4: Protect and Conserve

In 1989, 20,000 Laguna Beach Residents marched to halt impending development of Laguna Canyon by the Irvine Company. While the march was a momentous confrontation, it was the culmination of a longstanding fight to preserve Laguna’s Open Spaces - and a success. 22,000 acres of undeveloped land was saved: the Laguna Greenbelt. Today, that protection extends beyond the coast and out into the open ocean.