News + Features

group of people hiking to the ocean

Grant floats dreams of Petaluma small boat dock

Eric Gneckow | Argus-Courier Staff | November 20, 2016 Plans to improve recreation and access along the Petaluma River took a step forward this month with a pledge of $100,000 toward construction of a new small-boat dock at Steamer Landing Park. The matching grant, by the Sonoma County Agricultural and …

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Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District Board Approves $3.4 Million for Urban Open Space Projects throughout County

Pledged funds to go toward open space, restoration & recreation within or near cities SANTA ROSA, CA (October 25, 2016) – The Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (District) today accepted District Staff funding recommendations for seven projects in and near urban centers in …

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Pole Mountain on Sonoma Coast set to open to public next year

Angela Hart | THE PRESS DEMOCRAT | September 13, 2016 Pole Mountain on Sonoma Coast set to open to public next year Come next year, the highest peak on Sonoma County’s coast will be open to hikers, offering the public a spectacular new outdoor destination with incomparable views, officials said …

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Sonoma County snares $8 million to fight drought, climate change

Sonoma County secured an $8 million federal grant to fund conservation projects and acquire land development rights that help combat the impacts of drought and climate change in the Russian River watershed, local and federal officials said Friday. The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program …

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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Invests $8 Million in Local Land Conservation

Local agencies to demonstrate visionary ‘Venture Conservation’ model, outcomes SANTA ROSA, CA (May 6, 2016) – A regional collaboration of local resource agencies will host a special reception and field tour for the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) Chief Jason Weller and USDA-NRCS State Conservationist …

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District Helps to Expand Sebastopol Skategarden Park

District will provide nearly $382,000 in grant funding for recreational improvements SANTA ROSA, CA (December 16, 2015) – Today the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (District) approved the staff’s recommendation to provide the City of Sebastopol (City) with $381,853 in grant funds …

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Public open space outside Santa Rosa grows with deal for Mark West Creek land

Generations of kids and other nature lovers will continue to enjoy outdoor experiences at a Mark West Creek ranch northeast of Santa Rosa under a new conservation deal that maintains public access to the property in perpetuity. More broadly, open space advocates say preservation of the 124-acre Rancho Mark West …

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700 Acres of Sonoma County to Be Returned to Native American Tribe

The crashing waves along the jagged Sonoma coastline near Stewart’s Point reverberated through the soul of Walter Antone. He heard the deep layers of years in each slap of wave against rock — the childhood he spent fishing along the cliffs with his father — and even father back when …

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Nearly 700 acres of Sonoma County coast protected under deal with landowners, Kashia Pomo

Mary Callahan | The Press Democrat | October 18, 2015 Sonoma County supervisors have signed off on the final piece of a complex deal that will transfer nearly 700 acres of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians’ ancestral lands near Stewarts Point back to the tribe in exchange for permission …

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Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District to Contribute $2.7 Million to Conserve 688-acre Kashia Property on Sonoma Coast

Easement will protect natural resources, limit development, preserve scenic vistas, and provide public access SANTA ROSA, CA (October 16, 2015) – The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (District) received approval Tuesday from its Board of Directors to spend up to $2.7 million to acquire a conservation easement …

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