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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

Marie Andel, an award-winning business executive specializing in building values-based, high performance cultures, has been named the new chair of Sonoma Land Trust’s board of directors. A board member since 2017, Andel retired as chief people and culture officer for CSAA Insurance Group, a AAA Insurer, in 2019, and is currently serving as interim chief human resources officer for Pinterest.

“Marie’s exceptionally deep experience with organizational change management and her passion for environmental equity will be enormous assets during her time as chair — as she helps to navigate the Land Trust toward the goal of serving an inclusive conservation audience and all our communities in Sonoma County,” says Eamon O’Byrne, Sonoma Land Trust executive director. “Her leadership as a board member has been infused with enthusiasm and an eye toward the future, and I know she will be an outstanding chair.”

Andel, who led the process that resulted in the hiring of O’Byrne in 2019, says she is delighted to be working more closely with him and the Land Trust staff on the organization’s initiatives to make Sonoma County more resilient to climate change and ensure that all communities have access to the benefits of nature.

“Nature is such a healing force — it gives us life, energy and renewal,” says Andel. “As we confront the challenges of climate change, I look forward to partnering with the diverse communities of Sonoma County to keep the land, waterways and wildlife healthy — and, by extension, all of us.  

“A few years ago, when I was trying to figure out the best way for me to give back, someone very wise suggested that I focus on what I love,” she continues. “That brought me to Sonoma Land Trust because I am grateful to be able to hike among the trees, listen to the birds and walk along the shores. The most beautiful place in the world to me is the stunning Sonoma Coast. The grandeur of nature does a wonderful job reminding me of my insignificance, which I appreciate.”

Andel has been named one of the “Bay Area’s Most Influential Women in Business” and has also served as a board member of the American Red Cross Bay Area. She lives in Sonoma with her husband, Eric.

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About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust works in alliance with nature to conserve and restore the integrity of the land with a focus on climate resiliency and is also committed to ensuring more equitable access to the outdoors. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected nearly 58,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations. Sonoma Land Trust is the recipient of the 2019 Land Trust Alliance Award of Excellence and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org.

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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

More than a pretty place, Walter and Jean Foppiano Ranch offers extensive natural benefits

Sonoma Land Trust has protected one of the largest remaining ranches along the middle reach of the Russian River — a cattle ranch on a beautiful peninsula of rolling hills and grasslands one mile east of Healdsburg and bounded on three sides by the Russian River. On April 30, the Land Trust closed escrow on a conservation easement over the 758-acre Walter and Jean Foppiano Ranch belonging to their daughters, Ruth Ann Foppiano and Christine Foppiano Haun.

“My mother and father worked hard their whole life and were both very proud of the ranch,” says Haun. “They would be pleased with this result that my sister and I chose for it.”

“This charismatic ranch is really close to Healdsburg, but feels a world away,” says land acquisition program manager, Sara Press. “With an easement over this biologically rich property, we’re protecting the ecological function of an important stretch of the Russian River.”

The development risk in this part of the county is high. Under the conservation easement, which extinguishes the possibility of up to six estate homes and/or large-scale vineyards, the ranch’s meadows, woodlands and nearly three miles of river frontage and streamside habitat will remain undeveloped forever. The easement allows for sustainable grazing agriculture — a small herd of cattle will continue to graze peacefully there.

Protecting the ranch ensures that this landscape can continue to deliver its ecosystem benefits, including:

• filtering water that is part of a system that provides drinking water to more than 600,000 residents in Sonoma and Marin counties;
• recharging groundwater at a rate of 702 acre-feet per year, which is equivalent in volume to the annual water use of 3,600 households (Bay Area Greenprint); and
• storing almost 14,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas equivalent in the above-ground vegetation and over 40,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas equivalent in the soil (Bay Area Greenprint), which together are equivalent to the annual energy use of over 6,000 homes (EPA).

Recent history of the ranch In the mid-1950s, Walter Foppiano, his brother and sister purchased the original 1,600-acre ranch across from where the Maacama Creek converges with the Russian River. Over time, their families separated their holdings, ultimately leaving Christine and Ruth Ann with their parents’ 758-acre portion. Sonoma Land Trust’s purchase of a conservation easement over the property allows the ranch to remain as it has been for the last 70-plus years and to provide a vehicle to settle the estate.

“I enjoyed going out with my dad to help take care of the sheep and, in later years, cattle,” says Haun. “I learned how to ride a horse, to appreciate what needed to be done when caring for livestock and to have patience — and I came to realize just how lucky I was growing up as a child. My husband and I enjoy immensely being at the ranch every day just like my dad did.”

Property offers extensive biodiversity

The ranch is located within a wildlife movement corridor connecting Fitch Mountain and Modini Mayacamas Preserve, and its protection will provide enduring climate adaptation and resilience benefits for native plants and animals, including intact riparian (streamside) habitat and habitat connectivity. Thanks to unusual geology and hydrology at this site, the Russian River makes a big loop around the property, surrounding it on three sides. The ample water and undeveloped nature of the ranch benefits numerous species of wildlife — even mountain lion tracks have been seen from time to time along the sandy riverbank.

Conserving this prop­erty will also help protect at-risk aquatic species that include Coho salmon, steelhead trout, California freshwater shrimp, red-legged frog and foothill yellow-legged frog. The entire ranch is considered essential for conservation by the Conservation Lands Network, a respected regional conservation strategy for the San Francisco Bay Area.

Loss of the ranch to development would have accelerated degradation of the watershed, diminished biodiversity, increased habitat loss and fragmentation, reduced groundwater recharge, reduced the diversity of working agricultural lands, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and caused other negative impacts to the ecosystem.

Funding for easement purchase

Funding to purchase the conservation easement was secured from the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Agricultural Conservation Easement Program; the California Strategic Growth Council’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation program with funds from California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work; and the Bay Area Conservation Small Grants Program of Resources Legacy Fund, which is funded in part by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

“Congratulations to the Foppiano family and the Sonoma Land Trust for protecting the Foppiano Ranch forever,” says Jessica Buendia, acting executive director of the California Strategic Growth Council, which supported the land acquisition with an award through its Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program. “Protecting these 758 acres is a powerful example of how actions with major local benefits help advance important State goals to reduce and avoid greenhouse gas emissions, to protect and recharge groundwater, and to conserve natural and working lands.”

A Force for Nature Campaign

Protecting this property along the Russian River is a project of the $80 million “A Force for Nature” fundraising campaign that Sonoma Land Trust will launch publicly on May 25, 2021. The campaign funds land protection work, such as the Foppiano Ranch project, as well as other nature-based projects and programs aimed at fostering climate resilience. Thanks to generous support from individuals, businesses, foundations and government entities, we are more than 70 percent of the way to reaching the goal. Join us May 25 to learn more about the campaign. https://give.sonomalandtrust.org/forcefornature

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About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust works in alliance with nature to conserve and restore the integrity of the land with a focus on climate resiliency and is also committed to ensuring more equitable access to the outdoors. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 56,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations. Sonoma Land Trust is the recipient of the 2019 Land Trust Alliance Award of Excellence and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org.

About NRCS’ Sonoma County Venture Conservation Regional Conservation Partnership Program

NRCS’ Sonoma County Venture Conservation (SCVC) Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) is a collaboration of partners, funders, residents, farmers and ranchers working to conserve and restore land in Sonoma County to ensure resilience to climate change through healthy soils, high-quality surface and groundwater supplies, healthy habitat for fish and wildlife, and a thriving agricultural industry. The Partnership received a five-year $8,049,000 grant for activities such as protecting agricultural land through conservation easements. For more information about RCPP, visit https://www.sonomaopenspace.org/projects/sonoma-county-venture-conservation-partnership/.

About Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program

The Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC), a component of the California Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program, supports California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals by making strategic investments to protect agricultural lands from conversion to more GHG-intensive uses. Protecting critical agricultural lands from conversion to urban or rural residential development encourages infill development within existing jurisdictions, ensures open space remains available, and supports a healthy agricultural economy and resulting food security. A healthy and resilient agricultural sector is a critical part of meeting the challenges occurring and anticipated as a result of climate change.

Administered by the Department of Conservation’s Division of Land Resource Protection, SALC is part of California Climate Investments, a statewide program that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing GHG emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment — particularly in disadvantaged communities. The Cap-and-Trade program also creates a financial incentive for industries to invest in clean technologies and develop innovative ways to reduce pollution. California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero-emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling, and much more. At least 35 percent of these investments are located within and benefiting residents of disadvantaged communities, low-income communities, and low-income households across California. For more information, visit the California Climate Investments website at: www.caclimateinvestments.ca.gov.

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Nonprofit launches $80 million campaign to create a climate-ready and resilient Sonoma County

Sonoma Land Trust is taking bold action through our A FORCE FOR NATURE campaign. We’ve paired human resolve with nature-based solutions to build a more resilient Sonoma County. Members of the public are invited to join us at the free virtual campaign launch event on Tuesday, May 25 from 6−7pm. Co-hosts will be nature celebrity Doug McConnell, host of NBC Bay Area’s OpenRoad TV, and Seair Lorentz, co-founder of the new Petaluma River Park. Register for the event at sonomalandtrust.org.

The $80 million A Force for Nature Campaign is raising funds and awareness for our projects and programs, as well as securing commitments for future funding through planned gifts. Thanks to the generous support of our members, business partners, foundations and government funders, we are approximately 74 percent of the way to reaching our goal.

“To make the greatest impact, we have deepened our mission to adapt to the changing climate and reflect the diversity of the communities we serve,” says Land Trust executive director Eamon O’Byrne. “We must start by acknowledging that Sonoma County landscapes are not only breathtaking, but also breath-giving. Nature is not a nice-to-have amenity; it is the infrastructure of all life.”

Because of a growing awareness that land conservation is a key strategy for addressing our climate and extinction crises, California and the Federal government have set a 30 x 30 plan to conserve 30 percent of our lands by 2030. Sonoma Land Trust plans to protect thousands of acres of land rich in biodiversity over the next decade in support of the 30 x 30 goal. These lands will be managed collaboratively and with innovative approaches to build a more resilient Sonoma County.

An investment in natural solutions

We have developed six natural solutions, as part of our recent strategic planning process, that consider the health of our land, water and community members. These solutions work in alliance with nature to preserve our land and resources, and ensure safe access to nature and an equitable distribution of its benefits to all members of the community.

Protecting Our Biodiversity

Million-acre Sonoma County sits at the core of a biological hotspot, which means we have some of the world’s richest ecosystems, but also some of the most threatened. To support our vital biodiversity, Sonoma Land Trust is conserving lands threatened by development and preserving large, intact landscapes and wildlife corridors so that vulnerable populations of animals and plants can thrive.

Living With Wildfire

Working with the community, local government agencies, nonprofits and Indigenous tribes, we are working toward the goal of restoring fire’s ecological role on the landscape through improved forest management practices and the return of controlled burns on up to 50,000 acres in Sonoma County. These efforts will help mitigate the effects of climate change, promote ecosystem health and biodiversity, and improve fire resilience and safety for our communities.

Adapting to Rising Waters

We are working to adapt and mitigate the impacts of flooding from sea level rise and intense storms through the acquisition and restoration of wetlands, creeks and tidal marshes in the Sonoma Baylands. Wetlands, which act like sponges, are critical buffers to sea level rise, slowing down waves and storm surges to prevent flooding from extreme downpours.

Securing Freshwater Flows

Water and land are inextricably linked as water flows over, through and across our landscapes. Using innovative science, we have identified the most strategic parts of the Russian River system to acquire, protect and restore. Our goal is to expand essential habitats for fish, birds and other wildlife while simultaneously building community resilience to severe storms, droughts, flooding and sea level rise.

Preserving Nature Nearby

Parks can make cities healthier by lowering temperatures, improving air quality, reducing GHG emissions and providing opportunities for recreation. Through acquisition and transfer of land to county and city parks, we are expanding access in areas that lack nearby open space and facilitating innovative park-planning processes that meets the needs of all our communities.

Empowering Our Communities

We approach our work with an equity lens to ensure access and distribution of nature’s benefits to all community members. Through inclusive educational programming, we are supporting diverse and equitable communities and cultivating the next generation of nature advocates for Sonoma County.

As we say at the Land Trust, the solutions are right under our feet! From the Russian River watershed to the dramatic Sonoma Coast to the tidal marshes along the Sonoma Baylands, the land that Sonoma Land Trust is preserving has the power to fight climate change.

Leaders of the Campaign

Volunteers are at the heart of the campaign. Three co-chair couples lead the Campaign Steering Committee, which works in partnership with staff to ensure the campaign’s success. Our Board of Directors has also been instrumental to this campaign through their generous donations of time, talent and treasure.

Campaign Steering Committee Co-chairs:

• Simon and Kimberly Blattner
• Tim Portwood and Jim Lauber
• Harry and Dee Richardson

Campaign Steering Committee Members:

• Scott Hafner
• Steven Hightower
• Nancy Otto
• Ellie Rilla
• Allison Sanford

Supporters can participate in the campaign by continuing to make their annual gifts. Many will let us know about their intention to make a planned gift to Sonoma Land Trust — another great way to participate in the campaign. And some will make special gifts in support of ambitious goals spelled out in the strategic plan.

To be a force for nature by making a donation, or to learn more about the campaign, visit our campaign microsite at weareaforcefornature.org.

To speak with a member of our staff about making a gift or to learn more about our Legacy League, please contact Shannon Nichols, director of philanthropy, at (707) 933-7220 or shannon@sonomalandtrust.org.

“This is the most consequential decade for our planet; climate change and consequent wildfires, drought and species extinctions threaten our safety, resources, biodiversity, and physical and mental health,” says O’Byrne. “Nature is the most powerful tool we have for meaningful climate action.

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About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust works in alliance with nature to conserve and restore the integrity of the land with a focus on climate resiliency and is also committed to ensuring more equitable access to the outdoors. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 58,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations. Sonoma Land Trust is the recipient of the 2019 Land Trust Alliance Award of Excellence and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org.

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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

Meda Freeman
Sonoma County Regional Parks meda.freeman@sonoma-county.org

Longtime ranching family chooses to make their land available for open space

On April 21, Sonoma Land Trust will close escrow on the 200-acre Fitzsimmons Ranch, which is an inholding of private land within 2,000-acre Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. The expansion of the park has been a key priority for Sonoma Land Trust, ensuring that future generations of visitors and wildlife can thrive and adapt in this important corridor of the Mayacamas Mountains. Immediately upon acquiring the $1.13 million ranch, Sonoma Land Trust will convey the property to Sonoma County Regional Parks for inclusion into the park. The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted on March 16 to accept the Land Trust’s donation of Fitzsimmons Ranch to Regional Parks.

Fitzsimmons Ranch has a rich modern history. Homesteaded in 1912 by Max Arthur Fitzsimmons and his wife Maud William Fitzsimmons, the couple received a land grant that was signed by the U.S. President in 1913. While they returned to Santa Rosa to live shortly thereafter, Max, Maud and subsequent generations of their family maintained the ranch for cattle grazing and family visits. It is this faint footprint on the land that has made it so compelling to Sonoma Land Trust and Regional Parks.

“This is the epitome of wild land, which is rare to come by in our county anymore,” says Land Trust acquisitions director John McCaull. “We are very grateful to this family for keeping the land intact and undeveloped — and to their commitment to making sure the land becomes part of the park for everyone to enjoy.”

The Fitzsimmons Family

“There is a lot of history up there,” says Maud and Max’s granddaughter, Marda Mitchell Gallagher of Santa Rosa, who, along with her sister and brother, is selling the property to Sonoma Land Trust. “When our grandfather was homesteading it, he planted a cottonwood tree that grew to be 75 feet tall and was a key landmark on the property.” Unfortunately, last year’s Glass Fire burned the century-old tree to the ground. “It was devastating, such a beautiful old tree and now it’s gone,” says Marda.

The recent Nuns and Glass fires were hard on the property and led to the family selling it a little earlier than anticipated. The Nuns Fire of 2017 burned through most of the fencing, requiring the family to sell off their cattle (“We were too old to rebuild 200 acres of fences,” says Marda). Then, the Glass Fire last year burned every remaining fencepost — along with the barn.

“It is hard to give up the ranch, but we are all very happy to be selling it to Sonoma Land Trust. It’s the perfect answer for us,” says Marda. “My siblings and I all want it to remain open space — that was never in question. We’re thrilled that it’s going to such good caretakers and that other people will be able to enjoy it as part of the park,” proudly pointing out that Fitzsimmons Ranch plays the very important role of connecting Hood Mountain Regional Park with Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.

The path to parkland

Fitzsimmons Ranch has been a high-priority acquisition target for Regional Parks for many years and they are an enthusiastic partner in this acquisition process.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Fitzsimmons Family for contributing a vital inholding within Hood Mountain Regional Park,” says Sonoma County Regional Parks director Bert Whitaker. “With their contribution, we are able to expand one of the largest swaths of preserved wilderness and intact wildlife habitat in the Mayacamas Mountains in very close proximity to Santa Rosa. Additionally, this region has proven to be a critical buffer for firefighters defending neighboring communities from wildfires. Strategically placed and managed parks and undeveloped natural lands have become critical to our community’s resiliency as we experience impacts from climate change.”

Natural resources and development threat

Blessed with stunning views as far away as San Francisco, the ranch is part of an 85-mile wildlife movement corridor that connects Point Reyes on the Marin Coast to the interior mountains of Lake and Napa counties. It also possesses rare plant communities and is a significant source of water resources.

With over a mile of steelhead-supporting Bear Creek running through the property and numerous springs, “We never had to haul water up there — hay, yes,” laughs Marda, “but not water. There is pure water bubbling out of the mountain even in drought years.”

Fitzsimmons Ranch lies in the Sonoma Creek watershed of the Mayacamas Mountains, with mountain meadows, chaparral and rare serpentine areas. Protecting this L-shaped ranch is critical to protecting and expanding the linkages for wildlife habitat across the Mayacamas. Rapidly increasing development is increasingly stressing wildlife and fragmenting open space and natural habitats in this range. If this property is not protected, the current zoning would allow for homesite or other development that would threaten watershed health, biological diversity, climate resiliency and management integrity of Hood Mountain Regional Park and Sugarloaf Ridge State Park.

“Fitzsimmons Ranch is a beautiful property with substantial water resources that can only be fully appreciated by visiting and experiencing it directly,” says Dan Winterson who manages the Bay Area Conservation Portfolio at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. “I’m so grateful that the landowners and Sonoma Land Trust were able to work together to protect this important habitat and allow for public access in the future.”

Philanthropy is making this acquisition possible

It is a testament to the high natural value of this land and the passion of Land Trust supporters for its protection that this $1.13 million project has been made possible through private donors Mary Love, Jake Warner and Toni Ihara, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, instead of the more usual state and federal funding sources.

Mary Love, who first became aware of Sonoma Land Trust through its work to identify and protect wildlife corridors, says, “I wanted this gift to the Land Trust from my late husband David and myself to help save our natural wild lands from urban sprawl, which can have such a negative impact on our wild animals and their natural habitat. Without wildlife and their rightful environment, none of us can thrive or survive because we are all a part of the whole.”

This is how parks grow

At the completion of this project, Sonoma Land Trust will have contributed three properties in recent years to expand Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve:

• 162-acre Santa Rosa Creek Headwaters in 2017
• 40-acre Santa Rosa Creek Redwoods in 2018
• 200-acre Fitzsimmons Ranch in 2021

“Through this pandemic, we’ve learned that nature is not an amenity, but a deep-rooted need,” says the Land Trust’s McCaull. “People have a tremendous desire to get their feet on the ground and breathe in the scents of the forest and catch a view of the Golden Gate Bridge. The owners of Fitzsimmons Ranch are creating a beautiful and healthful legacy for us all.”

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About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust works in alliance with nature to restore the integrity of the land for climate resiliency and is also committed to ensuring more equitable access to the outdoors. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 56,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations. Sonoma Land Trust is the recipient of the 2019 Land Trust Alliance Award of Excellence and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org.

About Sonoma County Regional Parks

Sonoma County Regional Parks includes more than 50 parks and beaches from Petaluma to Gualala and Sonoma to Bodega Bay. Many offer wild landscapes and miles of trails. Others feature sports fields, playgrounds and campgrounds. Regional Parks also manages the county’s largest ocean marina and largest extracurricular environmental education center. Visit www.sonomacountyparks.org.

CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com
(415) 286-7121 (cell)

Today, Sonoma Land Trust announces that it has received a $319,364 grant on behalf of the Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative to implement vegetation management and fuel reduction activities across 18,000 acres of protected lands and conduct countywide public education activities to increase wildfire resilience in Sonoma County, California. The grant will be used to treat 720 acres of wildlands to reduce risk to life, land and property, grow prescribed burning capacity, and increase health and wildfire resilience of diverse habitats. The grant comes from the Resilient Communities Program, a collaboration between Wells Fargo and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), that aims to help communities better prepare for and respond to climate-related natural disasters by investing in green infrastructure. A unique aspect of the Resilient Communities Program is its focus on unlocking additional matching funding from federal, state or private initiatives that also support resiliency project outcomes. The program was able to source  an additional $820,000 in matching funds to support this vegetation and fuels management work, bringing the total conservation impact to more than $1.1 million.

The Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative is a group of six conservation organizations and land management agencies that is coordinating the management of natural lands in the Sonoma Valley region in Northern California. Members include Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma County Regional Parks, Sonoma County Ag & Open Space, Audubon Canyon Ranch, California State Parks and Sonoma Mountain Ranch Preservation Foundation. Working closely with CAL FIRE, the Collaborative maintains and improves ecosystem health, increases resilience to wildfires and climate change, and reduces future impacts of wildfire to communities in the Sonoma Valley. More information is available at https://www.svwildlandscollaborative.com.

“Fire management and the impacts of climate change are pressing challenges that transcend property boundaries or jurisdictional lines and that require us to work together,” said Tony Nelson, stewardship program manager for Sonoma Land Trust. “Homes and communities have their work to do and we’re grateful that this funding will help the Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative use proven methods that contribute to community safety while also promoting ecological health and resilience in our natural landscapes.”

“We continue to see and experience the devastating effects of extreme weather and a changing climate on the communities in which our customers and employees live and work,” said Mary Wenzel, head of Sustainability & Corporate Responsibility at Wells Fargo. “By enhancing and strengthening native ecosystems and building capacity at the local level, we can help minimize the impact of climate-related natural disasters on our customers and communities. We are proud to be working with NFWF on this important national program.”

The Sonoma Land Trust grant is among 11 Resilient Communities Program grants awarded nationwide in this latest round, totaling $3.6 million and generating an additional $4.5 million in matching contributions for nonprofit organizations and tribes across the U.S. to help communities address and mitigate the impact of impact of natural disasters and a changing climate. By investing in green infrastructure and providing conservation and resilience training for community leaders, the funded projects aim to enhance the protections naturally provided by healthy ecosystems.

To date, the Resilient Communities Program has supported 37 projects in Puerto Rico and U.S. states with $12.6 million in program funding distributed and $30 million in federal and local matching funds. These projects are restoring and protecting more than 175,000 acres of land and engaging 136,000 people in conservation and capacity building.

“This program continues to demonstrate how local communities can use the benefits of natural ecosystems to provide for a more resilient future for our nation,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “These 11 grants in partnership with Wells Fargo will work to build resilience locally, to help communities meet future challenges through natural systems and resources, and to benefit habitats for birds, fish and other wildlife.”

About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust believes land is the foundation of our economy and our community’s health and well-being. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected 56,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations, and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org.

About Resilient Communities

In 2017, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Wells Fargo Foundation created the Resilient Communities program to boost community capacity to prepare for impacts associated with coastal sea level rise, water quantity and quality issues and extended wildfire seasons. The program empowers communities to advance and employ natural features like urban tree canopies, wetlands, healthy upstream watersheds, resilient shorelines and forests that provide natural protections against extreme weather events. The Resilient Communities program prioritizes inclusion and aiding historically underserved, low- and moderate-income communities.

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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

Amy Ricard
Ag + Open Space
Community Relations Specialist
(707) 565-7261
amy.ricard@sonoma-county.org

3,364-acre ranch boasts significant natural resources and scenic values, offers climate change resilience

SANTA ROSA, CA – Sonoma County Ag + Open Space is pleased to announce the upcoming conservation of Gloeckner-Turner Ranch – a sprawling 3,364-acre property along Rockpile Road near Lake Sonoma – through the purchase of a conservation easement from the Gloeckner-Turner family. The ranch, which has been in the family for decades, will soon be protected forever from development thanks to combined contributions from the family itself, Ag + Open Space, Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma Water, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The Gloeckner family, led by twins Robert Gloeckner and Jean Turner, offered a $4.44 million discount, donating nearly half the value of the easement. Sonoma Land Trust contributed $500,000, which includes $250,000 from the Moore Foundation and $250,000 from their donors; Sonoma Water offered $15,000; and Ag + Open Space contributed $4.5 million in public funds toward the discounted purchase price of $5.015 million. The deal is expected to close next week.

The easement will preserve a highly visible scenic corridor, as well as the property’s diverse habitats that include Oregon white oak and mixed hardwood forest, chaparral, Douglas fir and redwood forest, riparian woodlands, grasslands, and the Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala River. With 29 of the possible developable parcels eliminated, development will be limited to four designated areas clustered near the road so the interior of the ranch remains in open space. The easement will prohibit commercial timber harvest but allow for up to 53 acres of planted vineyard and continued cattle grazing, using best management practices to protect the riparian areas and natural resources.

“We’re so grateful to the Gloeckner family for working with us over the past several years to conserve their family ranch, which represents a real win for both our human and natural communities,” said Fifth District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, who sits on the Ag + Open Space Board of Directors and whose district includes the ranch. “The mosaic of habitat types across the property are critical for wildlife movement and survival, and the diverse habitats not only provide a stunning landscape for all to enjoy, but also provide opportunities for climate change adaptation and resilience.” 

The ranch has been in the Gloeckner family since the 1970s and was originally a sheep ranch that is now used for cattle grazing and as a family retreat. Views looking west over the property are stunning and the interior offers similarly spectacular views of multiple ridgelines. The ranch also boasts rare serpentine hardwood areas and serpentine grasslands. 

Joining nearly 40,000 acres of public and/or protected lands in the immediate area, nearly all of the property is identified by the Conservation Lands Network as “essential” or “important” to protect biological diversity in the Bay Area. The ranch is part of a network of wildlife corridors that crisscross Sonoma County and allow wildlife to move safely through the landscape, and these critical habitat corridors link habitat in western Marin to Lake Sonoma and beyond. These wildlife linkages, the varied elevations, and the large habitat “transition zones” on this property offer a wide variety of opportunities to adapt to climate change by allowing both flora and fauna to move in response to climatic shifts. 

In addition to the numerous springs and waterfalls scattered throughout the ranch, the headwaters of the Wheatfield Fork of the Gualala River run northwest 2.1 miles through the property, and 3.6 miles of the headwaters of Rancheria Creek run south into Lake Sonoma. The Gualala River is an anadromous stream with threatened steelhead trout and Lake Sonoma supplies drinking water to cities and towns throughout Sonoma County.

“While Ag + Open Space is protecting this property because of its vast natural resources and scenic landscapes, we were also able to allow for agricultural use on the ranch through continued cattle grazing and up to 53 acres of planted vineyards,” said Louisa Morris, a Land Acquisition Specialist with Ag + Open Space. “We are always so thrilled to work on these types of projects where we can achieve multiple benefits on one property – protection of water and wildlife resources, preservation of unique scenic landscapes, continued agricultural use, and resiliency to climate change.”

The Gloeckner-Turner Ranch has been long been on land conservationists’ radar, with the expectation that the purchase price would be significant given the property’s size, development potential, and the values of other properties in the area. Last year, Ag + Open Space was working to reach agreement on a purchase price that met the landowners’ needs while staying within the agency’s budget. Fortunately, Sonoma Land Trust was willing and able to make a pivotal contribution toward the purchase that helped consummate the deal. Through the work of their staff and with the agreement of their board, they made the unprecedented move to put $250,000 from their Land Protection Fund into the ground. Additionally, they brought in the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to match their commitment.

“We were so pleased to provide the additional funds to get this project over the finish line,” said conservation director Wendy Eliot. “This is a phenomenal deal for the people of Sonoma County, which will provide numerous natural benefits for generations to come.”

The Gloeckners are an active local family with deep roots in Sonoma County. With several firefighters in the extended family, the Gloeckners plan to work with CAL FIRE to implement a forest management plan that will include fuels management and prescribed burning. The family also agreed to sell the conservation easement at a 47% discount and to allow up to four public tours annually, in coordination with Sonoma Water.

“We are very happy to partner with Ag + Open Space to protect our family ranch in perpetuity. Having the privilege to own such a large and beautiful ranch comes with a special responsibility to always conserve and protect the property and maintain open space to the extent possible,” said the Gloeckner Turner family. “The easement will provide the protection the ranch deserves while allowing agriculture to provide for family financial sustainability. We offer many thanks to Ag+ Open Space, including all of the funding partners and Supervisor Lynda Hopkins for facilitating the negotiation of the easement.” 

About Sonoma County Ag + Open Space

Sonoma County Ag + Open Space permanently protects the diverse agricultural, natural resource and scenic open space lands of Sonoma County for future generations. The agency is responsible for the perpetual protection of over 118,000 acres of land throughout our region. These agricultural and open space lands are protected through a quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters in 1990 and reauthorized in 2006. For more information, please visit www.sonomaopenspace.org. 

About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust believes land is the heart of the community and that when the land is healthy, the community is healthy. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 50,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations. Sonoma Land Trust is the recipient of the National Land Trust Excellence Award 2019 by the Land Trust Alliance and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org.

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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

Amy Ricard
Sonoma County Ag + Open Space
amy.ricard@sonoma-county.org

Meda Freeman
Sonoma County Regional Parks
meda.freeman@sonoma-county.org 

Also creates possibility of future trail link to Santa Rosa Southeast Greenway and Trione-Annadel State Park

SANTA ROSA, CALIF — One of Sonoma County’s most popular regional parks is about to expand. Tomorrow, Sonoma Land Trust, in partnership with Regional Parks and Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, will complete an acquisition of 54 undeveloped acres immediately adjacent to and north of Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve in southeastern Santa Rosa. Named Cooper Creek, the Land Trust will immediately transfer the property upon closing to Sonoma County Regional Parks while Ag + Open Space will simultaneously protect it further with a conservation easement.

Getting more people out into nature
“This land will offer more people easy, walkable access to Taylor Mountain Regional Park and the many health and community benefits that parks provide,” says Eamon O’Byrne, executive director, Sonoma Land Trust. “Protecting Cooper Creek is part of a larger vision of ours — to create a network of parks through the heart of Santa Rosa and bring nature back to the city by restoring creeks and natural habitats.”

“We are so thankful for our partnership with Sonoma Land Trust, Ag + Open Space and the voters of Sonoma County for making park expansions like this possible. This important parcel of land will allow more trail access for neighborhoods and nearby disadvantaged communities,” says Bert Whitaker, director, Sonoma County Regional Parks.

The Cooper Creek Addition also adjoins a subdivision and was at high risk of being developed. By remaining in its natural state, it provides numerous vistas across southern Santa Rosa as well as a scenic backdrop to nearby neighborhoods. Over time, it is anticipated that the property, through a future Farmers Lane extension and associated bikeway, will facilitate trail connectivity to the long-awaited Santa Rosa Southeast Greenway — which will link up with Spring Lake Regional Park and Trione-Annadel State Park.

“This project offers a unique opportunity to expand neighborhood access to Taylor Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve, enable future connections between the park and planned urban trails, and protect riparian habitat on a scenic hillside property,” says Bill Keene, general manager, Ag + Open Space. “We are pleased to have played a significant role in protecting it.”

The creek itself
The headwaters of Cooper Creek rise on the northern slopes of Taylor Mountain. The creek then flows north onto the Cooper Creek property, where it runs for a half mile through a steep and lush canyon formed by the Rodgers Creek fault. The creek is shaded by a forest of coast live oak, California bay laurel and California buckeye. The preservation of this reach of stream is recommended in the 2014 Santa Rosa Citywide Creek Master Plan because of its value for wildlife. The riparian (streamside) area provides cover, forage and water for numerous species and is a known wildlife migration corridor.

Financing the acquisition
Funding toward the purchase price of $1,350,000 was provided by Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, Parks Measure M sales tax approved by voters in 2018, California State Parks (Habitat Conservation Fund) and the California Coastal Conservancy.

“This project exemplifies how the County agencies and the nonprofit Land Trust work together to benefit our communities and the natural world on which we depend,” says O’Byrne. “We’re all very pleased about this acquisition and how it will enhance the ability of more people in urban Santa Rosa to access the incredible parks and open spaces that surround the city.”

About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust believes land is the foundation of our economy and our community’s health and well-being. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 50,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations. Sonoma Land Trust is the recipient of the 2019 Land Trust Alliance Award of Excellence and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org.

About Sonoma County Ag + Open Space

Sonoma County Ag + Open Space permanently protects the diverse agricultural, natural resource and scenic open space lands of Sonoma County for future generations. The district is responsible for the perpetual protection of over 118,000 acres of land throughout our region. These agricultural and open space lands are protected through a quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters in 1990 and reauthorized in 2006. For more information, please visit www.sonomaopenspace.org.

About Sonoma County Regional Parks

Sonoma County Regional Parks includes more than 50 parks and beaches from Petaluma to Gualala and Sonoma to Bodega Bay. Many offer wild landscapes and miles of trails. Others feature sports fields, playgrounds and campgrounds. Regional Parks also manages the county’s largest ocean marina and largest extracurricular environmental education center. Visit www.sonomacountyparks.org

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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

Property will expand Hood Mountain park, ridge trail and wildlife linkage — and build resiliency to wildfire and climate changes

SANTA ROSA, CALIF.  ­­— Sonoma Land Trust has signed an agreement to purchase the breathtaking and historic 654-acre McCormick Ranch, which spans the ridge between Sonoma and Napa Counties in the southern Mayacamas Mountains, for $14.5 million. The purchase is scheduled to close in November 2020 and ownership will be transferred to local park agencies. Adjacent to 7,800 acres of already protected land, the portion of the ranch in Sonoma County will be added to Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve and the Napa County parcel will be owned by Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District. Both agencies will jointly manage the new parkland.

“Acquiring such a large and wild landscape along the top of a mountain range is particularly important because of the many benefits it will bring to people and wildlife,” says John McCaull, Sonoma Land Trust’s acquisition manager for the Sonoma Valley. “From scenic vistas to new hiking opportunities, clean water, climate adaptation and managing land to reduce wildfire risks, McCormick Ranch has it all.”

Historical background
The matriarchs of McCormick Ranch
McCormick Ranch has been owned by members of the same family for 175 years. William McCormick and his family first settled the original ranch in 1844 and began raising cattle and sheep. The family was ordered by the Mexican government to leave the land shortly thereafter, but returned to the property after the Bear Flag Revolt in 1846. The ranch eventually passed to William’s son, Henry. When Henry died in a hunting accident in 1879, his wife, Molly Hudson McCormick, took over managing the ranch.

Sadly, before leaving on his ill-fated trip, Henry had sold his herd of cattle and buried the proceeds — no one knew where. With five children and no money, help or herd, Molly became a shrewd businessperson to keep her family, ranch and butcher shop afloat. When she passed away in 1905, her son John worked the ranch for another generation, raising his daughters Ina and Edna (“Babe” as Edna became known) to have a keen appreciation for the ranch’s rugged beauty as well.

Babe McCormick Learned lived on the ranch as the Napa Valley transformed into a world-renowned wine-growing region. Babe’s pioneer spirit endured: She could be found corralling rattlesnakes, searching for Henry’s buried treasure with a metal detector, and ranching with her husband and son until she lost them both during one tragic year. After their deaths in 1975, Babe and her daughter, Sandra, continued running the ranch and eventually sold 1,000 acres off to Sonoma Ag + Open Space to expand Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, now known as the McCormick Addition.

Fifth-generation Sandra Learned married Jim Perry in 1986 and, in 1997, formed a nonprofit foundation, Acorn Soupe, to provide environmental education to children in Napa and Sonoma Counties. Over the years, hundreds of schoolchildren visited McCormick Ranch to learn how to be good stewards of the land.

After Sandra’s death in 2015, Jim and their sons, Scott and Cole, began exploring the possibility of a conservation sale of their beloved family ranch to protect it forever and reached out to Sonoma Land Trust.

“My late wife came from a long line of strong women who worked the ranch,” says Jim Perry. “We knew how much they loved this land and wanted to preserve it for future generations.”

McCormick Ranch has it all
When Sonoma Land Trust considers properties to protect, it looks at an array of ecological factors and conservation targets, including watersheds, wildlife habitat, vegetation diversity, endangered and at-risk species, ability to foster climate resilience, recreational access and more. The organization also looks at the potential threats from not protecting the property, which, in this case, would include critical habitat and natural resource loss, and no public access if the land were converted to residential or agricultural use. It is zoned for up to eight estate homes and the area has considerable vineyard coverage.

Just as the Sierras collect and store much of California’s water supply, our regional mountain ranges are critical to the water resources and river health of Napa and Sonoma Counties. Situated along the crest of the Mayacamas Mountains, McCormick Ranch frequently receives three times as much rainfall as Santa Rosa and adjacent valleys. The ranch serves as Sonoma County’s “continental divide” with Napa County, with tributaries and stretches of Santa Rosa Creek, Iron Mine Creek and Bear Creek, flowing into the Russian River, Napa River and Sonoma Creek, respectively. Chances are good that some of the water that a Sonoma County resident uses today started its journey on McCormick Ranch.

The 654 acres comprising the ranch are also in the center of the Marin Coast-Blue Ridge Critical Linkage, an 85-mile wildlife movement corridor stretching from Point Reyes to the Berryessa-Snow Mountain National Monument. Protecting the ranch is particularly important for the survival of wide-ranging carnivores, like black bear and mountain lion. The property, which remains a largely pristine, natural habitat, also supports a mosaic of native plant communities, from oak woodland and forest to chaparral and grassland.

Climate change and wildfire
Landscape connectivity is the most widely cited strategy to achieve climate adaptation because it allows for the migration, movement and dispersal of wildlife and plants, resulting in healthier ecosystems. Protecting and stewarding large, intact landscapes like McCormick Ranch is one of the best strategies for improving climate resiliency. With its diverse topography and biological attributes, the ranch meets many of the criteria that scientists recommend to ensure that conservation projects are resilient to climate change.

McCormick Ranch proved critical to CAL FIRE’s efforts to combat the Nuns Fire in 2017. Its 2,500-foot-high summit was used to create a fire break and staging area that prevented the blaze from crossing into Napa County and threatening St. Helena.

Getting out on the land
A property’s suitability for public recreation is another factor that Sonoma Land Trust considers in conjunction with the potential impact on wildlife. As a relatively wild and undisturbed landscape accessible only by existing trails from Hood Mountain and Sugarloaf Ridge parks, McCormick Ranch will provide a long-anticipated connection for two- to three-day backpacking trips along a 20-mile multi-use loop trail. And with views of Mount St. Helena, the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, Sonoma Mountain, the Sonoma Coast and San Francisco Bay, McCormick Ranch will add an awe-inspiring three-mile stretch to the Bay Area Ridge Trail.

“The views from McCormick Ranch are unparalleled and will provide park visitors an experience unlike any other in the Mayacamas,” says Bert Whitaker, director of Sonoma County Regional Parks.

“From the top of ‘Big Hill’ on McCormick Ranch, visitors are treated to 360-degree views of the Sonoma Coast, San Francisco Bay and the Sierra,” says John Woodbury, general manager of Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District. “We are grateful to the Perrys for making this incomparable landscape available to us all.”

Partners and funding
Sonoma Land Trust is under contract to purchase McCormick Ranch by November 2020 and is collaborating closely on the project with Sonoma Ag + Open Space, Sonoma County Regional Parks, Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District, and the Land Trust of Napa County.

The Land Trust has spent much of the last three years working to assemble the major funding needed and has secured commitments for $12.75 million. That includes a landowner bargain sale of $3.625 million, $6.875 million from public funding sources, $2 million from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and $250,000 from an individual donor, leaving an additional $1.75 million to be raised by next year.

“When people support Sonoma Land Trust, they can feel good about how much their gift is leveraged,” says Eamon O’Byrne, executive director of Sonoma Land Trust. “With much of the financing already secured, we now need the community’s help to bring us over the finish line.”

After the deal closes
Upon acquiring the property, Sonoma Land Trust will immediately transfer the ranch to the Sonoma and Napa county park agencies, which will jointly own and manage the land as part of Hood Mountain Regional Park. The property will also be forever protected by two conservations easements held by Sonoma Ag + Open Space and the Land Trust of Napa County, which will spell out specific conservation values and stewardship objectives for habitat and wildlife conservation. After the purchase is completed, Sonoma County Regional Parks will initiate a planning process with public engagement to develop a management plan for the property. Once the plan and any necessary infrastructure improvements are completed, McCormick Ranch will open to the public, realizing the conservation legacy of the McCormick Family.

“We are incredibly pleased to see this wonderful addition to our county’s Regional Park system,” says Sonoma Ag + Open Space general manager Bill Keene. “Over 20 years ago, we had the good fortune to work with this family to conserve their ranch. Today, we have come full circle and are pleased to realize the long-term goal of protecting their remaining land as both a wilderness area and new public access point up on the ridge.”

For complete press kit, click here. 

About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust believes land is the heart of the community and that when the land is healthy, the community is healthy. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 50,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations. Sonoma Land Trust is the recipient of the National Land Trust Excellence Award 2019 by the Land Trust Alliance and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org. #ProtectThePicture