by Linda Parks
One of the best saves of 2025 was the purchase of Cuesta Inlet in Los Osos by the aptly named nonprofit, Save Cuesta Inlet. Two of the most remarkable features of their grassroots effort were the amazing speed in which most of the funds were raised, and the sheer number of people who got involved. The vision shared by all, keeping the coveted inlet to the Morro Bay estuary free of development and accessible to the public, inspired unprecedented acts of charity.
In the span of two months, between when a private party was going to buy the inlet until the time he withdrew his offer and the Save Cuesta Inlet nonprofit moved forward to buy it instead, over 500 members of the community donated more than $700,000 to make the purchase possible.
From the children’s lemonade stand to the donor who offered a $100,000 match, to the rummage and garage sales, the wine and cheeses, the ice cream social, the progressive dinner, the movie day, the mailings and tabling events, there were many opportunities to donate. Businesses and community organizations assisted the effort including the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Los Osos Valley Garden Club, and the Morro Bay National Estuary Program, which provided a grant. Talented local artists donated their art, including creating the awesome Save Cuesta Inlet yard signs people placed in front of their homes. The Save Cuesta Inlet board strategized, applied for grants, organized dozens of volunteers, and negotiated the real estate transaction that required raising all the funds before the close of escrow, which they did.
This amazing spurt of energy was jumpstarted by a mighty few who worked the previous four years incorporating the Save Cuesta Inlet organization as a nonprofit, establishing its mission and gathering the help of volunteers who tabled weekly at the farmers market and organized a concert by the Mother Corn Shuckers band that raised both money and spirits.
Beyond the sheer numbers of people and funds raised is the land and the estuary that inspired and moved so many to act to save it. This strong connection to the land is also a reminder of the Chumash who have called this area home for time immemorial, and the responsibility to be good land stewards.
In the coming New Year, the Save Cuesta Inlet organization plans to transition to become Friends of Cuesta Inlet, a stewardship organization that will be guided by the shared goals of protecting the land and the public’s access to it.
For more information or to assist the land stewardship of Cuesta Inlet go here.