The people of Sonoma County are committed to protecting forever the working farms and ranches, scenic hillsides and natural areas that make our county a unique place to live. In 1990, county residents voted to create the Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District to preserve these lands, and that commitment was renewed in 2006. With funds generated from a voter-approved quarter-cent sales tax, the District has permanently preserved almost 75,000 acres of Sonoma County open space and agricultural land so far.
But most people don't live on farms and many are unable to get out to the protected lands of Sonoma County. If the District had never been created by the voters to protect our farmland and open space from development, would we really notice a difference?
