Archives for “Latest News”

OFFICE CLOSED Monday July 26

The Ag + Open Space offices will be closed on Monday, July 26 due to a street closure that will block access to our parking lot and building. Our staff are working today and are available by phone or email. Our offices will reopen on Tuesday, July 27. We apologize …

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Adapting youth environmental education to the virtual world

Just a couple weeks after Sonoma County began to Shelter-in-Place, Ag + Open Space signed contracts with six outstanding local public outings and youth education providers – Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, LandPaths, Sonoma Ecology Center, Sonoma Land Trust, and the Sonoma and Gold Ridge Resource Conservation Districts. Without hesitation, …

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Saddle Mountain welcomes exciting wildflower bloom after wildfire

field of small white flowers

Our Saddle Mountain Open Space Preserve is home to an incredible variety of plants and wildlife, including the critically endangered Clara Hunt’s milkvetch – an itty-bitty purple and white flower. Those found on Saddle Mountain are one of only six small populations in the world, and all are found nearby …

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Stewarding our lands and expanding urban open space

At the heart of all we do are our protected lands, or properties we’ve protected with conservation easements. From public parks to private properties in every corner of the county, our easements ensure that our natural resources will continue to thrive so they can continue to enrich our communities and …

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Post-fire renewal on Saddle Mountain Open Space Preserve

An update from Monica Delmartini, Ag + Open Space Stewardship Specialist With spring officially just around the corner, we’re seeing some beautiful signs of post-fire renewal at our Saddle Mountain Open Space Preserve, which burned in the Glass Fire last September. The fire’s effects across the Preserve were patchy, with …

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On-the-ground updates from our Stewardship team

We thought it was well overdue to check in with our Stewardship staff, who work each day to care for our protected lands. From wildfire recovery to grazing, our Stewardship team has stayed busy the last several months. Wildfire recovery and adaptation For landowners who have experienced wildfires on their …

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Leveraging outside funds for local farms

Black spotted dairy cows grazing in a green field with blue skies overhead

We access state and federal funding sources to stretch our sales tax dollars. Most recently, we’ve garnered funds from the following sources: Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Through the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, we have brought in $11.5 million for agricultural conservation easements and conservation planning through the agency’s …

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A year in review: Highlights from 2020

As we reflect on the last year we find ourselves full of gratitude for our amazing Sonoma County community. Every day, we strive to thank you all through our work – protecting the natural and working lands of Sonoma County. As 2021 begins, we took some time to reflect on …

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Resilience lessons on our protected lands

After the 2017 Sonoma Complex Fires, Ag + Open Space led a study to evaluate how those wildfires impacted vegetation within burn zones. Since then, we’ve been honored to share the findings with local government agencies, land conservation organizations, and most recently in a California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) …

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Pryor Ranch and the impacts of the Walbridge Fire

As wildfire season winds down and we transition to winter, we are reflecting on what we can learn from this year’s fires as we continue our preparedness and resiliency work. As with all of the fires in the last few years, the Walbridge Fire impacted several properties protected by Ag …

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