Tune in to The Bay Area’s TV50 Marketplace September 17 - October 12th highlighting your Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. See how the District and her partners are investing in our future by protecting and preserving our land, scenic vistas, natural resources, and rich agricultural heritage. How can we keep our family farms in Sonoma County in business, producing local healthy food ? How can we get kids out from in front of the TV and back into Nature ? Why is our beautiful Sonoma Coast free of development and our beaches accessible to the public unlike other parts of CA? How does protecting open space improve the quality of your drinking water ?
Learn more about what your District is doing in Sonoma County today for a greener tomorrow. Check out The Bay Area’s TV50 Marketplace starting September 17th and every Wednesday at 10:30 am, Saturday at 2:30pm and Sunday at 7:00pm through October 12th only on the Bay areas TV50, on Comcast digital channel 199 and Direct TV/Dish network Channel 50.
The County Board of Supervisors, acting as the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (District), today approved a management plan and joint operating agreement between the District and the City of Healdsburg that will open 152-acres of ridgetop open space northeast of Healdsburg to public use this fall.
“This is an exciting new partnership made possible by voter-approval of Measure F in November 2006,” said Paul Kelley, 4th District Supervisor, “this plan ensures ongoing management and stewardship of Healdsburg Ridge and allows for public access to an amazing open space amenity so close to the City.”
Since July 1996, the District has been preserving open space along the prominent ridgeline north of Healdsburg near Parkland Farms. With voter approval of Measure F in November 2006, limited sales tax funding is now available for management and public access on District purchased recreational land. The Healdsburg Ridge Open Space Preserve includes oak woodlands, serpentine chaparral, rare plants, wetlands, forests, and a local water feature, Fox Pond. The management plan for the property recommends low-intensity public recreational uses, which will allow the public to enjoy the land while avoiding impacts to sensitive natural resources. Existing trails will be improved and new trails constructed. Trail maintenance and local volunteer patrols will be provided through a partnership with LandPaths, a non-profit that works to connect local communities to protected open space lands. After an initial start-up period of 5 years for trail construction and improvements to the preserve, title will be transferred to the City and the District will hold a conservation easement on the property. The formal opening of the Preserve is planned for September 2008.
