Press Releases

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.

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.

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

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

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.

CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

SANTA ROSA, CALIF. ­— The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District (District), a special district of the County dedicated to protecting our working and natural lands forever, has received approval from its Board of Directors to purchase a conservation easement over Howlett Forest – 1,380 acres in northwest Sonoma County that contains one of the last remaining intact old-growth forests in the county. The District is contributing $4.5 million toward the $6.13 million purchase price, with additional funding obtained by Sonoma Land Trust (SLT) from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation ($1.28 million) and The San Francisco Foundation ($50,000). The District also received a $300,000 grant from California State Parks’ Habitat Conservation Fund and a 5% ($365,000) donation from the landowner to help with the purchase.

This extraordinary deal conserves thousands of important, old-growth trees within an intact forest, 5.75 miles of healthy riparian corridors, and the headwaters of two of the five main tributaries to the Gualala River. The easement also helps ensure the economic viability of the local forest industry by retaining good jobs through long-term sustainable timber harvesting. 

“We are not often presented with opportunities to protect what remains of our treasured old-growth coastal redwood forests,” said Bill Keene, General Manager for the District. “That is what makes this project so significant and special – there are very few properties like this left. By partnering with Sonoma Land Trust to bring in outside funding to leverage our taxpayers’ dollars, we are able to conserve thousands of majestic, old-growth redwoods and Douglas-fir trees and two main tributaries of the Gualala River, both of which provide important habitat for steelhead, coho salmon, owls, bobcats, and even black bears. We’re also able to ensure that this healthy forest will continue to sequester carbon on our behalf as we face the challenges of climate change. 

“Sonoma Land Trust has recognized the importance and urgency of this special project since its early days,” said Dave Koehler, Executive Director of SLT. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the District, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and The San Francisco Foundation to achieve permanent protection of Howlett Forest’s towering redwoods and pristine creeks. With the property’s outstanding habitat values and adjacency to Buckeye Forest, formerly known as Preservation Ranch, it is a crucial addition to a complex of over 50,000 acres of protected land in the region. This project leaves a wonderful legacy of old-growth redwood protection and sustainable forest management for our children.”

Property description

California’s coast was once home to over two million acres of coast redwoods stretching from Big Sur to the Oregon border. Now only 5% of the original forest – roughly 120,000 acres – remains. Of the remaining virgin forest in private ownership, only a small percentage is protected, and Howlett Forest is one of the last remaining intact old-growth forests in Sonoma County. With over 2,560 trees greater than four feet in diameter, including more than 870 redwood trees with a diameter greater than five feet, and creek corridors that have never been logged, there is no greater priority for forestland conservation in Sonoma County. 

Howlett Forest is also unique in the Sonoma Coast Range because, unlike much of the intensely harvested forestland in this region, it still contains stands of old-growth coastal redwoods within its mixed-age forest, providing the rare and important structural characteristics of old-growth stands. This diversity in age and size is truly unique on the Sonoma Coast, which is why this property is so important to protect. The varied structures, snags, and understory found in the property’s forest, and especially in the stands of older trees, provide nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for a diverse range of plant and animal species, including northern spotted owl and pileated woodpecker, as well as large mammals such as the American badger, bobcat, mountain lion, and black bear. 

The property contains 5.75 miles of headwater streams of Buckeye Creek and Rockpile Creek, two of the five main tributaries that drain to the Gualala River. The river and its tributaries provide habitat for anadromous coho salmon and steelhead trout, as well as resident populations of rainbow trout. The healthy riparian habitat on the property supports these sensitive species. “When you step foot on the Howlett property, you realize right away that it is irreplaceable. The incredible number of old growth trees in this forest is a testament to the owners’ lifetime love of the land and the trees,” said Lynda Hopkins, 5th District Supervisor and a member of the District’s Board of Directors. “Preserving this critical woodland adjacent to other protected lands such as Buckeye Forest helps us maintain a contiguous stretch of healthy forests that will filter our water, clean our air, provide habitat for fish and wildlife, and help to mitigate the effects of climate change.”

Project structure

Before George Howlett passed away in 2008, he had wanted to ensure his ranch remained intact and managed in a manner that would protect the trees and mature ecosystem, while also continuing to provide income. He determined the sale of a conservation easement was the best tool to achieve both objectives. However, the development of a conservation easement project takes time. So in 2014, in order to forestall an imminent timber harvest and allow time for the easement to be negotiated, SLT obtained a project-related loan from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and then re-loaned those funds to the landowner. Now, the District and SLT have partnered to assemble the necessary funding to purchase the easement, with the District providing sales tax dollars and a grant from the Habitat Conservation Fund, and SLT securing funds from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and The San Francisco Foundation, to prevent future subdivision or intense, destructive harvesting on the property. 

As a result, the property will be protected from subdivision and development, and the old-growth redwoods will not be cut. In a region of the county where vineyard conversion and timber harvesting is threatening critical habitat and natural resources, the protection of these remarkable trees is monumental. Such activities would eliminate and degrade critical habitat for special-status species, reduce the carbon sequestration potential of the land, and remove forever these magnificent trees that can live to be 2,000 years old. The District’s conservation easement protects the property’s significant natural resources in perpetuity by limiting development and ensuring sustainable harvest practices that retain old-growth redwood trees and old-growth forest characteristics.

About the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District

The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District 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 111,000 acres of land throughout our region. These agricultural and open space lands are protected through a quarter-cent sales tax approved by voters in 1990 and reauthorized in 2006. For more information, please visit www.sonomaopenspace.org.

About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust believes land is the 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.

CONTACT:

Sean Dowdall
President, Landis PR
sean@landispr.com

Public invited to celebration & ribbon-cutting ceremony at site of Sears Point Wetland Restoration Project

SANTA ROSA, CALIF. ­— Sonoma Land Trust, the San Francisco Bay Trail and the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge invite the community to join in the grand opening of the new 2.5-mile extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail, part of Sonoma Land Trust’s Sears Point Wetland Restoration Project. The new segment of Bay Trail will open to the public Sunday, May 15, from 2—6pm; the entrance is located on Reclamation Road, south of the Highway 37/Lakeville Highway intersection. 

The celebration will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 2:30 with emcee Doug McConnell of NBC’s Open Road. Speakers will include U.S. Representative Mike Thompson’s district representative for Sonoma County Stephen Gale, Sonoma County Supervisor David Rabbitt, and representatives of Sonoma Land Trust, San Francisco Bay Trail, San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge and Nancy Wiseman of the Dickson Family, former owners of the ranch. Following the ribbon-cutting, the trail will be opened to the public and will remain open daily. McConnell will lead the first official hike down the trail. 

“We are overjoyed to be sharing this long-planned trail with the community and to also be turning this property over to the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge to manage for the future,” says Dave Koehler, Sonoma Land Trust executive director. “This is the best access point to the bay in Sonoma County and people are really going to enjoy walking along here and watching the new tidal marsh evolve.”

History of this Bay Trail segment

This new section of Bay Trail flanks the tidal wetlands at Sears Point, the focus of a marsh restoration project 10 years in the making. Last fall, Sonoma Land Trust breached the levee at Sears Point to allow the tides to return to 1,000 acres of land that were diked in the late 1800s. The new section of Bay Trail, part of a planned 500-mile path around the entire San Francisco Bay, will allow visitors to be steadfast witnesses to the growing marsh. The new trail will also link to the older 1.5-mile Bay Trail at Sonoma Baylands, which starts at Port Sonoma, creating up to a four-mile experience each way. 

“This new 2.5 mile segment of Bay Trail represents the best in collaboration and highlights the myriad benefits that can accrue from wetland restoration,” says Laura Thompson, San Francisco Bay Trail Project Manager. “Between the Sonoma Land Trust and its many partners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and ABAG’s San Francisco Bay Trail Project, the public at large will be able to access yet another spectacular piece of the Bay shoreline.”

Launching new docent program

On May 15, docents and bird experts from the three organizations will be on hand to provide information to guests. The following Saturday, Sonoma Land Trust will launch a new Sears Point docent program. Every Saturday from 9am–noon, docents will be available to talk with visitors about the restoration project, tidal marsh ecology and wildlife found in the area. Introductory interpretive talks will occur each hour at 9am, 10am and 11am. Bird walks will begin at 9:15am, and will be followed by informal bird viewing and interpretation. The May 15 event is open to the public and free of charge; attendees are asked to register online at sonomalandtrust.org. Straus Family Creamery is donating organic ice cream for attendees to enjoy throughout the afternoon while supplies last. Please, no dogs, bicycles or kayaks on this day. 

“The addition of this restored land and public trail to the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a testament to the vision of our partners at Sonoma Land Trust and the San Francisco Bay Trail,” says Anne Morkill, manager of the San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge Complex for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “This extension of the Bay Trail on Refuge land will offer Bay Area residents exciting opportunities to experience wildlife and wild places for generations to come.”

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.