In 1990, voters created the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District to preserve and protect the cherished ranches, farms, natural areas and open spaces that give our county its distinctive character.
Since then, the District has become a national model for land preservation. We have permanently protected 141 properties of nearly 70,000 acres of open space and agricultural land. Protected lands range from under an acre to thousands of acres, including ranches, farms, greenbelts, town greens and natural areas.
In July 2000, we adopted Acquisition Plan 2000, using a computerized mapping system to set priorities for protecting agricultural, greenbelt, natural resource, and recreational lands in Sonoma County. The plan ensured that land acquisitions were consistent with the voter-approved Expenditure Plan and the 1989 Sonoma County General Plan.
Connecting Communities and the Land
Since adoption of Acquisition Plan 2000, many priority lands were protected, new threats developed and new opportunities arose, and information and mapping systems continued to advance. In 2005, we began a process to update that plan. Between January 2005 and March 2006, we evaluated the successes and lessons learned from the previous plan and updated county maps with recent GIS data to help refine acquisition priorities, but most importantly we emphasized community participation. consulted local officials and community groups, and held regular meetings with community members around Sonoma County. Opportunities for the public to participate in the revision 2005 process included:
The many contributions we received through the process are reflected in our Long-Range Acquisition Plan, Connecting Communities and the Land.
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