Santa Rosa, CA, December 21, 2023 – Sonoma Land Trust, a leader in protecting and restoring the county’s natural and open spaces, is pleased to announce the appointment of Anita Das to its Board of Directors effective December 4, 2023. A Bay Area native who has extensive knowledge in statistical analysis and a strong commitment to environmental conservation, Anita brings both her science expertise and a passion for nature to the organization.
A seasoned statistical consultant specializing in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, Anita advises companies in clinical trial design, data analysis, and regulatory affairs for the development of pharmaceutical products that prevent or treat infections. Previously, she served as the owner and Principal Statistician of a Contract Research Organization and contributed to studies in maternal-fetal medicine sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.
Anita holds an MS in statistics from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a PhD in epidemiology from George Washington University. She is excited to bring her science background and data interpretation skills to the Sonoma Land Trust, stating, “I am thrilled to join the Board of Directors and contribute to the organization’s mission. The intersection of science and conservation is a powerful one, and I look forward to leveraging my skills to further environmental goals in Sonoma County.”
Scott Hafner, board chair of Sonoma Land Trust expressed that “Anita brings a unique perspective to our leadership team and her experience will positively enhance the organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation with a scientific lens.”
Residing in Guerneville, Anita enjoys gardening, tending to her chickens, and practicing yoga. Her greatest joy is found in the wilderness through hiking and backpacking. Despite having trekked all over the world, Anita’s favorite outdoor places are right here in Sonoma County.
Prescribed burn planned at Sonoma Land Trust’s Little Black Mountain Preserve, October to support forest health and fuels management strategy. First prescribed burn on this preserve since the 1978 Creighton Ridge wildfire.
CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Jason Clay & Tyree Zander, Public Information Officers 707-967-4207 LNUPIO@fire.ca.gov
Sonoma Land Trust Gina Fabiano, Director of Marketing and Media Relations 707-596-3761 cell gina@sonomalandtrust.org
Cazadero, CA – Sonoma Land Trust and CAL FIRE announced plans to conduct a prescribed burn at Little Black Mountain Preserve near Cazadero, California on Monday October 9 and Tuesday October 10. The effort is a part of a larger fuels management and forest health strategy for the area. Ignitions will begin as early as 6:00am and will be managed by the CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit in partnership with Sonoma Land Trust. This collaborative initiative is part of a wider community effort to increase fire resiliency throughout the region.
Little Black Mountain has a history of fuels management efforts in the decades following the forest stand-replacing 1978 Creighton Ridge wildfire that resulted in dense resprouting and replanted trees. Multiple projects focusing on thinning of ladder fuels along the ridgeline roads over the past 20 years have made it possible to reintroduce fire on this mountain for the first time in 45 years. This burn will be the culmination of a myriad of partnerships, projects, and community efforts to steward the forest, spanning back to the replanting after the Creighton Ridge Fire.
The prescribed burn is among the first in the region to be conducted under the CalVTP Program, which expedites the implementation of vegetation treatments to reduce wildfire risk while conserving natural resources. This is the first prescribed burn on Sonoma Land Trust’s Little Black Mountain Preserve, following two burns earlier this summer on the adjacent Pole Mountain Preserve.
The burn will be conducted by prescribed fire managers from CAL FIRE, with support from Sonoma Land Trust staff, local fire districts, and the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District.
Safety is a top priority when burning, and CAL FIRE will make the decision to burn once they have evaluated day-of weather conditions and safety protocols.
Smoke and Traffic Advisory
The prescribed burn will take place on Little Black Mountain Preserve, along the Sonoma Coast, located between Jenner and Cazadero. The prescribed burn will commence at approximately 8:00am and conclude around 5:00pm and smoke from the burn may be widely visible. Units will continue to produce a lesser amount of smoke in the days following burning operations, and all burn sites will be monitored by fire personnel. If you see smoke from this burn, please refrain from calling 911.
Restoring ecosystem health and resilience
Sonoma Land Trust is dedicated to restoring natural habitats and building climate resilience using nature-based solutions. These burns will improve the health of mixed hardwood and conifer forest by reducing tree density and surface fuels. Burning strategic ridgetop locations will serve as anchors for implementing the multi-stage land management plan that provides landscape-scale ecosystem health and resilience to wildfire and climate change.
This project is the result of many partnerships and planning that spanned over 20 years. In 2002, CAL FIRE supported the initial multi-stage forest management planning process with a CFIP planning grant. Forest treatments were then implemented sequentially in partnership with the CAL FIRE CFIP, Conservation Corps North Bay, Natural Resources Conservation Service EQIP program, California Coastal Conservancy’s Wildfire Resilience Program, and The Nion Robert Thieriot Foundation.
History of Little Black Mountain: Following the 1978 fire, the Thieriot family, who lost their home in the blaze, began donating portions of their land to Sonoma Land Trust. The Thieriot family’s donation of their beloved homestead was one of the organization’s first major land transactions and resulted in Little Black Mountain becoming one of Sonoma Land Trust’s first nature preserves.
The forestlands of Little Black Mountain are primarily comprised of dense resprouting hardwoods like bay laurel, madrone and tanoak interspersed with densely planted conifers following the 1978 Creighton Ridge Fire, as well as patches of coastal oak woodland, grasslands and small stands of coast redwood. This site is within a larger strategic fuels management plan that extends along the coast ridges between Cazadero, Jenner, and Highway 1; connecting a network of neighboring fuel break projects.
Information is available on roadway signage and via social media channels @SonomaLandTrust and @CALFIRELNU
ABOUT CAL FIRE SONOMA-LAKE-NAPA UNIT The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) serves and safeguards the people and protects the property and resources of California. The CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, or LNU for short, is one of 21 CAL FIRE administrative units, and one of the largest. Spanning north of the San Francisco Bay Area from the Pacific Ocean to the Interstate-5 corridor, the counties of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo come together to form a CAL FIRE Unit. LNU has primary responsibility for 2,063,280 acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA) – the most of any CAL FIRE Unit – and a vast range of vegetation types, populations, and political climates. We staff 21 fire stations, 31 state engines, six bulldozers, operate two conservation camps, have one fuel reduction crew, a firefighter hand crew, one helitack base, one air attack base, and many other support staff positions.
Photo of Pole Mountain prescribed burn in July 2023, courtesy of Sonoma Land Trust (photo credit: Sashwa Burrous, Coldwater Collective).
Quema controlada
Reservas de Sonoma Land Trust. Unidades de la quema. Sendero “Sea to Sky”
Quema controlada programada en la Reserva Little Black Mountain de Sonoma Land Trust este mes de octubre para fomentar la salud del bosque y la estrategia de la gestión de combustibles. Primera quema controlada en esta reserva desde el incendio forestal de Creighton Ridge en 1978.
Unidad Sonoma-Lake-Napa de CAL FIRE Jason Clay y Tyree Zander, Oficiales de Información Públicas 707-967-4207 LNUPIO@fire.ca.gov
Sonoma Land Trust Gina Fabiano, Directora de Marketing y Relaciones Públicas 707-596-3761 celular gina@sonomalandtrust.org
6 de octubre de 2023 – Cazadero, CA – Sonoma Land Trust y CAL FIRE anunciaron planes para realizar una quema controlada en la Reserva Little Black Mountain cerca de Cazadero, California el lunes 9 de octubre. El esfuerzo forma parte de una estrategia más amplia de gestión de combustibles y salud forestal para la zona. Los encendidos comenzarán a partir de las 6:00 a.m. y serán gestionadas por la Unidad CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa en colaboración con Sonoma Land Trust. Esta iniciativa de colaboración forma parte de un esfuerzo comunitario más amplio para aumentar la resistencia al fuego en toda la región.
Little Black Mountain cuenta con un historial de esfuerzos de gestión de combustibles en las décadas posteriores al incendio forestal de Creighton Ridge de 1978. El incendio de 1978 quemó el bosque de la zona y dio lugar a un denso rebrote y replantación de árboles. Múltiples proyectos centrados en el aclareo de los combustibles de escalera a lo largo de los caminos de la cresta durante los últimos 20 años han hecho posible la reintroducción del fuego en esta montaña por primera vez en 45 años. Esta quema será el resultado de una gama de alianzas, proyectos y esfuerzos comunitarios para gestionar el bosque, que empezaron con la replantación tras el incendio de Creighton Ridge.
Será una de las primeras quemas controladas de la región en realizarse en virtud del Programa CalVTP, que busca acelerar la implementación de tratamientos de vegetación que reducen el riesgo de incendios forestales, al mismo tiempo que conservan los recursos naturales. Se trata de la primera quema controlada en la Reserva Little Black Mountain de Sonoma Land Trust, tras las dos quemas realizadas a principios de verano en la Reserva adyacente Pole Mountain.
Personal de gestión de incendios de CAL FIRE realizará la quema, con el apoyo del personal de Sonoma Land Trust, distritos de bomberos locales y el Distrito de Control de la Contaminación del Aire del Condado de Sonoma del Norte.
La seguridad es fundamental a la hora de una quema controlada, y CAL FIRE tomará la decisión de quemar una vez que haya evaluado las condiciones meteorológicas del día y los protocolos de seguridad.
Advertencia de tránsito y humo
La quema controlada tendrá lugar en la Reserva Little Black Mountain, a lo largo de la costa de Sonoma, ubicada entre Jenner y Cazadero. La quema controlada comenzará a aproximadamente 8:00 a.m. y terminará alrededor de 5:00 p.m. Se podrá ver humo en muchas zonas. Si ve humo de esta quema, no llame al 911.
Restablecimiento de la salud y resiliencia del ecosistema
El objetivo de Sonoma Land Trust es restablecer los hábitats naturales y desarrollar resiliencia climática usando soluciones naturales. Estas quemas mejorarán la salud del bosque mixto de frondosas y coníferas reduciendo la densidad de árboles y los combustibles superficiales. Las quemas en lugares estratégicos de las crestas son clave para la aplicación del plan de gestión de la tierra en varias fases. El plan proporciona salud al ecosistema a escala de paisaje y resistencia a los incendios forestales y al cambio climático.
Este proyecto es el resultado de muchas alianzas y de una planificación que abarca más de 20 años. En 2002, CAL FIRE apoyó el proceso inicial de planificación de la gestión forestal en varias fases con una subvención de planificación del CFIP. A continuación, los tratamientos forestales se llevaron a cabo de forma secuencial en asociación con el CFIP de CAL FIRE, el Cuerpo de Conservación del Norte de la Bahía, el programa EQIP del Servicio de Conservación de Recursos Naturales, el Programa de Resistencia a los Incendios Forestales de California Coastal Conservancy y la Fundación Nion Robert Thieriot.
Historia de Little Black Mountain: Tras el incendio de 1978, la familia Thieriot, que perdió su casa en las llamas, comenzó a donar secciones de sus tierras a Sonoma Land Trust. La donación por parte de la familia Thieriot de su amada vivienda fue una de las primeras transacciones de tierras importantes de la organización. Dio lugar a que Little Black Mountain se convirtiera en una de las primeras reservas naturales de Sonoma Land Trust.
Los terrenos forestales de Little Black Mountain se componen principalmente de densas frondosas rebrotantes como el laurel, el madroño y el roble tanoak intercaladas con coníferas densamente plantadas tras el incendio de Creighton Ridge de 1978, así como parcelas de robledal costero, pastizales y pequeños rodales de secoya costera. Este lugar se encuentra dentro de un plan estratégico de gestión de combustibles más amplio que se extiende a lo largo de las crestas costeras entre Cazadero, Jenner y la autopista 1; conectando una red de proyectos vecinos de cortafuegos.
Se puede encontrar información en los letreros de las carreteras y en las redes sociales @SonomaLandTrust y @CALFIRELNU
ACERCA DE LA UNIDAD SONOMA-LAKE-NAPA DE CAL FIRE El Departamento Forestal y de Protección contra Incendios de California (CAL FIRE) protege a las personas y la propiedad y los recursos de California. La Unidad Sonoma-Lake-Napa (LNU) de CAL FIRE es una de las 21 unidades administrativas de CAL FIRE, y representa una de las más grandes. Desde el norte de la Bahía de San Francisco desde el Océano Pacífico hasta el corredor de la Interestatal 5, los condado de Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma y Yolo forman una Unidad de CAL FIRE. LNU es la primera responsable de los 2.063.280 acres del Área de Responsabilidad Estatal (SRA) –el máximo de toda Unidad de CAL FIRE– y una amplia variedad de tipos de vegetación, poblaciones y climas políticos. Contamos con 21 estaciones de bomberos, 31 máquinas estatales y seis topadoras, operamos dos campos de conservación, contamos con un equipo de reducción de combustibles, una dotación de bomberos, una base de helitack, una base de ataque aéreo y muchas otras posiciones del personal de apoyo.
SANTA ROSA, CA: Nestled along the ruggedly beautiful California coastline, Jenner Headlands Preserve stands as a testament to the enduring bond between land and community. Its journey from wilderness to preserved paradise is a story of collaboration, stewardship, and the shared commitment to safeguarding our planet’s precious resources. As we look back at its path to protection, we are reminded of the collective effort of public and private partners that pulled their resources together to overcome the many challenges that encumbered the long road to conservation. Today, we join The Wildlands Conservancy, the current land stewards, in celebrating five years of public access to this iconic landscape.
The tale of the preserve begins with its acquisition by Sonoma Land Trust in 2009. At the time, this was the largest land conservation project in Sonoma County history – a $36 million investment for the purchase of 5,630 acres of coastal landscape that, at the time, was being considered for subdivision and construction of40 estate homes. Sonoma County Ag + Open Space contributed just over $9 million to the acquisition, and in the process acquired a conservation easement to ensure the preserve’s diverse natural resources would be forever protected.
The five-year fundraising effort was spearheaded by Amy Chesnut, the land trust acquisitions director at the time, who facilitated partnerships with several funding agencies including Ag + Open Space, the State Coastal Conservancy, Wildlife Conservation Board, NOAA, and The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and cultivated the support of generous donors to piece together the purchase price and finalize the deal.
“The Sonoma coastline is core to our identity as a county,” said Ag + Open Space General Manager Misti Arias. “The conservation of Jenner Headlands Preserve is a guiding light for what land conservation can do for our communities – provide us all with vibrant and healthy ecosystems, beauty and awe, and space for people, plants, and wildlife to adapt and flourish.”
This vital step in preserving the land’s integrity and beauty would not have been possible without the individuals and organizations who recognized the exceptional value of this coastal treasure and rallied support to secure the necessary funding for the acquisition. Through their dedication, a crucial chapter in the preservation of the Jenner Headlands was written, ensuring its protection for generations to come.
But the significance of the Jenner Headlands extends far beyond its acquisition. This coastal haven serves as a testament to the land conservation movement and now more than ever, this property signifies the potential for the climate resilience work that must protect what we have left in order to reduce the worst effects of a changing climate.
“It could be said that the Jenner Headlands project emphasized the growing shift in the land conservation community – one that is becoming more and more important today in the face of climate change impacts – restoring the ecological function of our natural lands,” said Eamon O’Byrne, executive director of Sonoma Land Trust. “When we completed the robust integrated resource management plan that was the blueprint for the stewardship of this iconic coastal ranch, we envisioned the long-term health of this landscape which The Wildlands Collaborative has implemented with much success. We are grateful for their careful stewardship of the land and their dedication to public access to the preserve.”
In 2013, SLT transferred the preserve to The Wildlands Conservancy for long-term management and public access coordination. Then, in 2014 SLT completed the acquisition of the adjacent Pole Mountain property and created a 6,368-acre protected landscape. Thanks to our partnership with The Wildlands Conservancy, hikers can now trek from the shores of the Pacific to the Pole Mountain summit at 2,204’, where they can witness firsthand the thriving coastal grassland, riparian and forested ecosystems and spectacular views of the rugged Sonoma Coast.
Today, Jenner Headlands is not only a sanctuary for nature but also a living laboratory for ecological restoration. Prescribed fire and natural resource restoration initiatives are essential components of the ongoing efforts to revitalize the land’s health and vitality. These controlled burns help rejuvenate the landscape, clear away invasive species, and encourage the regrowth of native plants. The result is a harmonious ecosystem that thrives, providing habitat for a diverse array of flora and fauna.
For the local community, Jenner Headlands offers a sanctuary for solace and reflection, a place to escape the chaos of urban life and reconnect with the natural world. It provides opportunities for hiking, birdwatching, and simply basking in the tranquility of the Pacific Ocean’s gentle waves meeting the rugged coastline. Families and individuals alike find respite and inspiration in the quiet majesty of this coastal preserve.
In celebrating Jenner Headlands, we pay homage to the visionaries at the Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, and the many others who donated their time and support to protect it forever. Their commitment to preserving this coastal treasure, their dedication to fostering ecological restoration, and their recognition of its importance to the community are all testaments to the power of collective action in safeguarding Earth’s most cherished places. Jenner Headlands stands as a beacon of hope and a reminder of our duty to protect and cherish the natural world for generations to come.
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 123,000 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 visitwww.sonomaopenspace.org
Ecosystem restoration is key to addressing sea level rise in the Bay Area
SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA Sonoma Land Trust, in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority (Restoration Authority) and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (Moore Foundation), is proud to announce the successful acquisition of the 1,150-acre Camp 4 property, a vital piece of the Sonoma Creek Baylands ecosystem. This collaborative effort marks significant progress toward the Land Trust’s strategic goal of permanently protecting and restoring 10,000 acres of historic baylands. This will ensure our region greater resilience against sea level rise and boost the conservation of threatened and endangered plant and animal species.
Situated in the heart of the Sonoma Creek Baylands, the property will be restored to tidal marsh wetlands after a century of agricultural use, most recently as an organic hay farm. Camp 4 sits between the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge and the Napa-Sonoma Marshes Wildlife Area and is encircled by seven miles of tidal slough channels. This makes it an essential part of the broader wetland network which, when restored, will act as the most critical defense area against rising sea levels in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The partnership between Sonoma Land Trust, NRCS, the Restoration Authority and the Moore Foundation underscores the long-term federal and regional commitment to preserving natural landscapes of the Bay Area. The property was purchased through a Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) held by NRCS, and funding from the Restoration Authority and the Moore Foundation for the underlying fee title held by the Land Trust. The partnership will continue to collaborate to design and implement a comprehensive tidal marsh restoration plan, with the Land Trust taking on stewardship responsibilities until a suitable partner agency assumes ownership.
Since the 1980s, large properties in Marin, Napa, Solano, and Sonoma Counties along the San Pablo Bay have undergone key phases of restoration, including intentional levee breaches that converted dry areas into moisture-rich landscapes. Returning water back to the land is the first step in the transformation process and provides the foundation for life-sustaining wetland ecosystems to return.
The funding and partnerships that are now in place to protect Camp 4 are part of a larger scale effort to provide expansive areas for stormwater and runoff to flow into the bay, without overtopping levees and flooding roads and communities. When Camp 4 and adjacent agricultural and natural lands are restored and managed in a way that works together, this will reconnect wetlands and waterways spanning from the mountains to the bay.
“Camp 4 Ranch is the first acquisition to be funded by the revenue generated from Measure AA, the Bay Area’s regional shoreline restoration measure.” shared San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority Executive Officer Amy Hutzel. “Today’s acquisition of over one thousand acres of diked former baylands reflects the important role of local funding. The San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority granted Measure AA funding to Sonoma Land Trust to develop the Sonoma Creek Baylands Strategy in 2018, which identified Camp 4 as one of the most significant remaining opportunities for tidal wetland restoration, and a vital component of the Strategy’s high-level vision for protecting and restoring over 10,000 acres. In five short years, we are seeing the Strategy become a reality with momentous steps like this acquisition, which will lead to restoring and permanently protecting these wetlands. Thank you and congratulations to the Sonoma Land Trust, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and all our local, state, and federal partners.”
“Land subsidence, rising tides, expensive levee maintenance and pumping costs, and a changing agricultural market have made hay farming increasingly difficult to sustain on the Camp 4 Ranch.” said Dean Kwasny, NRCS Easement Program Manager. “Our Wetland Reserve Easement Program offers landowners an opportunity to voluntarily retire marginal agricultural lands, and in the case of Camp 4, restore historic tidal wetlands for sea level rise mitigation, flood abatement, and fish and wildlife habitat.”
“This acquisition is especially important because the vast majority of San Francisco Bay’s tidal wetlands have been converted or destroyed,” said Dan Winterson, who manages the Conservation Portfolio at the Moore Foundation. “We’re happy to be able to support this effort in partnership with federal and state agencies as well as private entities.”
History of Camp 4: In a report by historian Arthur Dawson, the Camp 4 property was claimed under the Swampland Act of 1850, which provided the initial incentive for individuals to drain and dike off lands below the high tide line. It wasn’t until 1890 when this work shifted from human hands to steam-powered dredging machines that it really picked-up speed.
Around this time, Senator John P. Jones acquired 15,000 acres (25 square miles) of Sonoma Valley’s tidelands and drained them for agricultural use. Jones set up six ‘Camps’ with bunkhouses to accommodate the workers on his ranch. As many as two hundred horses were used to work the land and were housed in huge barns. Hay was the most popular crop and was exported to San Francisco to fuel the horse-drawn carriages of that era.
Over time, the converted tidelands dried out, the organic material decomposed, and they subsided as much as eight feet in elevation. In addition, these lands are no longer being replenished with sediment from tidal waters and upstream floodwaters from Sonoma Creek. Winter rains watered the dry-farmed oat hay, but the levees prevented the floodwater from spreading across the landscape, creating unintended upstream flooding. The first recorded flooding in the Schellville area occurred shortly after Jones’ dredges completed the first significant levee along Sonoma Creek in 1890.
Contribution to 30×30 goals: Camp 4 will be managed and protected to meet California’s 30×30 goals, the state’s initiative to conserve 30% of its lands and waters by 2030. Currently in Sonoma County, approximately 22% of our lands have been conserved due to the work of land trusts, county and other government agencies, and conservation partners like the Moore Foundation. To reach the goal of conserving 30% of the county by 2030, 78,000 more acres must be protected in the next seven years. Land trust acquisitions and conservation easements are a crucial part of reaching this goal, and Sonoma Land Trust’s work towards conserving 30×30 is helping to combat the biodiversity and climate crises.
Photo: Peter Essick
Photo: Becky Matsubara
The salt marsh harvest mouse is an indicator species of a healthy wetland habitat and has remained on the endangered list for fifty years due to habitat destruction. The Ridgeway’s rail is a near-threatened species whose population will also benefit from the restoration of habitat where pickleweed and other dense vegetation is planted which provides a safe refuge in a rising tide.
“Restoring the Camp 4 property is imperative because of the pace of sea-level rise and major flood events. We are grateful to the owners of the property who worked with NRCS and the Land Trust for several years to complete this transaction, and we appreciate their stewardship of the land as an organic farm. We also want to thank the funding partners for not only the acquisition grants, but an additional $13 million for restoration and stewardship costs. This is a terrific example of the positive impact that can be achieved when there is a clear strategy in place and we are all working towards a common goal.” said John McCaull, director of land acquisition at Sonoma Land Trust.
The acquisition and restoration of the Camp 4 property offers significant benefits for both the environment and the community:
Wetland Expansion: This acquisition expands the protected wetlands area along San Pablo Bay by adding 1,150 acres, further safeguarding the delicate ecosystem.
Resilience Against Sea Level Rise: The restoration efforts contribute to community and habitat resilience against the impacts of rising sea levels. The project aligns with Sonoma Land Trust’s Adapting to Rising Waters Strategy to protect and restore over 10,000 acres of baylands ecosystems.
Enhanced Habitat Diversity: Large-scale restoration of wetland habitat enhances San Francisco Bay’s biodiversity, providing a home for a diverse range of plants, fish, birds, and other wildlife.
Critical Wildlife Populations: The property will serve as a vital habitat for special-status plants, fish, and wildlife, including the endangered Ridgway’s rail and salt marsh harvest mouse. Additionally, it will support hundreds of thousands of waterfowl and shorebirds along the Pacific Flyway, contributing to their conservation.
Concentration of Waterfowl: The restored property will welcome back more than 30 species of waterfowl, including a significant population of canvasback ducks—one of the largest concentrations in North America—and approximately 50 percent of the Pacific Flyway’s diving duck population.
Restoration on Camp 4 (image on the left) will transform the dry hay field into a dynamic wetland ecosystem that matches its neighboring parcels belonging to the wildlife refuge area (image on the right).
Sonoma Land Trust, a leader in land conservation, restoration, and climate resilience, was awarded the North Bay Business Journal’s 2023 Best Places to Work for the second time.
For 47 years, the accredited nonprofit has held a foundational role in conserving the region’s most valuable resources with a commitment to fostering a highly engaged, respected, and equitable work environment.
Over 85 percent of the staff voluntarily participated in the survey which provided the data NBBJ used to evaluate the organization’s culture, professional development, satisfaction, and overall wellbeing.
When asked, “What makes your company great?” the staff responded with:
“Our commitment to DEI extends to more than just words. We’re consistently moving towards a more inclusive organization and implementing work that provides equitable access to outdoor spaces and environmental/conservation education.”
“It’s a mission oriented and focused nonprofit that also values and respects their employees. We accomplish large goals and projects while simultaneously supporting the people that make it happen.”
“The people who work here steadfastly in pursuit of a mission of health for both the land and the communities who depend on the services the land provides”
“People are the heart of every great organization. Their energy and expertise breathe life into the work,” said Eamon O’Byrne, executive director. “For decades, Sonoma Land Trust has been recognized as an exceptional place to work. Our mission-driven focus on environmental conservation and habitat restoration creates a sense of purpose and unites like-minded professionals.”
The surveyed staff averaged 5.27 years at the organization, with the longest held tenure being 19 years. The organization also has low turnover rates, which is an indication of how staff feel about the value of their work and their connection to the mission, as well as their confidence in the organization’s future.
The country is experiencing a notable increase in employee burn-out and disengagement which is something experts say can be reduced by providing clear and transparent communications, appreciation and respect for an employee’s contributions, and a sense of fairness and openness for shared ideas and opinions. Sonoma Land Trust received high marks in each of these categories.
Staff members were quoted in the survey as saying:
“I appreciate how Sonoma Land Trust has great communication in both directions – up and down – about where we are going and what we need to get there as an organization. It feels like staff are given many opportunities to influence the direction of their own work, and the organization.”
“It’s great to have an Executive Director who cares for the nature, community, and staff. And is ready to invest in the development of employees!”
Sonoma Land Trust is growing and new opportunities are available in their land acquisition, stewardship, community engagement, and philanthropy departments. If you’re interested in joining their team in a best place to work environment, visit www.sonomalandtrust.org/career-center for more information.
Prescribed burn planned at Sonoma Land Trust’s Pole Mountain Preserve west of Cazadero, Wednesday, July 12, 2023 to improve ridgeline shaded fuel breaks and support forest health
CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Jason Clay & Tyree Zander, Public Information Officers 707-967-4207 LNUPIO@fire.ca.gov
Sonoma Land Trust Gina Fabiano, Director of Marketing and Media Relations 707-596-3761 cell gina@sonomalandtrust.org
Jenner, CA – Sonoma Land Trust and CAL FIRE announced plans to conduct a prescribed burn at Pole Mountain Preserve near Jenner, California on Wednesday July 12. Totaling 16 acres, the burn will begin as early as 8:00am and will be managed by the CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit in partnership with Sonoma Land Trust. The burn is part of a larger community effort to fire resiliency throughout the region.
Ridgelines and fire-access roads are strategic locations for controlling the progression of wildfire and for the safe reintroduction of good fire as a forest health management tool. This is just one step in a multi-year effort to create a network of ridgetop shaded fuel breaks that provide multiple benefits to ecosystem health and community safety.
The prescribed burn will be among the first in the region to be conducted under the CalVTP Program, which expedites the implementation of vegetation treatments to reduce wildfire risk while conserving natural resources. This is also the first forestland prescribed burning at Sonoma Land Trust’s Pole Mountain Preserve.
The burn will be conducted by prescribed fire managers from CAL FIRE, with support from Sonoma Land Trust staff, Gold Ridge Fire Protection District, Monte Rio Fire District, and the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District.
Safety is the top priority when burning, and CAL FIRE will make the decision to burn once they have checked weather conditions and evaluated all safety protocols.
Smoke and Traffic Advisory
The prescribed burns will take place near the summit of Pole Mountain, the tallest peak along the Sonoma Coast, located between Jenner and Cazadero. The prescribed burn will commence at approximately 8:00am and conclude around 5:00pm and smoke from the burn may be widely visible. Units will continue to produce a lesser amount of smoke in the days following burning operations, and all burn sites will be monitored by fire personnel.
If you see smoke from this burn, please refrain from calling 911.
Restoring ecosystem health and wildfire resilience
Sonoma Land Trust is dedicated to restoring natural habitats and building climate resilience using nature-based solutions. These burns will improve the health of mixed hardwood and conifer forest by reducing tree density and surface fuels. Burning strategic ridgetop locations will serve as anchors for implementing the multi-stage land management plan that provides landscape-scale ecosystem health and resilience to wildfire and climate change.
This project is the result of many partnerships and planning that spanned over seven years. In 2016, CAL FIRE supported the initial multi-stage forest management planning process. Forest treatments were then implemented sequentially in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service EQIP program, California Coastal Conservancy’s Wildfire Resilience Program, The Nion Robert Thieriot Foundation, and numerous contractors including Great Tree Tenders, Biswell Forestry, and Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Fire Forward program. Extra assistance was provided by generous volunteers and Boy Scout Troop 14, along with oversight and guidance from CAL FIRE.
The forestlands bordering the summit of Pole Mountain are comprised of ancient bay laurel, madrone, oak, and maple trees that are increasingly crowded by planted conifers and resprouting hardwoods following the 1978 Creighton Ridge Fire. This site is within a larger strategic fuel break plan that extends from Duncan’s Mills to Pole Mountain and down to Hwy 1 on the coast and ties into a network of neighboring fuel break projects.
Information is available on roadway signage and via social media channels @SonomaLandTrust and @CALFIRELNU
ABOUT CAL FIRE SONOMA-LAKE-NAPA UNIT The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) serves and safeguards the people and protects the property and resources of California. The CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, or LNU for short, is one of 21 CAL FIRE administrative units, and one of the largest. Spanning north of the San Francisco Bay Area from the Pacific Ocean to the Interstate-5 corridor, the counties of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo come together to form a CAL FIRE Unit. LNU has primary responsibility for 2,063,280 acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA) – the most of any CAL FIRE Unit – and a vast range of vegetation types, populations, and political climates. We staff 21 fire stations, 31 state engines, six bulldozers, operate two conservation camps, have one fuel reduction crew, a firefighter hand crew, one helitack base, one air attack base, and many other support staff positions.
35 acres of oak grassland along Sonoma Highway 12 corridor to undergo prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risk and benefit native habitat
Wendy Coy Director of Communications Audubon Canyon Ranch 415-868-9244 ext. 123 707-829-9582 cell wendy.coy@egret.org
Gina Fabiano Director of Marketing and Media Relations Sonoma Land Trust 707-596-3761 gina@sonomalandtrust.org
GLEN ELLEN— Audubon Canyon Ranch and Sonoma Land Trust announced today their plans to conduct prescribed burning in Sonoma Valley on ~35 acres of oak savannah spanning the Bouverie Preserve and Glen Oaks Ranch Preserve, Friday, June 23 through Sunday, June 25. Both properties have frontage along Sonoma Highway 12 making this burn visible from the road; travelers in the area may see smoke in the air and prescribed fire activities, such as blacklining, broadcast burning, and spot-fire training. The prescribed burns are a part of a land management strategy that will build resilience against wildfire and benefit native habitat.
Smoke and Traffic Advisory
Prescribed burns in the Sonoma Valley will commence as early as 10 a.m. and conclude around 5 p.m.* Residents and travelers in the Kenwood, Glen Ellen, and Sonoma areas may see or smell smoke in the air for up to 7 hours[GF1] . These are permitted prescribed burns; do not call 911.
*These prescribed burns are subject to change depending on conditions.
The prescribed burns will be conducted by prescribed fire managers from Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Fire Forward program, with support from Sonoma Land Trust, the Good Fire Alliance, the Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative, CAL FIRE, and Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority. The crew will ensure the burns are 100% out by the end of the operating period. These prescribed burning activities contribute to regional stewardship goals developed by the Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative, of which Audubon Canyon Ranch and Sonoma Land Trust are members. The Collaborative collectively owns and manages 18,000 acres in the Sonoma Valley and is focused on ecologically beneficial fire recovery and forest resiliency projects across the region.
Bouverie Preserve 13815 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen
Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Bouverie Preserve is located along Sonoma Highway between Arnold Drive and Aurora Lane. Its 500+ acres host diverse native ecosystems including oak woodlands, mixed evergreen forests, riparian woodlands, chaparral, and grasslands. Since 2016, prescribed burning has been used on the preserve to support ecosystem health.
25 acres of oak savannah are scheduled for treatment with the goal of removing medusahead grass, a non-native, annual grass considered highly invasive by California Invasive Plant Council — Medusahead is unpalatable to wildlife and livestock and resistant to decomposition due to its high silica content — and to make space for native bunch grasses and wildflowers. Seasonally appropriate conservation grazing is also utilized to steward this unit of the preserve.
Sonoma Land Trust’s Glen Oaks Ranch Preserve 13255 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen
Sonoma Land Trust’s 234-acre Glen Oaks Ranch Preserve is located near the intersection of Arnold Drive and Sonoma Highway on the ancestral lands of Coast Miwok and Southern Pomo people. The preserve is critical habitat for hundreds of native plant and animal species and is an important link in the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor – a network of protected lands that allows wildlife to move between the Mayacamas and Sonoma Mountain.
The two units scheduled for prescribed burning consist of oak woodland with an understory of grass and sparse shrubs. Ecological goals for the 10-acre burn include removal of non-native annual grasses to improve conditions for wildflowers and native plants and improving conditions for oak seedling growth. This work builds on the previous prescribed fire treatment of nearly 30 acres of the preserve in November 2022.
About Audubon Canyon Ranch and Fire Forward®
Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR), is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit environmental conservation and education organization in the San Francisco Bay Area that has partnered with communities since 1960 to study, understand, and steward natural places. ACR’s mission is to connect nature, people, and science for a more resilient world. Fire Forward is a prescribed fire and ecosystem stewardship capacity-building program of Audubon Canyon Ranch. Since its inception in 2017, Fire Forward has trained more than 650 people and treated nearly 2,700 acres with regionally tailored fuels reduction practices that restore ecosystem health. Learn more at egret.org, @auduboncanyonranch, and @fire.forward
Spanish Translation
Actividades de quemas controladas programadas para el Valle de Sonoma, del 23 al 25 de junio de 2023
35 acres de pastizales de roble a lo largo del corredor de la Autopista 12 de Sonoma se someterán a una quema controlada para reducir el riesgo de incendios forestales y beneficiar al hábitat autóctono
[Mapa de unidades de quema en el Valle de Sonoma, Condado de Sonoma, CA]
[Unidades de la Reserva Bouverie. Unidades de Sonoma Land Trust]
Wendy Coy Director of Communications Audubon Canyon Ranch 415-868-9244 ext. 123 707-829-9582 cell wendy.coy@egret.org
Gina Fabiano Director of Marketing and Media Relations Sonoma Land Trust 707-596-3761 gina@sonomalandtrust.org
GLEN ELLEN, 20 de junio de 2023— Audubon Canyon Ranch y Sonoma Land Trust anunciaron hoy planes para llevar a cabo una quema controlada en el Valle de Sonoma en aproximadamente 35 acres de sabana de robles que abarcan la Reserva Bouverie y la Reserva Glen Oaks Ranch, del viernes 23 al domingo 25 de junio. Ambas propiedades están frente a lo largo de la Autopista 12 de Sonoma, lo que hace que esta quema sea visible desde la autopista. Es posible que se ve humo en el aire y actividades de fuego controlado, como la pre-quema de una zona, el fuego controlado encendido en zonas con poco o ningún dosel forestal presente y la formación sobre fuego localizado. Las quemas controladas forman parte de una estrategia de gestión de la tierra que busca desarrollar resiliencia a futuros incendios forestales y beneficiar al hábitat autóctono.
Advertencia de tránsito y humo
Las quemas controladas en el Valle de Sonoma comenzarán a partir de las 10 a.m. y terminarán hacia las 5 p.m.* Los habitantes y viajeros de las zonas de Kenwood, Glen Ellen y Sonoma pueden ver u oler humo en el aire durante un máximo de 7 horas. Estas son quemas controladas permitidas; no llame al 911.
*Estas quemas controladas están sujetas a cambios dependiendo de las condiciones.
Las quemas controladas serán lideradas por los gestores de incendios controlados del programa Fire Forward de Audubon Canyon Ranch, con el apoyo de Sonoma Land Trust, Good Fire Alliance, Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative, CAL FIRE, y Sonoma Valley Fire and Rescue Authority. La cuadrilla se asegurará de que las quemas se hayan extinguido al 100% al final del periodo operativo. Estas actividades de quema controlada contribuyen a los objetivos regionales de gestión y protección desarrollados por la Colaboración de Tierras Silvestres del Valle de Sonoma, de la que son miembros Audubon Canyon Ranch y Sonoma Land Trust. La Colaboración posee y gestiona colectivamente 18,000 acres en el Valle de Sonoma y se centra en el uso de fuegos controlados que beneficien al hábitat autóctono y aumenten la resiliencia a futuros incendios forestales en toda la región.
La Reserva Bouverie 13815 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen
La Reserva Bouverie de Audubon Canyon Ranch está ubicada en la Autopista Sonoma entre Arnold Drive y Aurora Lane. Sus más de 500 acres albergan diversos ecosistemas autóctonos, como robledales, bosques mixtos perennifolios, bosques ribereños, chaparrales y pastizales. Desde 2016, se realizan quemas controladas en la reserva para mantener la salud del ecosistema.
Está programado el tratamiento de 25 acres de sabana de robles con el objetivo de eliminar la hierba cabeza de medusa, una hierba anual no autóctona considerada sumamente invasora por el Consejo de Plantas Invasoras de California. La hierba cabeza de medusa es desagradable para la fauna y el ganado. También es resistente a la descomposición debido a su alto contenido en sílice. El tratamiento va a asegurar espacio para las gramíneas y flores silvestres autóctonas. También se utiliza el pastoreo de conservación estacional adecuado para gestionar esta unidad de la reserva.
La Reserva Glen Oaks Ranch de Sonoma Land Trust 13255 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen
La Reserva Glen Oaks Ranch, de 234 acres y perteneciente a Sonoma Land Trust, está ubicada cerca del cruce de Arnold Drive y el Autopista Sonoma. Se encuentra en las tierras ancestrales de los pueblos Miwok de la costa y Pomo del sur. La reserva es un hábitat fundamental para cientos de especies de plantas y animales autóctonos y es un eslabón importante del Corredor de Vida Silvestre del Valle de Sonoma, una red de tierras protegidas que permite a la fauna moverse entre las Mayacamas y la Montaña de Sonoma.
Las dos unidades programadas para la quema controlada constan de un bosque de robles con un sotobosque de hierba y arbustos dispersos. Utilizando fuego intencional, o “el fuego bueno”, en estas zonas restaurará ecosistemas sanos que deterioraron mucho durante los periodos de supresión de incendios. El fuego de baja intensidad proporciona a las plántulas de roble las condiciones para reproducirse, reduce las plantas invasoras y asegura un sitio para las plantas autóctonas de las que depende la fauna para sobrevivir. Este trabajo se basa en el tratamiento previo con fuego controlado de casi 30 acres de la reserva en noviembre de 2022.
Sobre Audubon Canyon Ranch y Fire Forward® Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR), es una organización sin ánimo de lucro 501(c)(3) dedicada a la conservación y educación medioambiental en el Área de la Bahía de San Francisco. Desde 1960, trabaja con comunidades para estudiar, comprender, gestionar y proteger lugares naturales. El objetivo de ACR es conectar la naturaleza, las personas y la ciencia para conseguir un mundo más resiliente. Fire Forward es un programa de incendios controlados y de desarrollo de capacidades de gestión y protección de ecosistemas de Audubon Canyon Ranch. Desde su comienzo en 2017, Fire Forward ha formado a más de 650 personas y ha tratado casi 2.700 acres con prácticas de reducción de combustibles adaptadas a la región para restaurar la salud del ecosistema. Para obtener más información, visite egret.org, @auduboncanyonranch, y @fire.forward.
Prescribed burn scheduled at Sonoma Land Trust’s Laufenburg Ranch Preserve in Knights Valley, Thursday, June 15, 2023 to restore grassland health*
CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit Jason Clay & Tyree Zander, Public Information Officers 707-967-4207 LNUPIO@fire.ca.gov
Sonoma Land Trust Gina Fabiano, Director of Marketing and Media Relations 707-596-3761 cell gina@sonomalandtrust.org
Knights Valley, CA – Sonoma Land Trust and CAL FIRE announced plans to conduct a prescribed burn at the Laufenburg Ranch Preserve in Knights Valley California, on Thursday, June 15. The burn will be led by the CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit in partnership with Sonoma Land Trust to restore grassland health and build resilience to future wildfires. This burn will be among the first in the region to be conducted under the CalVTP Program, which seeks to expedite the implementation of treatments that reduce wildfire risk while conserving natural resources. Smoke from the burn may be visible in the surrounding area near Highway 128 and Franz Valley Road in Knight’s Valley. If you see or smell smoke, please refrain from calling 911.
*This controlled burn is subject to change depending on conditions.
The Sonoma Land Trust Laufenburg Ranch Preserve is located on Spencer Lane, near Highway 128 and Franz Valley Road. The anticipated time for the prescribed burn is 9:00 am through 5:00 pm. The burn will be conducted by prescribed fire managers from CAL FIRE, with support from Sonoma Land Trust staff, Northern Sonoma County Fire Protection District, and Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District. Weather conditions and safety protocols are critical to this effort. If the burn can’t be conducted safely, the project will be postponed.
Smoke and Traffic Advisory
The prescribed burn will commence at approximately 9:00 am and conclude around 5:00 pm. Smoke will be visible near Highway 128 and Franz Valley Road throughout the day. This is a permitted prescribed burn; do not call 911.
Restoring ecosystem health and wildfire resilience
Sonoma Land Trust is dedicated to restoring natural habitats and building climate resilience using nature-based solutions. This burn will improve the health of grassland and oak woodland ecosystems, reduce natural fuels, control invasive species, and continue building wildfire resilience in the area.
We will post roadway signage, update the Watch Duty application and website, and use social media channels @SonomaLandTrust to provide current information.
Prescribed burning is one of many tools to improve community safety in tandem with defensible space and preparedness.
ABOUT CAL FIRE SONOMA-LAKE-NAPA UNIT The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) serves and safeguards the people and protects the property and resources of California. The CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, or LNU for short, is one of 21 CAL FIRE administrative units, and one of the largest. Spanning north of the San Francisco Bay Area from the Pacific Ocean to the Interstate-5 corridor, the counties of Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma, and Yolo come together to form a CAL FIRE Unit. LNU has primary responsibility for 2,063,280 acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA) – the most of any CAL FIRE Unit – and a vast range of vegetation types, populations, and political climates. We staff 21 fire stations, 31 state engines, six bulldozers, operate two conservation camps, have one fuel reduction crew, a firefighter hand crew, one helitack base, one air attack base, and many other support staff positions.
Spanish Translation
Quema controlada programada en la Reserva de Laufenburg Ranch de Sonoma Land Trust en Knights Valley para el jueves 15 de junio de 2023 para restablecer la salud de los pastizales*
Unidad Sonoma-Lake-Napa de CAL FIRE Jason Clay y Tyree Zander, Oficiales de Información Pública 707-967-4207 LNUPIO@fire.ca.gov
Sonoma Land Trust Gina Fabiano, Directora de Marketing y Relaciones Públicas 707-596-3761 celular gina@sonomalandtrust.org
Knights Valley, CA – Sonoma Land Trust y CAL FIRE anunciaron planes para realizar una quema controlada en la Reserva de Laufenburg Ranch en Knights Valley, California, el jueves 15 de junio. La quema será liderada por la Unidad Sonoma-Lake-Napa de CAL FIRE en asociación con Sonoma Land Trust para restablecer la salud de los pastizales y desarrollar resiliencia a futuros incendios forestales. Será una de las primeras quemas de la región en realizarse en virtud del Programa CalVTP, que busca acelerar la implementación de tratamientos de gestión de vegetación mediante incendios inteligentes que reducen el riesgo de incendios forestales, al mismo tiempo que conservan los recursos naturales. Es posible que se vea humo de la quema en los alrededores cerca de la Autopista 128 y Franz Valley Road en Knights Valley. Si ve o huele humo, evite llamar al 911.
*Esta quema controlada está sujeta a cambios dependiendo de las condiciones.
La Reserva de Laufenburg Ranch de Sonoma Land Trust está ubicada en Spencer Lane, cerca de la Autopista 128 y Franz Valley Road. El horario previsto para la quema controlada es de 9:00 a.m. a 5:00 p.m. Personal de gestión de incendios de CAL FIRE realizará la quema, con el apoyo del personal de Somona Land Trust, el Distrito de Protección Contra Incendios del Condado de Sonoma del Norte y el Distrito de Control de la Contaminación del Aire del Distrito de Sonoma del Norte. Las condiciones climáticas y los protocolos de seguridad son fundamentales para esta iniciativa. Si la quema no puede realizarse de forma segura, el proyecto se pospondrá.
**Advertencia de tránsito y humo**
La quema controlada comenzará a las 9:00 a.m., aproximadamente, y terminará alrededor de las 5:00 p.m. Se podrá ver humo cerca de la Autopista 128 y Franz Valley Road durante todo el día. Esta es una quema controlada autorizada; no llame al 911.
Restablecimiento de la salud del ecosistema y la resiliencia a incendios forestales
El objetivo de Sonoma Land Trust es restablecer los hábitats naturales y desarrollar resiliencia climática usando soluciones naturales. Esta quema mejorará la salud de los pastizales y los ecosistemas de bosques de robles, reducirá los combustibles naturales, controlará las especies invasivas y seguirá desarrollando resiliencia a incendios forestales en el área.
Instalaremos la señalización correspondiente en las carreteras, actualizaremos la aplicación y el sitio web de Watch Duty y usaremos los canales de redes sociales @SonomaLandTrust para brindar información actualizada.
ACERCA DE SONOMA LAND TRUST: Sonoma Trust Land trabaja junto con la naturaleza para conservar y restablecer la integridad del terreno con foco en la resiliencia climática y está comprometido a garantizar el acceso más equitativo a los espacios al aire libre. Desde 1976, Sonoma Trust Land ha protegido más de 57,000 acres de tierras panorámicas, naturales, agrícolas y abiertas para futuras generaciones. Sonoma Land Trust recibió el Premio a la Excelencia de Land Trust Alliance en 2019 y está acreditada por la comisión Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Para obtener más información, visite www.sonomalandtrust.org
ACERCA DE LA UNIDAD SONOMA-LAKE-NAPA DE CAL FIRE
El Departamento Forestal y de Protección Contra Incendios de California (CAL FIRE) protege a las personas y la propiedad y los recursos de California. La Unidad Sonoma-Lake-Napa (LNU) de CAL FIRE es una de las 21 unidades administrativas de CAL FIRE, y representa una de las más grandes. Desde el norte de la Bahía de San Francisco desde el Océano Pacífico hasta el corredor de la Interestatal 5, los condados de Colusa, Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma y Yolo forman una Unidad de CAL FIRE. LNU es la primera responsable de los 2,063,280 acres del Área de Responsabilidad Estatal (SRA) -el máximo de toda Unidad de CAL FIRE- y una amplia variedad de tipos de vegetación, poblaciones y climas políticos. Contamos con 21 estaciones de bomberos, 31 camiones de bomberos estatales y seis topadoras. Operamos dos campos de conservación, contamos con un equipo de reducción de combustibles, una dotación de bomberos, una base de helitack, una base de ataque aéreo y muchas otras posiciones del personal de apoyo.
After 20 years of discussions, an extraordinary property will be protected forever
March 14, 2023, SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA — Sonoma Land Trust announced that on March 10 they purchased a 174-acre property located on Bennett Valley Road, adjacent to Trione-Annadel State Park. The property, known as the Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools, will protect rare and threatened plant species, seasonal vernal pools, and conserves a significant portion of an important wildlife corridor. As a partner in the project, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space has purchased, and will forever hold a conservation easement on the property, which will ensure the conservation of its vast and diverse natural resources for generations to come. This purchase was also generously supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the State Coastal Conservancy, the California Natural Resources Agency, and donations from individuals.
This is Sonoma Land Trust’s first land purchase of 2023, and it conserves a healthy, ecologically sensitive habitat, while also contributing to California’s 30×30 goals, the state’s initiative to conserve 30% of its lands and waters by 2030. Currently in Sonoma County, approximately 22% of our lands have been conserved due to the work of land trusts, county and other government agencies, and conservation partners. To reach the goal of conserving 30% of the county by 2030, 78,000 more acres must be protected in the next seven years. Land trust acquisitions and conservation easements are a crucial part of reaching this goal and Sonoma Land Trust’s work towards conserving 30×30 is helping to combat the biodiversity and climate crises.
In 1959 Benjamin Swig, a noted real estate developer and philanthropist, purchased land along Bennett Valley Road as a weekend and seasonal respite from his busy urban life, saying simply, “I wanted a place to rest.” Eventually, the property was transferred to two sisters, Benjamin’s granddaughters, Patricia Dinner and Carolyn Ferris, and over the past 60 years it has been the central gathering place for five generations and holds some of the family’s most cherished memories and gatherings. These celebrations are rooted in a tradition of honoring the bounty that the land provided, and it was this love for the land that motivated the family to conserve it forever through the transfer to Sonoma Land Trust.
Patricia Dinner, who raised her family on the property, spoke to this reverence for the land when she said, “It saddens me that we are seeing large pristine areas developed by urban sprawl leaving fewer natural, unspoiled spaces. My sister and I are thrilled that our kids have decided to do this and grateful to Sonoma Land Trust for making it happen. Through this transfer, we honor their great-grandfather by protecting the gift he gave them all those years ago.”
“When we sat down to explore options for the property, our first priority was not interfering with the natural habitat and feel of the area,” said Lucas Heldfond, great-grandson of Benjamin Swig and son of Patricia Dinner. “Working with Sonoma Land Trust has given us the opportunity to continue being responsible stewards and has helped realize our priority for keeping it as open space. They enabled us to meet our financial and tax goals without development, all while returning the land to public use – as it has been for most of time. It is heartening to us all that this land will remain open and will be an integral part of Sonoma Land Trust’s vision for a wildlife corridor that spans from the coast to the mountain ranges.”
“Sonoma Land Trust staff began conversations with the landowners almost 20 years ago and with some patience and planning, we are thrilled to finally see this extraordinary property established as an ecological preserve with healthy resources that support a variety of species, some only found in California,” said Sonoma Land Trust’s Executive Director Eamon O’Byrne.
The acquisition of the Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools property protects rare and threatened plant species; conserves a significant wildlife corridor between Point Reyes, Sonoma, Napa and Lake counties; contributes cool, clean water to Yulupa Creek, a tributary of Sonoma Creek which supports steelhead and chinook streams.
“Climate change is on the march, and we know we need to do everything in our power to protect biodiversity, safeguard people from climate impacts that are already here, and provide access to nature for generations to come,” California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot said. “We are excited to be part of protecting and restoring the Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools to strengthen connections with nature and move us closer to protecting 30 percent of our state’s land and coastal waters by 2030.”
The success of this initiative will require the participation of landowners across the state who currently manage large properties with beneficial natural resources. Funding for the conservation of these properties is available and incentivizes participation in this initiative.
“The protection and restoration of the Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools is a true “multi-benefit” project. Not only is it a tremendous step towards achieving the State of California’s 30×30 initiative to conserve 30 percent of our state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030, it will create new trail connections and recreation opportunities for the public, and provisions allowing for cultural uses for Tribes. We are very proud to be involved with a project that will help restore biodiversity, expand access to nature, facilitate cultural access to Tribes, and mitigate and build resilience to climate change,” State Coastal Conservancy’s Executive Officer, Amy Hutzel, said.
Because of its location and beauty, there was pressure for development of this land, but the landowners recognized that the land’s unique natural resources were invaluable. Their decision to work with Sonoma Land Trust provides protection for this remarkable place while contributing to the regional conservation priorities that can protect our communities from the worst effects of climate change through land conservation and restoration.
“This is an important conservation opportunity to protect oak woodlands and vernal pools in a key part of a threatened wildlife corridor,” said Dan Winterson, who manages the Bay Area Conservation Program at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. “We are very pleased that we were able to support Sonoma Land Trust’s persistent efforts to bring this project to fruition.”
Protecting Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools:
Ensures the ongoing health of property’s natural features, including two rare vernal pools, mature oak woodlands, intact grasslands, and portions of Yulupa Creek which feeds cold water to the Sonoma Creek, home of steelhead trout and chinook salmon.
Provides an opportunity to connect a new corridor of protected lands for both wildlife and people alike between the adjacent state and regional parks.
Permanently conserves 174 acres of land, protecting nature so that nature can protect us.
Opens opportunities for land management and habitat restoration for climate resilience.
“The conservation of the Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools property is yet another great example of how we can do more together. Through the commitment and investment of Sonoma County’s taxpayers, Ag + Open Space has the means to help protect our most precious and resource-rich natural and working lands with conservation easements,” says Ag + Open Space General Manager, Misti Arias. “It all starts with our community, and the investment they’ve made in conserving and caring for the land.”
Sonoma Land Trust will own the property and manage it for several years as part of their ecological preserve portfolio with the goal of eventually transferring the property to a public agency.
Access to the property will be provided through pre-scheduled guided outings only. Initial tours are set to begin in May 2023. Registration opens in April, visit www.sonomalandtrust.org/outings to learn more.
Dick and Sharon Schlegeris to be honored and remembered forever through estate gift to Sonoma Land Trust
Santa Rosa, Calif. — Outdoorsy, curious, kind, and easy to like are just a few ways friends describe Dick and Sharon Schlegeris, former residents of the Oakmont community in Santa Rosa.
Dick and Sharon Shlegeris were lifelong lovers of the outdoors and spent much of their time exploring the natural beauty of the region. Dick was a self-described “engineer gone bad,” who worked in finance at Chevron. He and Sharon worked toward retiring in Sonoma County, where Dick had family.
They spent much of their time from then on out exploring the outdoors, getting involved in the Oakmont Hiking Club, whose motto is “We’re not slow; we’re just not in a hurry!” Dick organized hikes for the club with Sonoma Land Trust, particularly exploring iconic places such as Pole Mountain and Glen Oaks Ranch.
“There is no higher compliment than to be included in person’s legacy and knowing that their love for nature will carry on through our work and mission.” Shannon Nichols, Director of Philanthropy at Sonoma Land Trust.
Sadly, we lost Sharon in 2021 and Richard in January of this year. He passed doing what he loved, of natural causes on his way to hike Annadel-Trione State Park.
Over the years, as Richard and Sharon became increasingly involved in Sonoma Land Trust, engaging more with their programs, and generously increasing their giving as they learned more about the nonprofits’ dedication to protecting nature and creating places for recreation. What started as a gift of 11 percent of their estate grew into a gift of 50 percent, and their realized planned gift was more than $2.7 million. Critical funding that will be used to secure, protect, and manage the places that make Sonoma County so exceptional.
We are deeply grateful for their support of land conservation in Sonoma County. They may not be here with us, but their spirit and legacy carry on through their family and friends and the beloved hiking trails they left behind for all to enjoy. Their gift is truly one that will make a difference to Sonoma County, in perpetuity.
