Archives for “News Articles”
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Conservation work in progress
October 28, 2021
As you know, our mission is to permanently protect the diverse agricultural, natural resource, and scenic open space lands of Sonoma County for future generations. The act of “protecting” a piece of land is multi-faceted: it starts with careful planning, …
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Grazing in Healdsburg for wildfire resiliency and biodiversity
September 23, 2021
Have you gone for a hike at Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve recently? If so, you may havseen the sheep and goats working their way around the preserve to help create buffers between the preserve and the city of Healdsburg …
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Sonoma Magazine: Out and About with Misti Arias
September 17, 2021
A park expert’s fall favorites Originally published in September 2021 print issue of Sonoma Magazine Last May, Misti Arias, a 25-year veteran of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, was named the agency’s new general manager. Her …
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Adapting youth environmental education to the virtual world
May 27, 2021
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, …
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Saddle Mountain welcomes exciting wildflower bloom after wildfire
April 22, 2021
Saddle Mountain welcomes exciting wildflower bloom after wildfire 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 …
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Stewarding our lands and expanding urban open space
April 15, 2021
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 …
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Post-fire renewal on Saddle Mountain Open Space Preserve
March 24, 2021
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 …
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On-the-ground updates from our Stewardship team
February 24, 2021
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 …
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Leveraging outside funds for local farms
February 22, 2021
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 …
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Thinking (+ conserving) outside the box
February 22, 2021
Keeping agriculture thriving in Sonoma County has myriad benefits, including providing local food security, protecting groundwater basins, avoiding urban sprawl, retaining scenic beauty and the county’s rural character, and protecting biological diversity and wildlife habitat. Agriculture in our region is …