India, Oct. 17 -- Rivers need room to spread during heavy rainfall, when rising water can threaten nearby properties. Along California's Carmel River, a planned restoration project seeks to reconnect the river with its southern floodplain to improve flood management and restore wildlife habitat. In 2016, Clint and Maggie Eastwood donated 79 acres at the former Odello East Fields to Big Sur Land Trust, following an earlier 49-acre gift that brought their combined contribution to 128 acres.

Big Sur Land Trust's For Love of the Land: Annual Report 2016 identified the donation as an important milestone in the development of the Carmel River Floodplain Restoration and Environmental Enhancement Project, known as Carmel River FREE. Developed in...