Press Coverage
Sonoma County's Cedars a rare geologic wonder
San Francisco Chronicle by Peter Fimrite
At an old mining camp in the mountains above Cazadero in Sonoma County is a Mars-like panorama of steep crumbling red slopes, bizarre mineralized formations and green serpentine rock.The 11-square-mile area, called the Cedars, is a mysterious land of one-of-a-kind geological phenomena next to the Austin Creek State Recreation Area and Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve that almost nobody in the Bay Area knows anything about. Go to story
Burrowing owls enjoy new home
Sonomanews.com
A pair of burrowing owls are happily making their winter home in a new habitat built in the Baylands by Sears Point by a couple dozen volunteers last weekend. The project, hosted by SonomaBirding.com, the Burrowing Owl Conservation Network and Sonoma Land Trust, built four artifical habitats for the burrowing owl. Go to Story
Obama administration expedites Sears Point restoration
Press Democrat, posted by Suzie Rodriguez
Earlier this month the Obama administration announced that it had selected 14 high-priority infrastructure projects around the nation for expedited permitting and environmental review. One of those 14 selections includes the Sears Point Restoration project. It will be expedited as much as one year, and will create a significant number of local jobs. Go to Story
Raptors fill the Jenner Headlands
Press Democrat, posted by Mary Callahan
Bird-lovers documenting raptors passing over the Jenner Headlands have established the coastal route as a key migratory flyway, reaffirming the area’s importance as a natural preserve. That was the word Thursday from the Sonoma Coast, where conservationists are conducting a fall migration count for the second consecutive year and are coming up delighted. Go to Story
Welcoming the burrowing owl
Sonoma I T, by Emily charrier-Botts
Burrowing owls are a mystery in the Sonoma Valley. While the creatures have a long history in the area, for some reason they ceased breeding in the Valley 25 years ago. Go to Story
Inside Sonoma Land Trust’s purchase of Stuart Run Creek
Press Democrat, posted by Suzie Rodriguez
The Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 25,000 acres of Sonoma County land over the years, including the 5,630-acre Jenner Preserve and the 2,327-acre Sears Point Baylands. But sometimes good things come in small packages. That’s the case with Stuart Creek Run, a tiny but pivotal 3.53-acre Glen Ellen parcel the group purchased this summer. “It’s just a little 3.5 acres, but it has the potential to accomplish so many wonderful things,” says Wendy Eliot, the non-profit’s conservation director. Go to story
Landing a home for steelhead
SonomaNews.com, story by David Bolling
The Sonoma Land Trust has big plans for a small property it has just acquired near the intersection of Highway 12 and Arnold Drive in Glen Ellen. The 3.53-acre property, called "Stuart Creek Run," includes a one-third mile stretch of Stuart Creek, that supports a stable run of federally threatened steelhead trout. Go to story
Helping burrowing owls survive on SLT's Sears Point Ranch
Press Democrat, posted by Suzie Rodriguez
Until a few decades ago, California’s Burrowing Owl had a thriving population. But these days the Burrowing Owl is in trouble, its population severely decreased by loss of habitat and other threats. It’s currently on the “species of concern” list, the last stage before being considered an endangered species. [July 28, 2011] Go to story
Introducing the Parks Alliance
A Sonoma Spotlight report from KRCB Radio
Ralph Benson of the Sonoma Land Trust and Lauren Dixon of the Parks Alliance discuss the formation of the new Parks Alliance and how it will work to keep State Parks open and maintained in Sonoma County. [July 18, 2011]
A peek at Sonoma County's wild coast
The Press Democrat, story by Andrea Granahan
Sonoma County residents have several chances over the next few months to explore the 5,630-acre preserve that has been added to public lands along the wild coast. With nothing between the Jenner Headlands and Japan but wind and ocean, it provides unparalleled views, from the pupping harbor seals at the mouth of the Russian River all the way south to Point Reyes.
{May 14, 2011] Go to story
Owners protect two scenic Sonoma County properties
The Press Democrat, story by Brett Wilkison
Two pieces of private property, one large and one small, were added to the rolls of protected lands in Sonoma County this week.
Separately, the property owners donated most of their development rights, in the form of conservation easements, to the Sonoma Land Trust, the Santa Rosa-based nonprofit.
Neither easement permits public use of the property.
One is a 420-acre mountain-top spread on the eastern rim of Sonoma Valley. The other is a six-acre wetland parcel between Graton and Forestville off Highway 116.
{May 13, 2011] Go to story
Wildflowers and water at Sears Point
The Press Democrat, story by Trailhead
If you were to start hiking on the north side of Sonoma Mountain in Santa Rosa and keep heading south, you would eventually hit San Pablo Bay. It would take awhile and you would have to go through a patchwork of public and private lands, but that’s an impressive greenway across a swatch of Sonoma County.
{April 20, 2011] Go to story
Sonoma Land Trust manager fosters quality outdoor experience for today, and the future
The Press Democrat, story by Brett Wilkison
Tony Nelson is the jack-of-all-trades manager overseeing thousands of acres of protected land in Sonoma County.
{April 17, 2011] Go to story
Sonoma Land Trust gets 572-acre gift
The Press Democrat, story by Brett Wilkison
Marie Rogers was a tough, independent woman who never married, wore plaid shirts, worked with a chain saw and didn't much care if the two dozen cattle she kept on her sprawling ranch in Knights Valley ever went to market.
{February 10, 2011] Go to story
Neal Fishman Joins Sonoma Land Trust Board
PetalumaPatch, story by Elisabeth Ptak
Petaluma resident Neal Fishman, who recently retired as chief deputy executive officer of the California State Coastal Conservancy, has joined the board of directors of the Sonoma Land Trust.
{February 1, 2011] Go to story
Bird-watcher's paradise
The Press Democrat, story by Bob Norberg
Hawks, eagles and other birds of prey ride the thermals that stir the air at the Jenner headlands in numbers that bird lovers never imagined.
[November 27, 2010] Go to story
Jenner Headlands deal celebrated
The Press Democrat, story by Lori A. Carter
Framed by a backdrop of rugged coastline, rolling hills, rushing river and stately redwoods, nature lovers on Saturday celebrated the single largest conservation land acquisition in Sonoma County.
[ April 24, 2010 ] Go to story
Online environmentalism
The Press Democrat, story by Brett Wilkison
From now on, going green may be as simple as going online. Just in time for Earth Day, the Sierra Club has rolled out an iPhone app it calls “Eco Hero.” With it, users can make Earth-friendly pledges like biking to work, bringing reusable bags to the supermarket or writing a letter to their congressmen.
[ April 17, 2010 ] Go to story
Deal completed to preserve Sonoma coast, forest
San Francisco Chronicle, story by Peter Fimrite
Sonoma County conservation group completed the long-sought purchase of 5,630 acres of coastal grasslands and redwood forest Thursday, permanently opening to the public a stunning landscape teeming with wildlife.
[ December 18, 2009 ] Go to story
Jenner Headlands deal completed
Press Democrat, story by Bleys Rose
A consortium of public agencies and private land conservation groups has completed a $36 million purchase of the Jenner Headlands, a sprawling 5,630-acre ranch at the mouth of the Russian River. Escrow on the complex transaction closed Thursday.
[ December 18, 2009 ] Go to story
ABC 7 News At 9 On KOFY
[ December 17, 2009 ] View media file
Jenner Headlands Acquisition
Press Democrat Blog: Tim Smith, California Commons
It’s wonderful to learn that the Sonoma Land Trust closed escrow today on the 5,630 acres purchase, the largest single conservation land transaction in Sonoma County history. In addition to the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District funding which is derived from voter-approved sales tax revenue, many other organizations helped Sonoma Land Trust secure the millions needed to permanently protect the Jenner Headlands. Considering the economic crisis we are in and only slowly working ourselves out from under, completing this complex deal now is particularly impressive.
[ December 17, 2009 ] Go to story
North Bay Biz takes a look at land and growth
North Bay Biz, story by Bonnie Durrance
Through interviews with land trusts, open space districts and agricultural preserves, NorthBay biz takes a look at land, brand and growth in the North Bay. A disaster preparedness notice once published in the coastal town of Bolinas states that, if you can actually see a tsunami coming, it’s “too late.” Some say there’s a population tsunami on its way to the North Bay. Others say they’ve already seen it.
[ December, 2009 ] Go to story
Jean Schulz contributes $2 million to Sonoma Land Trust
The Press Democrat, story by Bleys Rose
Sonoma Land Trust, a non-profit preservation group, is launching a $18 million fund-raising drive to take advantage of the downturn in land prices. The drive is already off to a healthy start with a $6 million contribution from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the world’s largest donor to environmental conservation causes. Land Trust executive director Ralph Benson said Thursday that, as a private non-profit, his organization is poised to react more quickly than public agencies when property becomes available during the depressed real estate market.
[ September 17, 2009 ] Go to story
Sonoma Land Trust kicks off drive to raise $18 million
The Press Democrat, story by Bleys Rose
Sonoma Land Trust, a non-profit preservation group, is launching a $18 million fund-raising drive to take advantage of the downturn in land prices. The drive is already off to a healthy start with a $6 million contribution from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the world’s largest donor to environmental conservation causes. Land Trust executive director Ralph Benson said Thursday that, as a private non-profit, his organization is poised to react more quickly than public agencies when property becomes available during the depressed real estate market.
[ August 28, 2009 ] Go to story
Sonoma County's hidden treasure: Estero Americano
The Press Democrat, story by Robert Digitale
Two decades ago Tom Yarish set out to visit a hidden and largely untouched estuary on the Sonoma-Marin border, a tidewater downstream of what was to be a vast wastewater storage and irrigation system proposed by the city of Santa Rosa. An environmentalist and lifelong Marin County resident, Yarish had never heard of the Estero Americano. But he was stunned when he first looked on its beauty and the abundance of life there.
[ April 4, 2009 ] Go to story
Open Space miracle
Sonoma Index Tribune, story by David Bolling
For generations the top of Sonoma Mountain was in private hands, off-limits to anyone without special entré. Now, thanks to eleventh-hour action by an alert real-estate broker and three land-preservation agencies, the crown jewel of Sonoma Mountain, the very summit, is in public hands. Linked by trail to more than 5,000 acres of adjoining open space, the 283-acre Sonoma Mountain Ranch becomes the key link in a chain of properties stretching across the county's iconic land mass. In time it will be possible to hike from Jack London State Park or the Sonoma Development Center all the way to the top of the mountain. For those who make the trip it will be a spectacular experience.
[ January 5, 2009 ] Go to story
Atop Sonoma Mountain You can see forever …
Sonoma Index Tribune, story by David Bolling
The Dec. 9 announcement of the purchase agreement for Sonoma Mountain Ranch could hardly contain an adequate description of what that money bought. Purchased through a partnership between the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, the Sonoma Land Trust and the Coastal Conservancy, the property provides a vital link in a 5,500-acre chain of open space that finally captures the summit of Sonoma County's namesake mountain.
[ January 5, 2009 ] Go to story
Groups work to bring Sonoma Ranch to public
San Francisco Chronicle, story by Peter Fimrite
A $9.9 million deal to buy the stunning Sonoma Ranch, perched 2,463 feet atop Sonoma Mountain, and open it up to the public will be completed by the end of the year, conservation officials said Thursday.
[ December 12, 2008 ] Go to story
$10 million view from peak
SONOMA MOUNTAIN Supervisors OK 283-acre purchase through Open Space District, Sonoma Land Trust
Press Democrat, story by Bleys Rose
The summit of Sonoma Mountain, the county's 2,463-foot-high landmark vista, will be purchased by the county's Open Space District under a $10 million deal approved Tuesday by Sonoma County supervisors.
[ December 10, 2008 ] Go to story
5,630-acre Jenner Headlands saved for public
San Francisco Chronicle, story by Jane Kay
Over the decades, visitors to the Sonoma Coast could only dream of hiking on Rule Ranch in the hills above Jenner, where cowboys still round up cattle on horseback. By early spring, about 5,630 acres near the mouth of the Russian River could be open to the public, revealing redwood forests, wildflower meadows and flowing streams, home to rare birds and frogs.
[ December 4, 2008 ] Go to story
Sonoma Co. property stays unspoiled
KGO TV, story by Wayne Freedman
In Sonoma County, people are celebrating a decision to keep a stretch of California coastline as it has always been. On Thursday, the Sonoma land trust announced an agreement to purchase 5,600 acres in the watershed above Jenner.
[ October 10, 2008 ] Go to story
$36 million deal will preserve Jenner land
Six agencies buying 5,630-acre coastal headlands property in record conservation purchase
The Jenner Headlands, a stunning swath of undulating coastal prairie and inland forest that almost soars off the sands of Sonoma Coast State Beach, is being bought for $36 million, the largest conservation acquisition in Sonoma County history…
[ October 10, 2008 ] Go to article
Trust gets $1 million to restore habitat
Press Democrat, story by Bleys Rose
A $1 million wetlands conservation grant from the federal government will fund wildlife habitat restoration projects at Sears Point and the new Tolay Lake Regional Park. Sonoma Land Trust's Sears Point project, a 2,327-acre project that ranks as one...
[ March 18, 2008 ] Go to article
Huge open space deal
Press Democrat, story by Bleys Rose
A huge, $13 million open space purchase in southern Sonoma County doubles the size of the Tolay Lake Ranch park property and adds significantly to a 20,000-acre swath of publicly preserved grasslands and woods, marshes and meadows stretching from...
[ November 7, 2007 ] Go to article
Pitkin Marsh to be preserved, restored
Press Democrat, story by Bleys Rose
Saving Pitkin Marsh, a 27-acre site on busy Highway 116 where some of Sonoma Countys rarest plants thrive, will cost almost $1¬million under a financial deal approved Tuesday by Sonoma County supervisors. Supervisors approved contributing $400,000... [ August 15, 2007 ] Go to article
Saving Land Will Pay Off in Future
An in-depth Santa Rosa Press Democrat interview with Sonoma Land Trust Executive Director Ralph Benson explores the Land Trust's approach to preserving the extraordinary landscapes of Sonoma County.
[ March 27, 2006 ] Go to article
Land Trust Gets Historic Santa Rosa Home
Local philanthropist Daphne Smith has donated Santa Rosa's historical Bolton House at 966 Sonoma Avenue to the Sonoma Land Trust as its permanent office. This beautiful Queen Anne was ranked third on the City of Santa Rosa's 1989 list of 20 stand-alone landmarks.
[ March 13, 2006 ] Go to article
