Spring 2006 Sonoma Land Trust Newsletter

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Spring into Summer newsletter Jenner Headlands protection negotiations are underway
There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar

Aliens among us
Sonoma County spring
landscapes are green with the sweet promise of native wildflowers, but beware: there are invaders in our midst—lots of them, from all over the world. Star thistle, pepperweed, and pampas grass, to name but a few. Unchallenged, these non-native plant species push out native plants and animals, threaten our streams and fish, and stoke wildfires. Now, with the help of a grant from the California Coastal Conservancy, Sonoma Land Trust’s stewardship team, led by Bob Neale, is developing an Invasive Plant Control Program to identify and control these noxious pests on our lands. In 2006, teams of staff and volunteers will comb each of our properties using new GPS units (thank you, FWS and NFWF) equipped with Weed Inventory Management Systems (WIMS) software to locate and describe the location and distribution of leafy invaders. Back in the office, our computer mapping department (read Georgiana Hale) will use the data to produce maps of the infestations. Then we can develop individual, multi-year invasive control plans for each of our properties, focusing first on our anchor preserves at Sonoma Baylands/Sears Point, Little Black Mountain, Glen Oaks and the Estero Americano. Regular monitoring and mapping will help us track our success and change treatment methods if necessary. see page 2

Opportunities drive land conservation, and a big one has presented itself.
The Jenner Headlands—more than 5,600 acres just north of the Russian River above the town of Jenner—may be one of the most photographed parts of the California Coast. The property—most of which is historically known as the Rule Ranch—is owned by a set of business partnerships and has been held for development and timber management. The property could be fragmented into 42 parcels, but the owners decided to explore a conservation alternative, and Sonoma Land Trust, with the full blessing of the Open Space District, has taken the lead in negotiating a transaction. This is very much a work in progress with studies and analyses and appraisals of the complex property all underway; but the sheer beauty of the place, its resources and its setting on the coast all say, “Seize the opportunity and protect it now, forever.” Acquisitions Director Amy Chesnut describes the land as one third coastal prairie and two thirds mixed redwood and Douglas fir forest and oak woodlands. There are several important creeks and watersheds on the property, including Jenner Gulch, the domestic water supply for the town of Jenner and the headwaters of Sheephouse Creek in which several thousand Coho salmon were recently released as a part of the California Department of Fish and Game’s Coho reintroduction program. Other species of special concern in the see page 4

Photo © 2005 Stephen Joseph

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Who we are
Board of Directors
Pete Mattson, Chair; Robert Brent, Hall Cushman, Mary Hafner, Mark Jacobsen, Johanna Patri, Harry Richardson, Lew Reid, Caryn Sachs, David Smith, Kathy Tierney, Denny Van Ness Carol Williams

A note from the executive director

Putting fuel in the tank
It is all but certain that the Board of Supervisors will place the reauthorization of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District on the November, 2006 ballot. Nothing is more important to the Land Trust’s mission than continued funding for the District. With a funded District, Sonoma County will remain a national leader in the protection of local agricultural land; our communities can maintain their geographically distinctive character; watersheds will be protected; trails and greenspaces will be connected; and beauty will flourish and nurture generations to come. Without a funded District we start losing ground quickly. Picture Santa Clara Valley. On a parallel track, we need to replenish State funds for land protection. Major projects like our Baylands purchases and the Jenner Headlands project featured in this newsletter require the participation of State agencies along with the local Open Space District. The big projects are all
Aliens among us from Page 1
Volunteers will be key, helping inventory and monitor properties and providing muscle for pulling weeds like French broom, ice plant, and various foreign thistles. If you have time and muscle to be part of this effort, contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Shanti Wright, at 707 526-6930 extension 100. Stewardship director Bob Neale acknowledges the Marin-Sonoma Weed Management Agency, the Nature Conservancy, the California Invasive Plant Council, the National Park Service, and all the others sharing their experience and success with us. Working together we can protect and restore our native habitat so future generations enjoy the annual wildflowers we love now. partnerships. An initiative has qualified for the November ballot to fund clean water and land protection throughout California, and the Land Trust will work to promote that measure as well. Of necessity, this will be a rather political year for the Land Trust. The Land Trust is never involved in the campaigns of candidates for political office; but we are permitted and need to be involved with measures that directly affect our ability to carry out our mission of protecting forever the scenic, natural, agricultural and open landscapes of Sonoma County. I’m hoping our members, who know the value of land conservation in Sonoma County, will be leading the charge in support of these necessary measures among friends, family, coworkers and neighbors. The conservation we can accomplish with a reauthorized District and replenished State funds will be something to behold. For generations.

Staff
Executive Director: Ralph Benson Projects & Stewardship Team
Land Steward: Nathan Boone Baylands Project Manager: John Brosnan Acquisitions Director: Amy Chesnut Conservation Director: Wendy Eliot Project Associate: Georgiana Hale Stewardship Director: Bob Neale

Finance & Administration Team
Finance & Administration Director: Lois Downy Administrative Assistant: Shanti Wright

Development Team
Development Director: Mike Hayes Communications & Donor Relations Director: Reta Lockert Membership & Development Manager: Stacey Waltenspiel

Things we do
Develop long term land protection strategies Promote private and public funding for land conservation Acquire land and conservation easements Manage and restore conservation properties Promote a sense of place and a land ethic through activities, education and outreach For information contact:

SONOMA LAND TRUST (707) 526-6930
e-mail: [email protected] www.sonomalandtrust.org

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Spring 2006 • Volume 31, No. 1

Harry Richardson joins the Board
“We’re long term
supporters of Sonoma Land Trust and the practical preservation of open space. Sonoma County has been a wonderful home for us, and we hope to help maintain its uniqueness and beauty for future generations,” explains the newest member of Sonoma Land Trust’s Board of Directors. Harry Richardson grew up in Kentucky, went to college in North Carolina and medical school in New York City, then spent a year in Viet Nam as an Army flight surgeon. After finishing his medical training in San Francisco, he and his wife Dee chose Santa Rosa as a place to raise their family and practice medicine. After 30 years of cancer treatment practice, 3 years ago he retired from active practice but continues to serve as Medical Director of Blood Bank of the Redwoods and on the boards of two medical liability insurance companies. Dr. Richardson also serves on the Community Foundation Sonoma County board. “My wife and I are preservationists at heart,” affirms Harry Richardson. Dee Richardson has been deeply involved in revitalizing the Railroad Square area, where they own Whistle Stop Antiques. “We have trouble throwing anything away that might be used again in the future,” he smiles. In tallying favorite ways to spend free time, he says, “I’m slowly hiking the Pacific Crest Trail northwards with a friend and our son. Another friend and I are restoring a 1929 wooden motor launch berthed in Petaluma. We have a lakeside cabin in Maine where I’m up to my ears in classic—read polluting—outboard motors and more wooden boats and canoes, all of which take constant work and never seem to be finished.” Now to his list of tasks that take constant work and never seem to be finished, Harry Richardson adds helping Sonoma Land Trust in our work to protect the land forever.

A planned gift as an investment in the future of Sonoma County
“I’m an investor,” said a member
of Sonoma Land Trust’s Legacy League at an April gathering, “and I can’t think of any better investment than the work Ralph and his bunch are doing.” If you’d like to make a long-term investment in the protection of Sonoma County’s wild and beautiful open lands, you can become a Legacy League member too. You accomplish that by including Sonoma Land Trust in your estate plan, using any of a number of mechanisms. The simplest is a bequest via will or trust. Among the most popular forms of bequests are A fixed amount of money or a designated property: “I give to Sonoma Land Trust, a nonprofit organization with Tax Identification Number 51-0197006, located in Santa Rose, California, $_________ (or describe the real or personal property, including exact location.) A percentage of the estate: “I give to Sonoma Land Trust, a nonprofit organization with Tax Identification Number 51-0197006, located in Santa Rosa, California, ________% of my estate.” A residual bequest: “I give all the residue of my estate, including real and personal property, to Sonoma Land Trust, a nonprofit organization with Tax Identification Number 51-0197006, located in Santa Rosa, California.” For more information, you or your attorney can call Reta Lockert at (707) 526-6930 ext. 105 or email [email protected].

Green light for EQIP program on two Sonoma Land Trust anchor preserves
Sonoma Land Trust uses the term
anchor preserves to identify properties we own and manage and which give us a visible presence in the region of Sonoma County in which the land is located. We consider the preserves a foundation for ongoing land protection efforts for the Trust and a wide spectrum of partners. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) recently approved Sonoma Land Trust’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program for both our Estero Americano Preserve and the Sears Point Restoration Project. On both these properties, the NRCS will provide technical assistance as well as cost-share funding to develop off-stream water storage and distribution and to build wildlife-friendly livestock fencing to boost native plant populations and protect streams and wetlands. When managed properly, cattle and sheep promote healthy plant populations, reduce wildfire risk, and promote our local economy.

TO PROTECT THE LAND FOREVER

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The sign of a great volunteer
Land Trust volunteers provide an
amazing spectrum of expertise and service, and Julie English is our case in point. Julie, whose day job is at the National Parks Service Sign Shop in GGNRA on the Marin Headlands, has become the Sonoma Land Trust fullservice signage counselor. Julie first connected with SLT at a native plant event at Luther Burbank Center. She began coming on member hikes, we found out she knew about signs and realized she could be a great resource as we considered signage for Trust-protected lands. A chat at last year’s volunteer appreciation party with Conservation Director Wendy Eliot led to Julie’s being drafted by the land projects team to help with signs at the Sonoma Baylands. Having access to someone with so much practical experience with outdoor signs is a big help to the Land Trust; Julie’s background with National Parks makes her the perfect person to answer questions and make recommendations. Her love for hiking (screen name: juleslafoot) made Julie sign up as a property monitor for Sonoma Land Trust and also as a volunteer patrol ranger at Beltane Ranch for the Open Space District. She participated in this spring’s trail maintenance workday at Glen Oaks Ranch, and just before had refinished the routed wooden entrance sign at the gate. Fortunately she lives right around the corner from Bolton House, and we get way more than a cup of sugar from this neighbor.

Plant watch at White Rock
Clint Kellner, a Novato resident and professional botanist, reported after our
hike to our anchor preserve above Alexander Valley on March 19, “The white flowered buttercup growing as an aquatic plant in the second vernal pool above the trail is Lobb’s aquatic buttercup (Ranunculus lobbii) a California Native Plant Society list 4 plant. It is on the CNPS watch list, which means that it is very uncommon but not rare enough to be listed. In any event, uncommon plants should be protected, if possible.” We’re proud to do our part.

A use for the tools you no longer need
Jim McConnell, head of the fix-it team he christened the Go-to Gang, says his
bunch needs hand or power tools to keep our anchor preserves in good shape. He wants you to think about donating or willing yours to the Land Trust. From wire cutters to a table saw, Jim says his gang will put them to good use, and he pledges to come to your shop to sort through the contents. Call Bob Neale, Stewardship Director, to set up a Go-to rendezvous. Bob is at (707) 526-6930 extension 102.

Jenner Headlands protection from page 1
area include Northern Spotted Owl, Red Tree Vole, Bank Swallow and Steelhead Trout. The property, on the north side of the Russian River, is a perfect complement to the recently acquired Willow Creek watershed on the south side of the River, now a part of Sonoma Coast State Beach. Both are large, scenic, forested, coastal treasures with wonderful recreational potential. The project is not unlike our recent major acquisitions at the Sonoma Baylands. Sonoma Land Trust’s role is to recognize and seize the opportunity, develop good partner relationships, structure a transaction and marshal the funds needed from local, State, federal and philanthropic sources. And then to see that there is a long term strategy in place for the stewardship of the property. We started working on this project last year and will be working on it into 2007. The Press-Democrat stated in an editorial, “The Jenner Headlands have it all—oceanfront location, coastal hills, watersheds, redwood forests, spectacular views and more.” Executive Director Ralph Benson added, “What a magnificent addition this land would make to our network of protected, publicly accessible places.”

One huge present from back page
ongoing groups that meet to think about the land and innovative conservation. People like coming to Bolton House. It has a great central location at the corner of Brookwood and Sonoma Avenue. And thanks to Daphne, it sparkles like a jewel.” An ace birder and a stalwart volunteer for a number of Sonoma County organizations, Daphne is among the rare community leaders whose actions speak far louder than their words. We are ceaselessly grateful for her commitment to this place and her generosity to the Trust.

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Spring 2006 • Volume 31, No. 1

The one who makes it all work
Land Trust staffers begin meetings
each Wednesday morning with appreciations, and the praises of Shanti Wright predictably outnumber all the rest. Shanti began as Administrative Assistant in 2004, arriving at Bolton House with her resume at the perfect time. Ralph Benson answered the door and affirmed thoughtfully, “She has a nice presence,” as he passed on the information. Recently promoted to Office Manager and taking the initiative to become Volunteer Coordinator, Shanti dazzles the SLT crew with her commitment and skill-building. Her warm welcomes are often the first contact a caller or visitor to the Land Trust has, but her firmness and tenacity in unsnarling vendors’ billing errors serve us equally well. She’s key to the working of every SLT team, the one who makes sure gutters are repaired, meeting packets are organized, signs tell the story, and the PowerPoint presentation is ready for the road. She constantly takes classes, whether in management for native plants or becoming a more powerful user of specialized computer programs. Shanti grew up in Mendocino County and graduated from Sonoma State in Environmental Studies. Before coming to Sonoma Land Trust she lived and worked in Hawaii, where her experience ranged from work as a nanny to public relations and event coordination. Always a devotee of the natural world, Shanti is an avid hiker and has for years attended the Women’s Herbal Symposium. A master baker, Shanti sweetens all our days in innumerable ways.

Monitoring class of 2006
Thanks to the staff and volunteers who took part in the April training at Glen Oaks Ranch $1.1 million more for trail and restoration prep down by the Bay
In April the California State Coastal Conservancy approved a million dollars to
help SLT plan wetland restoration and trail location as part of the 2,327-acre Sears Point Restoration Project at Sonoma Baylands. In addition, the San Francisco Bay Trail Project Steering Committee awarded us a grant of $100,000 to investigate a network of public trails on the Sears Point site. And this summer we’ll be cutting the ribbon on the first 1.5-mile stretch of the Bay Trail we’re finishing on the west side of Restoration Road. It will ultimately be connected to the trails on the Sears Point (east side) part of the property. It’s the money that makes it all happen!

Honoring some who loved the land
In the last few months, friends of the Sonoma Land Trust have made gifts toward the Trust’s work to honor the memories of loved ones who have crossed on over.
Remembering Fred Beeman: Mary Mueller Remembering Libby Calcagno: Laura Graham Remembering Jim Farnkopf: Mike Ardito, Denise Chassot, Debbie Ching & Jack Lee, Bruce Fong & Virginia Lim, Robert Hilton, Peter Jacobsen, Steven Lee & Alyson Geller, Robert & Nancy Praetzel Remembering Elenor Gonzales: Laura Graham Remembering Teresa Johnson: Claire Stewart Remembering Michael Paul Letourneau: Pam Letourneau Remembering Sylvia Olcott: Beth Hadley Remembering Virginia Rollow: Helen O’Mara & Duane Larson Remembering Eugene Russell: Thomas Higley

TO PROTECT THE LAND FOREVER

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P a r t n e r s Technology for Community in Plenty of pats on the back came from digital camera bundle, a stipend of 360 degrees when we learned in April set up a Conservation that Sonoma Land Trust won one of $1,000, and training to package new wireless network. The will
These businesses show their commitment to Sonoma County and contribute each year to Sonoma Land Trust
Advent Office Furniture Alexander Valley Vineyards American AgCredit Amy’s Kitchen Inc. Bank of Petaluma Carlile Macy Codding Foundation Estate Wines Ltd. Exchange Bank Michael Friedenberg, Frank Howard Allen Realtors Hafner Vineyard Hanford ARC HMS Travel Hohum Conco Julie Atwood Event Design Kurt West Design Services Laurel Glen Vineyard Leff Construction Oliver’s Market Ray Carlson & Associates, Inc. Redwood Credit Union Redwood Hill Farm Sebastopol Hardware Center Sonoma National Bank Strozzi Ranch T & Design Weeks Drilling and Pump Westamerica Bank Wetlands and Water Resources Wright Contracting, Inc. Partners in bold have contributed $1,000 or more in a year 100 H-P Technology for Community grants awarded in 2006. In the notification, H-P wrote, “This was a very competitive grant process with over 2,000 applications, so being selected is in itself a sign of success. We are very excited to have the opportunity to partner with you and your organization as you implement your project and develop your organization’s technology skills for the benefit of your clients.” Of course, our “clients” include a number of feathered, finned and furred creatures who are pretty oblivious to the development of our technology skills. As winners of this grant, we will receive 5 notebook PC’s, 1 tablet PC, 1 iPAQ pocket PC, 1 wireless-ready allin-one printer/scanner/fax/copier, 1 digital projector and wireless remote control, a wireless access point, a

make us much more effective in getting information back and forth from field to office, enabling us to type up and download field notes and photos on the spot. Besides letting Land Steward Nathan Boone—who doesn’t have DSL where he lives at Glen Oaks Ranch, much less in the field, where he spends most of his workweek—get his files neatly backed up to the server with the wireless setup, we’ll be able to make offsite presentations, pull GIS data and generally be able to get the information we need when we’re on the road. Kudos to CFO Lois Downy, Development Director Mike Hayes, and Project Associate Georgiana Hale who put their heads together, analyzed our needs and made our application rise to the top of thousands from all over the US and Puerto Rico.

In Celebration
Since the publication of our last
newsletter, Land Trust friends have made gifts to honor these happy events and exceptional people. J.H. Cushman, Jr. by J. Hall & Marion Cushman Madelyn & Joseph Gough by Cinda Mast-Gough & Michael Gough Dick Hafner’s birthday by Nelson & Jane Weller Mary & Dick Hafner by Laurie Williams Rose Knight by Nan Thomas Paul Leach by Suzanne Cartier Peter & Patty Mattson by Theresa Caygill Daphne Smith’s birthday by Betty Burridge Ernie Smith by Betty Burridge Bill & Mary Weinhold’s 44th wedding anniversary by Sylvia Bray & Bernardo Larque

Cow Patty Paddle
Braving wind, tides and mud, dozens
of sturdy paddlers raced from Valley Ford to the Estero Americano in early February during the Cow Patty Paddle. To our delight, the sponsors made Sonoma Land Trust the 2006 beneficiary of the annual fundraiser. Thank you very much to Patrick Campbell, the Bay Area Sea Kayakers, Sequoia Paddle Club, Wavechaser, Petaluma Paddlers, Benicia Surfski and Outrigger Clubs and all their members and racers who donated time, energy, and entrance fees.

line drawing by Mary Studer

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Spring 2006 • Volume 31, No. 1

Nonprofit Organization PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Permit #751 Santa Rosa 966 SONOMA AVE • SANTA ROSA, CA 95404

Return service requested
Mission statement: The land provides the very foundation of our community. It is vital that we protect and conserve the land and the natural world for future generations. Our mission is to provide permanent protection of Sonoma County land, its natural beauty and its biotic resources, offering stewardship, education, and guidance for the preservation and enhancement of agricultural, natural, scenic, and open lands.

Save the date for our party

One huge birthday present
This year Sonoma Land Trust is 30 years old. We’re observing that anniversary
with a series of events, and another big reason for celebration is the magnificent gift by Daphne Smith of Bolton House, the Queen Anne building where Sonoma Land Trust has had our office since 2002. Bolton House, built more than a century ago and survivor of three major earthquakes, is a landmark building between Santa Rosa and Matanzas Creeks on Santa Rosa’s list of 20 stand-alone historic buildings. Designed by renowned Petaluma architect Brainerd Jones, the home’s exterior was meticulously repaired and restored during the last half of 2005 before Daphne made her gift. She had done extensive interior repairs and upgrading before we moved in four years ago, and leased us the building at a fraction of the market rate because she believes so strongly in the Land Trust mission. Executive Director Ralph Benson says, “We hope that Bolton House can become a real center for conservation in Sonoma County. We are hosting some see page 4

Celebrating three decades of SLT’s land-saving
Yes, we’re really 30 years into
the work of protecting Sonoma County landscapes! Toast the past and future decades of Sonoma Land Trust’s conservation success at Laufenburg Ranch in Knights Valley on September 30. Enjoy music, walks, stories and updates at this family-friendly anniversary bash on one of our most picturesque anchor preserves. Members will be receiving invitations in the mail this summer with all the specs.

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