The trust was the first to conceive of and use the "conservation buyer" method in 1989 by partnering with government and developers to offer tax benefits as an inducement to sell land at below-market rates.

Their original aim was to protect Big Sur's natural beauty "from over development without recourse to government control while recognizing a property owners' right to sell to whomever they wish".

A group of Big Sur residents decided to form their own organization that could promote environmental protection reflecting the desires of the people who lived there.

The founding members were Zad Leavy, an experienced attorney and his wife Laela, Sherna and Kipp Stewart, Roger and Beverly Newell, Nancy Hopkins, Lloyd and Pat Addleman, Martin and Suzanne Forster and Peter Harding.

[6] Volunteers play a significant role by contributing their time and talents to stewardship projects, guided hikes, events and many other aspects of Big Sur Land Trust's work.

"[8] It emphasized conserving unique landscapes on California's central coast including stream spawning beds for threatened steelhead trout, coastal redwoods, grasslands and oak woodlands.

[10] Its mission as of 2023[update] is "to inspire love of land across generations, conservation of our unique Monterey County landscapes, and access to outdoor experiences for all.

[4] In February 1978, as the trust was being formed, it received an undivided half-interest in 26 acres (11 ha) just north of the Esalen Institute from its co-founder Michael Murphy.

[15] The first master plan for the Big Sur coast was written in 1962 by architect and part- time local resident Nathaniel Owings.

The plan states: "The overall direction for the future of the Big Sur Coast is based around the theme of preserving the outstanding natural environment....

[4] In 1989, Zad Leavy, a founder of the trust and long-time attorney, conceived of the idea of inducing landowners to sell property through a process later called the "conservation buyer method".

[1] Some opponents have criticized the actions of conservation groups like the trust as having "turned the buyout of Big Sur into a business, making millions of dollars buying private land and selling it to government agencies.

[14] The six Oklahoma buyers, who had meanwhile flown to California to tour the property for a second time, were "flabbergasted" to learn their agreement had been turned down for a deal that Coastal Commissioner Leavy had arranged acting as attorney for the trust.

[25] At the same time the trust was negotiating with the attorneys, they also brought in the father-in-law of board member Nancy Hopkins, Hewlett-Packard co-founder David Packard.

Packard wanted a piece of open coastal land and was happy with the covenants and restrictions, but he was initially concerned that the proposed contract was not legal.

[27]: 282  Due to a revised exclusion to the real estate listing required by the trust, the realtor who had marketed the property and paid over $6,000 for a full-color brochure among other expenses was not reimbursed.

[25] The Big Sur Gazette and the local Coast Property Owners Association charged that Leavy had engaged in a conflict of interest by not revealing both his roles as both a Coastal Commission member and the trust's legal adviser.

The purchase price included a county-approved tentative subdivision map for 76 lots and the legal right to 196 acre-feet (242,000 m3) of Carmel River water.

Eastwood and his representatives said during a public hearing on his request that the appropriation was needed to establish the fair market value of the Odello Ranch for tax purposes.

[30] In December 2007, Eastwood announced he intended to transfer ownership of 82 acres (33 ha) and the legal right to 130 acre-feet (160,000 m3) of water to the Big Sur Land Trust.

In exchange, Eastwood transferred the development rights for the 19 units to land adjacent to a 397 acres (161 ha) parcel known as Cañada Woods East that he bought from the trust for $150,000.

[28] "We wanted Odello preserved, no question," says Ben Post, chair of the Ventana Chapter of the Sierra Club, "but let's get clear about this, there's a lot of stuff going on here that's not all simply clean and I really challenge the process.

[28] In an unusual move, the Eastwood Trust agreed to sell 50 acre-feet (62,000 m3) of its 2016 water rights to help offset Cal-Am's existing unlawful diversions from the Carmel River aquifer, and half of that amount in 2017.

[34] The State Water Resources Control Board ruled: This combination of direct offsets to Cal-Am's unlawful diversions and action to address the long-term negative effects of the unlawful diversions on the environment distinguish this project from the general language regarding applying water to growth on the peninsula, and make approval of the project consistent with the public interest.

The trust obtains the property rights and can choose to retain the land in perpetuity or coordinate with another organization to transfer the parcel into a larger conserved area.

The trust has negotiated a number of agreements covering about 17,000 acres (6,880 ha) with private property owners to preserve the land without transferring ownership.

Projects focus on the expansion of preserved natural habitat for unique central coast species, and increasing the opportunities available for community members to connect with the environment.

Starting in 2004, the Big Sur Land Trust began efforts to collaborate with other agencies and the local community to protect and restore the Carmel River.

[44][64] The trust received a $1.2 million grant from the California Resources Agency River Parkways Program to build a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long handicapped accessible pedestrian and bicycle path that connected the Quail Lodge resort in Carmel Valley to Palo Corona Regional Park.

Runoff from the farming operations flows northeast through a reclamation ditch toward Tembladero Slough and into the old Salinas River, and eventually into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.