fall 2008 sonoma land trust newsletter

8/3/2019 Fall 2008 Sonoma Land Trust Newsletter

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Ralph Benson

Who we areBoard of Directors

Pete Mattson, chair, Robert Brent,Hall Cushman, Mary Haner,Mark Jacobsen, Johanna Patri, HarryRichardson, Peter Rogers,Maggie Salenger, Tom Simone,David Smith, Kathy Tierney,

Denny Van Ness, Carol Williams

StaffExecutive Director: Ralph Benson

PROJECTS TEAM

Conservation Director: Wendy EliotAcquisitions Director: Amy ChesnutBaylands Program Manager: John BrosnanProject Assistant: Tenley Wurglitz

STEWARDSHIP TEAM

Stewardship Director: Bob NealeEasement Program & GIS Manager:

Georgiana Hale

Stewardship Project Manager: Tony NelsonStewardship Project Manager: Shanti Wright

DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING TEAM

Development Director: Beverly ScottlandDonor Relations Director: Reta LockertPublic Relations & Marketing Ofcer:

Sheri CardoMembership & Development Manager:

Stacey Kauman

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION TEAM

Finance & Administration Director:Lois Downy

Ofce Manager: Dale Carroll

SLT MissionThe Sonoma Land Trust protects the scenic,

natural, cultural, agricultural and open

landscapes o Sonoma County or the beneft

o the community and uture generations by:

Developing long-term land protection

strategies;

Promoting private and public unding or

land and conservation;

Acquiring land and conservation easements;

Practicing stewardship, including therestoration o conservation properties; and

Promoting a sense o place and a land ethicthrough activities, education and outreach.

ContactSonoma Land Trust966 Sonoma AvenueSanta Rosa, CA 95404(707) 526-6930 Fax (707) [email protected]

www.sonomalandtrust.org

2 Fall 2008 Volume 33, No. 1

A note from the

Executive Director

Amidst the bad economicnews, some very good news

We are mindul that these are challengingtimes, but this issue o our newsletter happilyeatures two milestone events or the SonomaLand Trust.

For nearly our years, SLT acquisitions director Amy Chesnut has workedwith passionate intensity and consummate skill to negotiate a $36 million dealthat will protect orever the 5,630-acre Jenner Headlands. This has involvedcomplex and intricate negotiations with both the landowners and with ourpublic agency unding partners the Sonoma County Agricultural Preserva-tion and Open Space District, Caliornia Coastal Conservancy, CaliorniaWildlie Conservation Board, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration. Once again, we are getting a big lit rom the Gordon andBetty Moore Foundation. The purchase is within our grasp.

The big surprise along the way was the absence o any public agencyavailable to take responsibility or the property. These are tough times, but wedidnt want to lose the opportunity, so the Sonoma Land Trust has agreed totake on the ownership and stewardship o the Jenner Headlands. Its a big stepor us, but our successul experience managing the Baylands gives us confdencethat we can succeed.

Well need your help. The purchase money is lined up. We have secured thecommitments needed rom the local, state and ederal public agencies involved.Thats what we do at the Land Trust. But we still need to raise several million

dollars to properly manage and care or the property. We dont want to takeon the property, including the responsibility or managing public access,

without adequate stewardship unds.And speaking o stewardship, the other milestone is the settlement o a

lawsuit we fled to enorce an agricultural conservation easement over a ranchon the Petaluma River at Highway 37. Stewardship director Bob Neales storyin this issue lays out what happened. We are pleased that the Sonoma LandTrust stood up or the easement and arrived at a good settlement, and we arealso grateul or the support we received rom the Caliornia Coastal Conser-

vancy and the land trust community.These are challenging times, but the land endures and, with your support,

our work goes on.

Printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks.


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Four years in the making

In 2005, Supervisor Reilly sug-gested that the landowners considera conservation sale o the property asan alternative to development, andconvened a group o nonproft orga-

nizations and public agencies to workon the project. The Sonoma LandTrust took the lead, working closely

with the Sonoma County AgriculturalPreservation and Open Space District.

When we began working onthis project our years ago, everyoneassumed that a public agency wouldacquire and manage the land, saidBenson. But no public agency ispositioned to do so today. The Land

Trust decided to step in and taketitle so we wouldnt lose this now-or-never opportunity to protectsuch a large and magnifcent coastallandscape. It will probably be several

years beore a public agency is able to

take responsibility or it. When thathappens we would like to turn over a

well-planned, well-managed unit.The purchase price or the property

is $36 million. This is based on exten-sive negotiations and an independentappraisal reviewed by our multiple

public unding partners, including theOpen Space District, State CoastalConservancy, Caliornia WildlieConservation Board, the Gordon andBetty Moore Foundation, and theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (which ranked theproject #3 in the nation or unding).Early support or the project camerom Petalumas Tellabs Foundation.

We have preliminary commitments

or all o the unding needed to pur-chase the property. What remains israising the money needed to responsi-bly manage and care or the property.We need to raise an additional $2million by the time o closing.

Campaign toprotect theJenner Headlands

$2 Million Goal

The Sonoma Land Trust canprotect the Jenner Headlands,but only with your help. Thetotal project cost is $40 million $36 million or the purchaseand $4 million to manage andrestore the property, ensure thatthe roads dont erode, that thecreeks run clear, that the orest is

well-managed and that trails aredeveloped or everyone to enjoy.

We have initial commitments or$38 million; however, to completethe purchase, we must raise theremaining $2 million over thecoming months.

Your git will help us seize thisopportunity to protect the JennerHeadlands orever. To donate,please contact Beverly Scottland,development director, at (707)

526-6930, ext. 108 or [email protected].

In the springtime, the serpentine wildower eld comes alive with color. Photo by Amy Chesnut.

TO PROTECT THE LAND FOREVER 3

Jenner Headlands (Continued rom page 1)

(Continued on page 4) We will grow the redwood forest olderand healthier. Photo by Amy Chesnut


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Goals and ecologicalresource values

Once known as the Rule Ranch, thiscoastal property was purchased by

John Rule in 1867 and has been usedas a cattle and sheep ranch since then.The Land Trust and its partners havemultiple goals or the Jenner Head-lands frst and oremost, the land

will be managed to enhance its signif-cant ecological values.

There are eight dierent wa-tersheds on the property, includingJenner Gulch, which provides thedomestic water supply or the town o

Jenner. The property also includes a3,100-acre redwood and Douglas fr

orest that has been managed as orest-land or the last 100 years. One o theprimary objectives is to grow the orestolder through sustainable orestry,

which will help attain the ecologicalgoals aster and provide income to

supplement the costs o managing theproperty with the added beneft osupporting the local economy. Cattlegrazing has taken place on the land ordecades and is expected to continuein order to maintain the health o thecoastal prairie.

Sonoma Land Trust has a lot oexperience managing lands or ecologi-cal purposes, and successul conser-

vation orestland projects exist thatdemonstrate that our multiple goals

or the Jenner Headlands can be met,said Amy Chesnut, SLT acquisitionsdirector who has managed the projectrom the outset. We want to grow theorest older and healthier; we wantto protect the estuary, creeks and the

town o Jenners water supply; we wantto keep the wonderul coastal prairieintact; and we want people to hike onthe property and enjoy the ocean scen-ery. The ecosystem on the property isdiverse and healthy, and we have anexcellent opportunity to manage theselands to reach all o our goals eco-logical, economical and recreational.

Sheri Cardo is the SLT public relations andmarketing ofcer.

For more information about the Jenner Headlands, including a video tour, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org.

Looking toward Goat Rock on Sonoma Coast State Park. Families will be able to hike, enjoy the views or simply spread out a blanket and enjoy the

serenity of the Sonoma Coast. Photo by Amy Chesnut.



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Next steps

The Sonoma Land Trust needs toraise $2 million over the next ewmonths in hopes o closing on the

property in early 2009. During thefrst 12 months o ownership, theLand Trust will conduct resourceassessments that will guide thedevelopment o a management planor the property. Arrangements willbe made to provide public access assoon as possible.

On clear days, the views rom theHeadlands extend all the way toPoint Reyes and Mt. Diablo, saidSupervisor Reilly. Protecting landlike this is like unearthing buriedtreasure now this coastal jewelcan sparkle or the whole worldto see.

Sheephouse Creek provides refuge for endangered Coho salmon and steelhead. There are eight

watersheds and 8.5 miles of clear-running streams on the Jenner Headlands. Photo by Amy Chesn

Jenner Headlands (Continued rom page 3)



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e take very seriously our responsibil-ity to enorce the conservation ease-ments we hold. The people o SonomaCounty count on us to do so, stated

Sonoma Land Trust executive direc-tor Ralph Benson as he announcedthe successul settlement o a nearlythree-year-old lawsuit with the ownerso the 528-acre Lower Ranch near SanPablo Bay. This settlement upholds theagricultural conservation easement,pays the Land Trusts legal ees, andensures that the landowners activities

will protect the agricultural resourceson the property.

The Land Trust has spent decadesworking to protect the agricultural andconservation lands at the southern tipo Sonoma County between the Peta-luma River and Infneon Raceway, andhas acquired more than 5,000 acresthere over the years. In the case oLower Ranch (called Carneros RiverRanch by the landowner), which is lo-cated across the highway rom the Port

Sonoma marina, rather than owningthe land outright, the Land Trust holdsan agricultural conservation easementthat permanently restricts the use o

the land to agriculture.Several years ago, the current owner

o the ranch, a limited liability corpo-ration associated with Skip Berg andthe Port Sonoma marina, began pump-ing mud rom its dredging operationsat Port Sonoma onto the agriculturalland in a manner the Land Trust elt

was inconsistent with the conservationeasement. Furthermore, their utureplans included a tremendous increase

in this activity and did not adequatelysaeguard the agricultural values othe land. Ater lengthy but ultimatelyunsuccessul discussions with thelandowners, the Land Trust fled suitin 2006 to enorce the terms o itsagricultural conservation easement.

The landowners maintained thatthe mud they were dumping on theranch would enable them to grow

higher-value crops and enhance theagricultural value o the ranch; thus,they argued, they were not violatingthe terms o the easement and did not

require Land Trust approval. In theabsence o credible support or theiridea or mutually agreeable standards,the Land Trust simply could not agree.

The settlement will allow the land-owners to continue to place dredgeand fll material on the ranch, but onlyin accordance with strict protocols andperormance standards on the quanti-ties, locations and handling o materi-als, and stringent standards or salinity,

acidity and contaminants. Perhaps themost important aspect o the agree-ment is the requirement that theaected armland must be returned toactive arming and remain in produc-tion. The landowners also agreed topay the Land Trusts legal ees, whichamounted to more than $200,000,and to pay or the increased cost omonitoring the easement to ensurethat the perormance standards are

met going orward. We had frst-ratelegal representation by Robert PerlPerlmutter and Matthew Zim oShute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP, andRod Kerr o Kerr & Wagstae LLP.

We couldnt stand by and let themdivert the use o a productive arm to amud dump, said Benson. At the sametime, their contention that mud is ulti-mately dirt and, with the right handling,can be armed and armed well had

merit. The settlement provides boththe landowners and the Land Trust

with the ramework needed to ensurethat this beautiul ranch at the gatewayto Sonoma County remains in arming.

Bob Neale is the SLT stewardship director.


Lower Ranch lawsuit comes to successful conclusionby Bb Na

Indicats prtctd and

W


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Be a part of their futureIf you and I dont protect this beautiful place we call

Sonoma County, who will?

by Bvry Scttand

Your gits to the Sonoma Land Trust translate into permanentlyprotected lands that are rich in history, natural resources, breath-taking views and recreational opportunities. We are undedprimarily by membership contributions, so join or renew today toensure that the natural beauty o Sonoma County is protected today and or generations to come.

You can have a signifcant impact on the lives o uture genera-tions by making a planned git to the Sonoma Land Trust. Thesegits ensure that unds will always be available to purchase andcare or open space, and preserve the character and beauty o ourlocal landscape.

It was thinking o Sonoma Countys beautyor our grandchildren and their grandchildrenthat created a planned git in our estate orthe Land Trust.

Dick and Mary Haner(Continued on back page)

This springtime shot shows Lower Ranch in the foreground, just

across Highway 37 from Port Sonoma marina and fronting the

Petaluma River. Photo by Stephen Joseph.

Land community supports suit

The Caliornia Attorney General, acting on behal o theCaliornia Coastal Conservancy, joined the Land Trust inthe litigation. The Conservancy, having originally fnancedthis conservation easement, in addition to millions odollars worth o other conservation easements throughout

Caliornia, elt a strong duty to support the enorcemento the Lower Ranch agricultural conservation easement.

The Land Trust was also supported in the litigation by theCaliornia Council o Land Trusts (CCLT), a statewideorganization. More than 30 Caliornia land trusts signed aletter and CCLT fled a brie in support o the litigation.The land trust community, which stakes its credibility onthe permanence o conservation easements, perceivedthis situation as a worst-case scenario with a well-undedlandowner disregarding a conservation easement that wasin place when they acquired the property.


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Santa Rsa966 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95404

www.sonomalandtrust.org

Are you getting oureNewsletter?

A lot goes on in between is-sues o our printed newsletter,so dont miss out! Sign up toreceive Sonoma Land Trust Today, amonthly eNewsletter o up-to-the-minute happenings at yourland trust. Register by sending

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There are many tools you can use to include the Sonoma Land Trust inyour estate plan:

A simple bequest, naming the Land Trust in your will or trust;

A charitable git annuity, receiving a specifed amount o income duringyour lietime and, aterwards, having the remainder generate income orthe Land Trust;

A charitable remainder trust, receiving a percentage o trust assets duringyour lietime and having the corpus transerred to SLT ater your death;

A remainder interest, deeding real property to the Land Trust, butreserving a lie estate that allows you the use and enjoyment o theproperty until your death;

A lie insurance policy naming the Land Trust as benefciary; and

A retirement plan, such as an IRA, naming the Land Trust as primary or

successor benefciary.

I you decide to include the Sonoma Land Trust in your estate plan, wehope you will contact Reta Lockert, donor relations director, at (707)526-6930, ext. 105. Reta will help urnish language or your will or trustand talk with you about the specifcs o your git.

Beverly Scottland is the SLT development director.

Their future (Continued rom page 7)

T O P R O T E C T T H E L A N D F O R E V E R

fall 2008 sonoma land trust newsletter

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