceless scenic and natural resources. The four areas which CLC has chosen to currently focus its efforts are the:

In order to accomplish its mission, CLC operates as a land trust and as such has the following characteristics:

In order to create the greenbelt around Cayucos, CLC utilizes the tools available to land trusts. The first is to buy land outright, in other words, to purchase fee title. Second, CLC accepts donations of land or funds to purchase land and it accepts bequests. Third, it accepts or purchases conservation easements which permanently limit the type and scope of development that can take place on a property.

A conservation easement, which is a very important tool for nearly every land trust, is a voluntary, incentive-based agreement between a landowner and a land trust or a government agency that permanently limits uses of the land in order to protect its conservation values. Those values might be its view shed, biological, wildlife, recreation and/or its agricultural resources. While conservation easements prohibit certain types of activity to protect conservation values, they explicitly allow other compatible activities. Thus a ranching family might donate or sell a conservation easement on its ranch that precludes most types of development and thus protect wildlife while at the same time allowing the family to continue ranching its property.

As a fee title owner and as a conservation easement holder, CLC has very important responsibilities as a land trust. CLC is dedicated to protecting the conservation values of the property it owns in whole or in part. CLC is responsible for making sure that the that the property's scenic resource values remain unimpaired.

The Conservancy is also responsible for enforcing the restrictions that its easement document spells out. Therefore, CLC monitors Estero Bluffs on a regular - typically once a year - to determine that the property remains in the condition prescribed by the easement document. CLC maintains written records of its monitoring and has established an endowment to provide for long term stewardship of the easement. In addition, CLC and representatives of State Parks meet frequently to discuss Estero Bluffs management issues and work toward mutually acceptable management decisions.