Collection consists of the research files of Nicholas Roosevelt, compiled while he worked on the plans for the Monterey Coast Master Plan as a consultant. The files consist of reports and proposals with his annotations and separate evaluation notes.

Nicholas Roosevelt (1893-1982) was an American diplomat and writer, who later in his life lived in Big Sur. In California he became a member of the State Recreation Commission and, in 1970, published the book, Conservation: Now or Never, a call to protect the nation's resources. Roosevelt joined his Big Sur neighbors, architect Nathaniel A. Owings and his wife, conservationist Margaret W. Owings, and others in developing and supporting a new Monterey Coast Master Plan. To protect Highway 1 as a "scenic highway," Monterey County hired Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill to develop a master plan for the "scenic corridor" through which the highway passes. Others opposed the plan as imposing limits on commercial development and growth. The Monterey County Coast Master Plan, however, was recognized as a far-reaching and innovative conservation plan, largely supported by residents.

1 document case: 0.5 cubic ft.

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