Archives for “Latest News”

Ag + Open Space awarded $90,000 grant from NASA

In March 2018, Ag + Open Space received a $90,000 grant from NASA as part of the Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science Program. This grant funded the capture of aerial imagery of areas burned in the 2017 Sonoma Complex Fires, as well as a post-fire assessment of …

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Tracking real-time rain data on Ag + Open Space lands

Given the increased risk of flash floods and debris flows resulting from last October’s wildfires, our partners at Sonoma County Water Agency sought the help of OneRain to implement an early flood warning system by more accurately tracking rainfall. Of the 22 rain and stream gages installed throughout the county, three …

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A Pleasant and Productive Day at the Dogbane Preserve!

Nearly 30 volunteers, including five young folks, joined us and our partners at LandPaths for a beautiful day of stewardship and cordage-making at the Dogbane Preserve located along Old Redwood Highway in Santa Rosa. With help from Tamara Wilder and Autumn Summers – naturalists, ancient living specialists, and all-around dogbane …

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District secures $1,750,000 for agricultural protection!

The District is thrilled to have received two grants from the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Program – a component of the Strategic Growth Council’s Affordable Housing & Sustainable Communities Program, which supports the State’s greenhouse gas emission goals by investing in the protection of agricultural lands. The SALC Program, …

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The General Plan to Vital Lands: Looking Back (and Forward) with Richard Retecki

Serendipity often intervenes at the most critical times in our lives. This was the case with Richard Retecki, a Vietnam veteran whose first “real” job began in 1972 when – out of work and on the verge of returning to his native Pennsylvania – he was hired to write detailed …

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