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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

Caitlin Childs
Community Foundation Sonoma County
(707) 303-9615
cchilds@sonomacf.org

SANTA ROSA, CALIF. — Thanks to the vision of a family that cared deeply about the future of Sonoma County, the Sonoma Land Trust has received a $700,000 grant from Community Foundation Sonoma County and their regional affiliate the Sonoma Valley Fund to protect more than 700 acres of open space, trails and natural resources at the site of the former Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC). This grant is made possible by a 2009 bequest to the Foundation from Hazel and Roland Todd to help fund projects benefiting health, human services and open space protection, primarily in the Sonoma Valley. Funding from the Community Foundation will be used as a match for land acquisition and management costs as part of a coordinated, multi-agency effort to connect SDC’s remarkable open space with 9,000 acres of adjacent parks and protected lands.

Elizabeth Brown, president and CEO of Community Foundation Sonoma County, speaks to the legacy the Todds have left for the community: “The Todds’ Sonoma County roots ran incredibly deep. Roland Todd’s family had been in Kenwood since 1852, and the Valley was a unique and special place for both Roland and Hazel. We are so honored to continue to share their story through our grantmaking in partnership with the Sonoma Valley Fund, and we hope that the community will keep their memories alive and share in our gratitude when they visit this beautiful open space.”

According to John McCaull, land acquisition program manager for Sonoma Land Trust, “The legacy of protecting SDC’s open space land as a future park and wildlife corridor also honors its legacy of care for people with developmental disabilities. The Todds wanted their bequest to support priorities that linked human health and environmental protection, and that is what SDC has brought to Sonoma County for over 127 years.”

In December 2018, the State of California closed SDC as a residential hospital for people with developmental disabilities. The 200-acre developed campus along Arnold Drive in Eldridge (the census name for the property) is nestled in the middle of a much larger — and wilder — 900+ acre landscape that stretches from the slopes of Sonoma Mountain to the Valley floor.

After nearly four years of negotiations over the future of SDC, local lawmakers delivered on their promise this year to craft a deal with the State of California for protection of the property’s open space and wildlife corridor lands, while also funding a reuse plan for the 200-acre developed campus. The $43 million agreement — which was approved by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on April 5 and is included in the State’s FY 2019−2020 budget — funds basic upkeep of the campus and infrastructure for three years and provides $3.5 million to Sonoma County to create a specific plan for SDC pursuant to the County’s general plan.

While the County administers the specific planning and community engagement process, there is a parallel effort led by state and county park agencies to prepare for expanding Jack London State Historic Park and Sonoma Valley Regional Park to include SDC’s open space lands. Funds from the Community Foundation grant will be used for the purchase of a conservation easement over portions of the SDC property, and to fund the rehabilitation, restoration and improvement of the property’s trails. All parties are working to make the transfer happen concurrently with the adoption of the County specific plan in late 2021.

Sonoma Land Trust is working in partnership with the members of the SDC Coalition Lands Committee, including Sonoma County Regional Parks, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, Sonoma Ecology Center, Jack London Park Partners and Sonoma Mountain Preservation.

Community and environmental significance
SDC’s open space property stretches from the oak woodlands along Highway 12 to redwood groves high up in Sonoma Mountain’s creek canyons; it is also situated in the heart of the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor, a narrow linkage of wildlife habitat connecting Point Reyes to the mountains of Napa and Lake Counties. Protecting SDC’s open space land adds a critical “missing piece” of a puzzle to connect all the adjacent lands, opening an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities and preserving a large greenbelt between Sonoma and Glen Ellen that creates a natural, open landscape and a buffer to development.

Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin has represented the First District — an area that includes the Sonoma Developmental Center property — since 2012 and has been instrumental in negotiations with the State of California about the future of the SDC property. “The Sonoma Developmental Center is the jewel in the crown of Sonoma Mountain — a significant part of the watershed and landscape in Sonoma Valley. The grant to Sonoma Land Trust will help to preserve in perpetuity the undeveloped land on SDC.”

“We’re thrilled to see this project moving forward with a combination of public and private funding to protect this key open space area,” said Bill Keene, general manager for Ag + Open Space. “While we have worked with the State in the past to acquire portions of SDC to add to Jack London State Park and Sonoma Valley Regional Park,  we haven’t had an opportunity quite like this one to protect such a large piece of land that provides so many benefits to both our human and natural communities. We look forward to continuing to work with the coalition of partners to protect forever this critical wildlife corridor and extraordinary natural area.”

A 2015 assessment prepared by Sonoma County Ag + Open Space concluded that SDC is “integral to the character of the Sonoma Valley and the ecological health of the North Bay.” Similarly, protecting the open space lands that serve as critical habitat, riparian corridors, groundwater recharge and the watershed has long been recognized as vital to not just the Sonoma Valley, but to the larger regional community.”

About Community Foundation Sonoma County

Community Foundation Sonoma County is the hub of philanthropy for the county, connecting people, ideas and resources to benefit all who live here. Founded in 1983, CFSC works with philanthropists to create plans that will make an impact in our community and become part of their family’s legacy. In the Sonoma Valley, this work is done in partnership with the Sonoma Valley Fund, an affiliate group of dedicated local advisors who encourage philanthropy in the community and support the foundation’s grantmaking. For more information, please visit sonomacf.org

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, and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org. #ProtectThePicture

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CONTACT:

Sheri Cardo
Director of Communications
(707) 526-6930 x111
sheri@sonomalandtrust.org

Nina Erlich-Williams
Public Good PR
nina@publicgoodpr.com
O: (510) 336-9566
C: (415) 577-1153

Sonoma Land Trust delivers on its promise to “protect the land of Sonoma County forever”

SANTA ROSA, CALIF. — On April 16, Superior Court Judge Patrick Broderick entered a judgment that forcefully upholds the Sonoma Land Trust’s authority to protect natural resources through conservation easements, and enforces a key law used by land trusts to permanently protect land from development.

In the case of Sonoma Land Trust v Thompson, Case No. SCV-258010, Judge Broderick upheld the Land Trust’s actions and claims to restore an environmentally sensitive parcel in an area of Sonoma County known as Bennett Valley, outside of Glen Ellen. The court found that the owners’ unlawful actions killed heritage oak trees and destroyed a portion of the ecosystem on the protected land. The judge ordered payment of $586,289 into an escrow account to fund restoration of the damaged ecosystem. Sonoma Land Trust, which holds the conservation easement, will restore the property.

“Sonoma Land Trust made a promise to the donor and a commitment to the community to protect the integrity of properties covered by conservation easements,” stated Dave Koehler, executive director of Sonoma Land Trust. “Our citizens believe strongly in protecting our natural resources and have demonstrated this belief by providing tax breaks to landowners whose properties include conservation easements. It is essential that both landowners of protected properties and taxpayers can trust Sonoma Land Trust to do our part in ensuring that these conservation easements are honored and the lands are protected forever.”

The land in question was voluntarily placed under a conservation easement in 2009 by the previous owners, Katherine and Peter Drake. In donating the easement to Sonoma Land Trust, the Drakes intended to protect this land in its natural state in perpetuity. “When we purchased this lovely 34-acre parcel, it appeared to have been untouched for many decades. The easement was intended to protect this special land forever, regardless of who owned the property,” said Katherine Drake.

Conservation easements are voluntary, permanent agreements that private landowners place over their lands to protect important natural resources forever. They are developed in partnership with land trusts, like Sonoma Land Trust, which agree to protect the conservation values and uphold the terms of the conservation easement in perpetuity. The land stays in private ownership and the conservation easement becomes part of the permanent title record. Future landowners are required to follow all the terms of the conservation easement.

Toni and Peter Thompson purchased the Drake property in 2013 with full knowledge of the easement. The court found that they committed numerous violations of the easement while building a compound on their adjoining vineyard. “While we’re disappointed that litigation was required to enforce the easement,” said Drake, “we’re grateful to Sonoma Land Trust for taking the necessary action to protect and restore the land we placed in its care.”

The easement permanently protects the ecological and scenic values of the property, which includes an exceptionally intact ecosystem dominated by undisturbed native vegetation rarely seen in Sonoma County today. It prohibits or significantly restricts most activities on the protected property, including building roads, cutting trees, grading soils, dumping waste, altering drainage and planting new vegetation.

The Thompsons’ illegal actions included hiring contractors with heavy equipment to excavate three heritage oak trees located on the protected property (one very large tree was estimated to have been 180 years old) and then dragging the trees through shallow and sensitive soils to the adjoining Henstooth Ranch, where the trees were to enhance the landscape of a new home and accessory buildings. Additional harm resulted from bulldozing a 1/3-mile road cut to haul the trees, killing and removing 12 more trees in the process, and dumping pond sediment laden with invasive weeds onto the protected property.

The court found that the Thompsons systematically concealed these actions and related damage from Sonoma Land Trust. The Thompsons repeatedly resisted efforts by Sonoma Land Trust to evaluate the extent of the destruction and develop a realistic restoration plan. The court also concluded that, without the Land Trust’s knowledge or permission, the Thompsons regraded the property and planted non-native grass in an attempt to cover up their violations. According to the court, these cosmetic measures, which also violated the easement, failed to restore the ecology of the property and instead caused further damage. Left with no other choice to protect and restore the property, Sonoma Land Trust took legal action to enforce the terms of the easement through the courts.

“The significance of the outcome in this case cannot be overstated,” added Sarah Sigman, attorney with Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP, the law firm that represented Sonoma Land Trust in the case. “Conservation easements are legally binding and people who purchase land under easement must understand that protecting these properties is not optional.”

Today’s decision by the court affirms the validity of the Drake Family Easement and finds that the Thompsons intentionally violated its terms. The remedy is for the violators to pay to restore the property as closely as possible to its condition prior to the destruction that they caused. Sonoma Land Trust will oversee the property’s restoration.

Andrew Bowman, president of the national Land Trust Alliance, emphasized the importance of the court’s decision: “Land trusts across the country have a permanent obligation to hold and protect conservation easements forever, often long after ownership of the land changes hands. The Land Trust Alliance is pleased that the court recognized the importance of this protected place, the strength of Sonoma Land Trust’s conservation easement, and the intent of the donor who so generously protected it.”

Land trusts throughout the United States work together to identify best practices and support each other in protecting conservation easements. Sonoma Land Trust was able to enforce the Drake Family Conservation Easement, in part, due to its participation in, and support from, Terrafirma Risk Retention Group, a conservation defense liability insurance charitable risk pool owned by the 528 insured land trusts across America.

With this court decision in place, landowners and donors can feel confident that Sonoma Land Trust will make good on its promise to protect the land of Sonoma County forever.  

The trial was conducted between July 27 and September 14, 2018 before the Sonoma County Superior Court. Read the court’s decision.

Sonoma Land Trust is a non-governmental, nonprofit organization funded largely by membership contributions. Its purpose is to protect the land of Sonoma County forever. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 50,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations. It is accredited by the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission and, like more than 400 land trusts across the country, has adopted the Standards and Practices set forth by the national Land Trust Alliance. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org. #ProtectThePicture

Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger, LLP is a law firm specializing in government, land use, renewable energy and environmental law. Since 1980, the firm has provided public agencies, nonprofits, tribes and community groups with the highest quality legal representation, offering an array of litigation, regulatory, counseling and planning services.

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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

Million-dollar grant secured from CAL FIRE

SANTA ROSA, CALIF. ­— A group of six private organizations and public agencies that own and manage land in the public trust has formed the Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative (“the Collaborative”) and has just been awarded a grant from CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) in the amount of $1,055,575 to undertake fuel reduction work on their lands.

The Collaborative is working with CAL FIRE to implement strategic fuel reduction and vegetation management measures to reduce the impacts of future wildfires, protect communities, and improve ecosystem health in the northern Sonoma Valley area and surrounding hills.

Members of the Collaborative are Audubon Canyon Ranch, California State Parks, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, Sonoma County Regional Parks, Sonoma Land Trust, and Sonoma Mountain Ranch Preservation Foundation.

Together, the members own and manage approximately 18,000 acres of protected lands between eastern Santa Rosa and Agua Caliente. In October 2017, this area was significantly impacted by the Nuns Fire, which burned 56,556 acres and destroyed over 1,000 buildings.

“All of the Collaborative’s lands connect to the Sonoma Valley directly or indirectly,” said Cyndy Shafer, natural resource program manager for California State Parks-Bay Area District. “By working together, we can help protect communities while, at the same time, improve ecological health on a landscape scale.”

Among the treatments being planned by the Collaborative are controlled burns, targeted thinning and reduction of ladder fuels where appropriate, installation of shaded fuel breaks, and clearing vegetation along roadways to improve access for emergency personnel.

“I am absolutely thrilled to hear about this award,” said Sonoma County First District Supervisor Susan Gorin. “The Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative is exactly the type of innovative partnership we need in our county to create a more resilient, fire-adapted landscape for the long term.”

“Embarking on these activities was dependent on securing funding and we are so pleased to receive this grant from CAL FIRE,” said Tony Nelson, Sonoma Valley program manager for Sonoma Land Trust. Acting as the fiscal agent for the group, the Land Trust applied to CAL FIRE’s Fire Prevention Grant Program on behalf of the Collaborative and was notified of the grant outcome on April 16.

Controlled burning will be conducted by CAL FIRE through its statewide Vegetation Management Program (VMP) on Collaborative lands in the Sonoma Valley and could begin as soon as mid-May if conditions allow. “CAL FIRE’s Sonoma Lake Napa Unit is excited to be working with the Collaborative in their effort to use controlled burning as a land management tool,” said Will Powers, Fire Prevention Specialist for the Unit.

The Collaborative looks forward to engaging with Sonoma Valley communities through education and outreach, while informing residents of upcoming controlled burns and other vegetation management activities.

Read more about the Collaborative’s plans here.

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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

SANTA ROSA, CALIF. —  A beautiful 90-acre property just inland from the Sonoma Coast is now permanently protected with a conservation easement thanks to a generous donation by landowners of the Starcross Monastic Community. Located east of Annapolis in the Gualala River Watershed, this stunning landscape has been used by the independent, ecumenical community as a farm, residence and nature retreat since the 1970s, and boasts 70 acres of intact wild lands that the community maintains.

“We believe the land is sacred,” says Brother Toby McCarroll, co-founder of the Starcross Monastic Community. “We’ll do everything we can to protect it.”

The community has an orchard and gardens where they grow and process organic olive oil, as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables for their food pantry and farmstand open to the community. Beyond the farm and monastery, the property includes an abundance of natural resources, including redwood and Douglas-fir forest and open grassland, locally uncommon stands of sugar pines and hybrid manzanita, and a stretch of Grasshopper Creek, a tributary of Buckeye Creek in the Gualala River Watershed.

The landowners have contemplated an easement for years and are eager to ensure that the land remains undeveloped for future generations. The conservation easement, which is a voluntary agreement between the landowners and the nonprofit Land Trust for the purpose of conservation, will prohibit subdivision and limit residential and commercial use of the land in perpetuity — ensuring that the property’s intact habitat and productive farmland is protected forever. Sonoma Land Trust possesses 45 easements around the county and, as with each easement it holds, will monitor the property annually to ensure compliance with the agreement.

“The Starcross Community has shown the way by living and farming in balance with nature for decades,” says Dave Koehler, Sonoma Land Trust executive director. “We are honored and thankful that they chose to partner with Sonoma Land Trust to protect their beautiful forest and farmland in perpetuity.”

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, and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org. #ProtectThePicture

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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

SANTA ROSA, CALIF. —  A beautiful 60-acre property in the upper Mark West watershed has been permanently protected with a conservation easement thanks to a generous donation by landowners Ray Krauss and Barbara Shumsky. Named by the landowners as the “Sunsrays Conservation Easement,” the project closed escrow today. Located northeast of Santa Rosa in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains, this biodiverse property boasts a landscape rich in natural resources, with clear, clean springs that provide year-round water flow to Mark West Creek, a priority stream for recovery of endangered coho salmon.

“As you look around, what’s happening to the land overall is fairly discouraging,” says Ray, who with his wife Barbara, purchased the parcel in two pieces, one in 1972 and one in 1986. “Even if it’s just one piece of the puzzle, protecting this property will provide a refuge in the face of an uncertain future.”

The landowners had contemplated an easement to protect their land for years, and the Land Trust was excited for the opportunity to add this biodiverse property to the network of protected lands and waterways in the Mark West watershed. Krauss was one of the County of Sonoma’s first environmental planners, and he and Barbara have methodically and lovingly stewarded their property over the years to restore its native oak woodlands. Its diverse vegetation also includes Douglas fir and mixed hardwood forest, chaparral and grassland. The property’s mosaic of habitats, part of the Lake to Marin County wildlife corridor, is suitable for numerous species, including mountain lion and black bear.

Knowing that fire can be beneficial to California’s natural landscapes, Ray has been managing his property with fire in mind. For decades, he has incorporated fire ecology and vegetation management into his stewardship.

The Sunsrays Conservation Easement, which is a voluntary agreement between the landowners and the nonprofit Sonoma Land Trust for the purpose of conservation, will prohibit subdivision and sharply reduce residential, commercial and agricultural use of the land in perpetuity — ensuring that the property’s undeveloped habitats are protected forever. The Land Trust possesses 45 easements around the county and, as with each easement it holds, will monitor the property annually to ensure compliance with the agreement.

“Protecting this property and its rich water resources is a wonderful legacy that will contribute to the ecological health of the upper Mark West Creek watershed for all time,” says Ariel Patashnik, land acquisition program manager for Sonoma Land Trust. “We are grateful to Ray and Barbara for their vision and generosity in conserving this special place and expanding an important network of protected land in the watershed.”

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, and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org. #ProtectThePicture

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CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

JENNER, CALIF. — The Wildlands Conservancy’s Gateway to Jenner Headlands Preserve will enjoy its public opening September 7. Visitors to Sonoma County’s stunning coast will now have the opportunity to explore at their leisure and free of charge the trails of this spectacular 5,630-acre nature preserve, and to climb to the top of the highest peak along the coast — on Sonoma Land Trust’s Pole Mountain Preserve.

Located two miles north of the town of Jenner on the east side of Highway 1, the much-anticipated Gateway to Jenner Headlands includes a 30-space parking lot, interpretive signage, restrooms and a trailhead inviting visitors to 14 miles of trails and breathtaking scenery. Following years of careful design and planning, The Wildlands Conservancy and its partners, including Sonoma Land Trust and Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, have struck a balance in design and management to embrace recreation, restoration, and preservation.

David Myers, The Wildlands Conservancy’s executive director, acknowledges the effort involved and impact made by protecting the Jenner Headlands and opening the Preserve to the public. “We would like to thank all of the partners and participants whose dedication and hard work have helped to protect this magnificent landscape — a landscape that will enrich visitors’ lives with beauty and inspiration for all time to come.”

The opening of the Gateway to Jenner Headlands Preserve, much like the complex, five-year-long acquisition of the property, would not have been possible had it not been for the generous support of project partners, including the State Coastal Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Board, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, The Wildlands Conservancy, Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space and others.

Opening the gates to the Jenner Headlands Preserve is the culmination of more than a decade of work that started in 2005 when Sonoma Land Trust began raising $36 million to acquire the property for conservation. The Land Trust closed on the Jenner Headlands deal in 2009 thanks to the collaboration of 10 public and private funding partners, including Ag + Open Space, which holds a perpetual conservation easement ensuring protection of the land forever, and The Wildlands Conservancy, the permanent steward of the property since 2013. Management of the land and its recreational opportunities are guided by an Integrated Resource Management Plan developed by the Land Trust and the Conservancy.

Shortly after The Wildlands Conservancy took ownership of the Jenner Headlands, Sonoma Land Trust again partnered with Ag + Open Space, among others, to purchase Pole Mountain in 2014. Situated between Jenner Headlands and Sonoma Land Trust’s Little Black Mountain Preserve, the acquisition connects more than 6,300 acres of wild land — for wildlife and for recreation. As the highest peak along the Sonoma Coast at 2,204 feet, Pole Mountain presents unobstructed, 360-degree views of Sonoma County, from the coast to the Cedars, and far beyond.

“A hike from the Jenner Headlands to the top of Pole Mountain is to explore coastal fields, forests and vistas that have drawn people here for millennia,” said Dave Koehler, executive director of Sonoma Land Trust. “The success of our partnership to protect this special place and open the public trail will be measured in the years ahead by visitors of all ages whose hearts and minds become connected to the land and are inspired onward to care for its future.”

“The opening of the Jenner Headlands Preserve and Pole Mountain is the culmination of more than a decade of hard work from a group of dedicated individuals and organizations,” said Ag + Open Space general manager Bill Keene. “We are so proud to have been able to contribute $10 million on behalf of Sonoma County residents to protect these two amazing natural and recreational gems, and look forward to watching our community explore this magnificent area for generations to come.”

The Gateway to Jenner Headlands will be open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset starting Friday, September 7. Parking and access to Jenner Headlands Preserve and Pole Mountain are provided free of charge by The Wildlands Conservancy. Hikers taking up the challenge to summit Pole Mountain from the Gateway parking lot are encouraged to head out early to complete the strenuous, 14-mile round-trip hike by sunset.

About The Wildlands Conservancy

Since acquiring its first preserve in 1995, The Wildlands Conservancy as remained dedicated to preserving important and remarkable landscapes and opening them to the public free of charge for passive recreation and outdoor education. Wildlands owns and stewards nearly 150,000 acres across fifteen nature preserves and reserves across California—the largest nonprofit preserve system in the state. Ultimately, saving our treasured landscapes means educating and instilling a love for nature in future generations. For this reason, Wildlands is also the state’s nonprofit leader in providing free outdoor education opportunities for California youth. Through these programs and our reverent stewardship of preserves—visited by more than a half million people per year—we foster a love and respect for life in all of its magnificent forms. For more information, please visit www.wildlandsconservancy.org.

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 over 50,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations, and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission.

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 114,000 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.