Winter 2013 Newsletter

VOLUME 39, NO. 3
Winter 2013 Newsletter
The tide turns
Haire Ranch buy sets stage for more tidal marsh
Year-end donations fund programs that get
children out on the land.
Donor pledges $250,000
matching grant
Sonoma resident Bill Jasper has
Haire Ranch is part of Skaggs Island, which possesses ecological value even dry as a refuge for
raptors, deer and other wildlife. To accommodate the current inhabitants and make room for other
native species, restoration of the island is likely to incorporate a mix of tidal and brackish marshes,
and upland habitat. Photo by Sheri Cardo.
For years, the 1,092-acre Haire Ranch on Skaggs Island along Highway
37 has been the holy grail of conservation projects. It has held the elusive
key to a long-awaited 4,400-acre wetland restoration in this Baylands area
that was tidal marsh until the late-1800s. But the tide has finally turned.
Sonoma Land Trust has joined with the Natural Resources Conservation
Service (NRCS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in a
local-federal partnership that demonstrates the national significance of
wetland restoration in San Pablo Bay.
“Immediately upon purchase, which we expect in mid-December, the
Land Trust will transfer the ranch to USFWS, which already owns the
remaining 3,300 acres of Skaggs Island,” says Wendy Eliot, Sonoma Land
Trust conservation director. “Both will then be part of the San Pablo Bay
National Wildlife Refuge and restored to marsh habitat, turning the clock
back 130 years.”
(Continued on page 3)
T O
P R O T E C T
T H E
L A N D
offered to match all donations
made by December 31 up to a total
of $250,000. This means your
donation of $50 will result in a gift
of $100. Bill has also offered to
match gifts of $1,000 or more on a
two-to-one basis. Thus, a gift of
$1,000 will result in $3,000 for
Sonoma Land Trust!
Bill is making this special gift
because he believes deeply in the
land conservation work that Sonoma Land Trust is doing throughout the county. “Private philanthropy is more important than ever,”
says Bill. “It enables the Land Trust
to acquire and restore some of
Sonoma County’s most beautiful
landscapes. With fewer tax funds
available, donations play a vital role
in keeping Sonoma Land Trust
(Continued on page 3)
F O R E V E R
A note from the
Executive Director
Who we are
Board of Directors
Denny Van Ness, chair, Robert Brent,
Neal Fishman, Ken Freeman, Mark
Jacobsen, Pete Mattson, Bill Osterland,
Fred Reid, Harry Richardson,
Maggie Salenger, Allison Sanford, Wendy
Smit, Margaret Spaulding, Peter Van Alyea
Staff
Ralph Benson, Executive Director
Kristine Acquino, Acquisitions Project Associate
Karen Arrington, Development Manager
Sheri Cardo, Director of Communications
Dale Carroll, Accounting Assistant
Kara Caselas, Stewardship Assistant Project
Manager
Amy Chesnut, Acquisitions Director
Paul DeMarco, Director of Finance &
Administration
Lauren Dixon, Parks Alliance Project Manager
Shanti Edwards, Stewardship Project Manager
Wendy Eliot, Conservation Director
Georgiana Hale, Conservation Easement
Stewardship Manager
Joseph Kinyon, GIS Manager
Reta Lockert, Donor Relations Director
John McCaull, Acquisitions Project Manager
Julian Meisler, Baylands Program Manager
Bob Neale, Stewardship Director
Tony Nelson, Stewardship Project Manager
Corinne Neuman, Senior Accountant
Elizabeth Newton, Office Manager
Beverly Scottland, Development Director
Ingrid Spetz, Outings Coordinator
SLT Mission
The Sonoma Land Trust protects the scenic,
natural, agricultural and open landscapes of
Sonoma County for the benefit of the
community and future generations by:
• Developing long-term land protection
strategies;
• Promoting private and public funding for
land and conservation;
• Acquiring land and conservation easements;
• Practicing stewardship, including the
restoration of conservation properties; and
• Promoting a sense of place and a land ethic through activities, education and outreach.
The work of generations
Next year, it will be 10 years since Sonoma
Land Trust bought the land along Highway
37 that has become the Sears Point Restoration Project. That purchase built on work
that was done in the 1990s. By the end of
this year, as noted in this newsletter, we will
complete the purchase of Haire Ranch. We
are closing in on a goal of restoring most of the salutary natural marshlands that historically buffered the southern tip of Sonoma County. But
we have years to go.
The fact is, land conservation is the work of generations. Our work at
the Baylands is, at least, a 30–40 year enterprise. And one could say the
same about our efforts to keep Sonoma redwood forests on the North
Coast intact. That is why our board is focused not only on this year and
next, but on building a lasting institution.
And there is the here and now. This was a good year for land conservation in Sonoma County. The 20,000-acre Buckeye Forest (formerly
Preservation Ranch) was protected, the community is rallying to preserve
the open space values of the Sonoma Developmental Center and the
campaign to protect Pole Mountain is going well.
Here is wishing you the best for the holiday season and the New Year!
Ralph Benson
John McCaull joins Sonoma Land Trust staff
Sonoma Land Trust is delighted to have
hired John McCaull as acquisitions project
manager who will work closely with Wendy
Eliot and Amy Chesnut. An attorney, John
has worked for the National Audubon
Society and the American Farmland Trust.
Since 2004, he has worked in private practice focusing on land conservation and
providing government relations services to
the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District and Sonoma
County Water Agency. Welcome, John!
Contact
Sheri Cardo, Managing Editor
Sonoma Land Trust
966 Sonoma Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95404
(707) 526-6930 Fax (707) 526-3001
[email protected]
www.sonomalandtrust.org
2
Winter 2013 • Volume 39, No. 3
Follow us
Printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks.
(Haire Ranch buy sets stage for more tidal marsh — Continued from page 1)
to maintain the network of flood
protection levees, ditches and stormwater pumps that keeps Haire Ranch
dry enough for farming. Because of
that agreement and the owners’
earlier reluctance to sell, USFWS has
been unable to flood the island and
return it to wetlands. Until now.
The purchase of Haire Ranch allows for 4,400-acre Skaggs Island to be restored to tidal marsh — a
longtime conservation priority. This acquisition is being funded primarily by NRCS, along with the
State Coastal Conservancy and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Map by Joseph Kinyon.
Historically, Skaggs Island was
part of a vast tidal marsh fringing
San Pablo and San Francisco Bays
before the marshes were diked and
drained in the 1800s. USFWS has
planned to restore Skaggs Island to
tidal marsh for many years, but a
1940 agreement required the Service
History of Skaggs Island and
Haire Ranch
Part of the Pacific Flyway — the
north-south travel corridor for
migratory birds — Skaggs Island was
once a thriving tidal marsh. Adding
it to the tens of thousands of acres of
tidal wetlands along Highway 37 and
surrounding areas has long been
identified as a conservation priority.
“It’s taken us nearly 20 years to
get to the point where this important link in the chain of wetlands
around the bay can finally be restored,” says Rep. Mike Thompson
(CA-5). “Skaggs Island served an
essential purpose as a naval base for
many years. Now, because of the
(Continued on page 4)
(Donor pledges $250,000 matching grant — Continued from page 1)
flexible and ready to jump on
opportunities to protect the land
we love.”
Recent exciting projects include
protecting land in a wildlife corridor
across the Sonoma Valley, purchasing and restoring wetlands along San
Pablo Bay, and the pending purchase
of Pole Mountain, the highest point
on the Sonoma Coast and the
“missing link” to more than 6,000
acres of connected, protected land.
In 2014, there will be even more
opportunities for the permanent
protection of agricultural and natural
land in this special place we call
home. Let’s keep up the momentum! So much can be accomplished
with the support of our friends and
this generous matching gift. For
information about making a yearend donation or to donate stock,
please use the enclosed envelope or
contact Beverly Scottland at (707)
526-6930, ext. 108 or Beverly@
sonomalandtrust.org.
TO PROTECT THE LAND FOREVER
3
(Haire Ranch buy sets stage for more tidal marsh — Continued from page 3)
long and hard work of so many, it
will once again provide important
habitat for shorebirds, waterfowl and
other native species.”
Skaggs Island was the last patch of
tidal marsh to be diked and drained
in the 1880s by Nevada Senator
John “Percy” Jones and his Sonoma
Land Company. Like much of the
reclaimed land along San Pablo Bay,
the property was farmed for oat hay,
which was shipped across the bay to
San Francisco to feed horses in the
booming town. When the Company
fell on hard times during the Depression, supermarket entrepreneur M.B.
Skaggs acquired the island. Then, in
1941, during World War II, the
Navy condemned the bulk of Skaggs
Island for a communications and
intelligence gathering base, with the
exception of the 1,092-acre property
that Skaggs sold to the grandfather
of the current owners, siblings James
and Judy Haire.
Skaggs negotiated a “perpetual
maintenance agreement” with the
government that requires the owner
of the larger portion of Skaggs Island
— currently USFWS — to maintain
the network of levees and stormwater
pumps that keeps Haire Ranch dry
enough to farm. Because of that
agreement, USFWS, which took
over the property from the Navy in
2011, has been unable to flood
Skaggs Island and return it to its
natural state.
Restoration, funding and access
Restoration of Haire Ranch and the
rest of the island will yield multiple
benefits, including restoration of
wildlife habitat, food and shelter for
millions of shorebirds and the hundreds of thousands of waterfowl that
migrate through or overwinter every
year, filtration of pollutants entering
the bay, carbon sequestration and
flood protection.
“Sonoma Land Trust’s acquisition
of this keystone property will help
complete restoration of the San Pablo
Bay National Wildlife Refuge and
get us closer to the 100,000 acres of
restored tidal marsh needed for the
bay’s health,” says David Lewis,
executive director of Save The Bay.
The $8.3 million purchase price
for Haire Ranch is being funded
primarily by NRCS, which will
acquire a USDA Wetlands Reserve
Program easement from the landowners. Sonoma Land Trust has
raised the remaining portion needed
from the State Coastal Conservancy
and the Gordon and Betty Moore
Foundation.
The restoration plans include
opportunities for public recreation,
such as bird walks, bicycle rides, and
canoeing and kayaking, according to
Don Brubaker, manager of San Pablo
Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
“People will enjoy watching the salt
marsh reclaim the island and the
abundant wildlife that will follow.”
Pole Mountain update
— we’re almost there!
Thanks to all of your support, we
are well on our way to saving Pole
Mountain! We have identified several
primary funding sources for the Pole
Mountain acquisition and are in the
process of formally securing the
funding from these partners: the
Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, the
David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the State Coastal Conservancy
and the State Wildlife Conservation
4
The view from Pole Mountain. Photo by Louis Jaffe.
Board. There are still a lot of “i”s to
dot and “t”s to cross before we can
say Pole Mountain is permanently
protected and we are racing to make
it happen as fast as we can. The
landowners, understanding the
Winter 2013 • Volume 39, No. 3
necessary hurdles and bumps of
securing grant funds, have graciously
granted us an extension to close the
deal, which we anticipate happening
in early 2014. You will be the first to
know!
Keeping the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor open and wildlife friendly
by Sheri Cardo
Sonoma Land Trust is working with landowners in the Sonoma Valley to ensure that wild animals can move safely between Sonoma Mountain and
the Mayacamas. Photo by Stephen Joseph Photography.
One night in 2009, a black bear
was spotted near a creek in Petaluma.
After being chased by a helicopter,
the bear followed that creek back up
and over Sonoma Mountain to
return to Napa County from whence
he or she had probably started. It is
likely that this adventurous ursine
was using the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor to travel from Napa
County through the Sonoma Valley
and up and over Sonoma Mountain.
This bear didn’t just drop into
Petaluma — he or she had been able
to travel a long distance, safely and
mostly unseen, through existing land
and creek corridors. Such corridors
are essential for wildlife passage
— not just for large carnivores, like
bear and mountain lion, but for the
many smaller critters as well, like
raccoon, fox and bobcat.
Just over a year ago, Sonoma Land
Trust embarked on a multi-year
project to keep open a narrow
pinchpoint in the high-priority
Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor
that is at serious risk of closing up.
In last year’s winter newsletter, available at www.sonomalandtrust.org,
we described two small properties we
purchased along the aquatic corridor
of Stuart Creek. Since last year, we
have widened our focus to include the
entire land-based wildlife corridor.
This is a critically important project
with ambitious goals, and we’ve
made several major inroads this year.
A critical linkage between Marin
and Lake Counties
Five miles long and only three-quarters of a mile wide at its narrowest
point — the “pinchpoint” — the
Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor
stretches from Sonoma Mountain,
across Sonoma Creek and the valley
floor, and east to the top of the
Mayacamas range. It is located
within the “Marin Coast to Blue
Ridge Critical Linkage” identified in
the Bay Area Critical Linkages
Project and Conservation Lands
Network, both projects of the Bay
(Continued on page 6)
TO PROTECT THE LAND FOREVER
5
(Keeping the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor open and wildlife friendly — Continued from page 5)
part of Sonoma Valley Regional Park
at close of escrow, so it will provide
important recreational values, too.”
Along with these two dueling bucks, our wildlife cameras have captured mountain lion, fox, opossum,
bobcat, skunk, coyote, turkey vultures, jackrabbits, squirrels, and more.
Area Open Space Council.
Because of our work and that of
others in this area over the years, more
than 8,000 acres of the corridor are
already protected as natural land. It
is the unprotected land at the heart
of the wildlife corridor on which we
are focusing our current efforts.
Using new tools to keep the
corridor open
Ensuring that wildlife can move
safely through the landscape so their
populations can persist in the face of
development and climate change
projections is the goal of this largescale project. Acquiring new properties is only one way of accomplishing
this.
“We can’t afford to buy the entire
corridor, nor would we want to
because collaborating with private
landowners is a very effective conservation strategy,” says Wendy Eliot,
Sonoma Land Trust’s conservation
director. “So we are using a variety of
land protection tools to protect and
enhance the corridor’s permeability,
such as deed restrictions and new
types of conservation easements and
6
neighbor agreements — along with
purchasing at-risk parcels.”
Together with acquiring the three
to four at-risk properties, our acquisitions staff is drafting model conservation easement language focused on
“wildlife freedom of movement” that
we will use in this corridor and share
with other conservation groups also
working to secure wildlife corridors.
Last year, in addition to our
purchase of the two properties on
Stuart Creek, Jim Happ and Betsey
Moses donated an easement over
their property along the creek that
restricts activities that could impede
wildlife passage, such as fencing and
vegetation clearing. This year, with
the help of 1st District Sonoma
County Supervisor Susan Gorin, we
have signed a purchase agreement for
a critically situated 27-acre property
in the pinchpoint that is highly
vulnerable to estate and vineyard
development and borders Sonoma
Valley Regional Park.
“The Curreri property is a vital
link in maintaining safe passage for
wildlife through this corridor,” says
Supervisor Gorin. “It also will become
Winter 2013 • Volume 39, No. 3
Collaborating and monitoring
Keeping the corridor intact is a
collaborative venture involving many
organizations. Sonoma Land Trust
project manager Tony Nelson is
spearheading the monitoring and
implementation activities and, to
ensure that our strategies are based
on sound science, he has pulled
together a technical advisory group of
biologists, wildlife agency staff,
linkage assessors, and more.
The group has evaluated several
properties within the corridor for
wildlife permeability. In other words,
are there barriers to wildlife movement or are the animals free to move
through the corridor? This will lead
to the development of a “Corridor
Implementation Strategy” providing
recommendations for improving
passage on identified properties as
Simple things landowners
can do to improve wildlife
movement
• Remove unnecessary fencing
•Modify fencing for wildlife
passage
• Turn off lights at night
•Don’t leave pets (or pet food)
outside at night
• Reduce nighttime noise
•Eliminate or minimize pesticide and herbicide use
•Modify vegetation management: Protect your home from
wildfire, but leave enough
cover for wildlife.
well as guidelines for landowners to
enhance permeability.
It is assumed that this area is
operating as a functional wildlife
corridor, but we are validating that
theory by placing wildlife cameras
on Sonoma Mountain and up and
down the valley to collect data on
the animals who live there. “We are
hoping to show that this is a functioning corridor by documenting
that the wildlife found here can
move through it,” says Tony. “And
if the data shows that certain species
are having trouble, then we can work
with our collaborators to find
solutions.”
Photos and roadkill tell a story
Busy Highway 12 and Arnold Drive
bisect the wildlife corridor pinchpoint. Roads are a significant deter-
rent to wildlife movement and a
cause of death, not to mention a
source of human danger from crossing animals. We will be combining
the camera data with upcoming
roadkill surveys to help us determine
whether species are successfully
crossing these barriers and how
frequently they are using the culverts
and underpasses to pass safely
underneath. There’s a lot to learn
and this is just the beginning of two
more years of effort.
The landowners in the corridor
have shown a great desire to protect
wildlife. Nearly everyone of whom
we’ve asked permission to place a
camera has granted it and has been
excited to see the resulting photos.
“People are thrilled to know that
they have wild animals moving
through their property, even if they
don’t always see them, and that they
can play an important role in protecting them into the future,” says
Tony. “It’s one of the reasons we’ve
been able to get the project rolling
and have such high hopes for it.”
Roadkill surveys will be limited
to Highway 12 and Arnold
Drive, but there are other roads
in the corridor. Community
members are invited to report any
roadkill they see in the online
database operated by the Road
Ecology Center at UC Davis at
www.roadecology.ucdavis.edu.
The critical link across the valley
At the heart of the narrowest part of
the corridor lies the Sonoma Devel(Continued on page 8)
The wildlife corridor is identified in Sonoma County’s 2020 General Plan thanks to the visionary work of the Sonoma Ecology Center. At the heart of the
corridor lies the Sonoma Developmental Center whose services and 800 acres of natural land are at risk. Map by Joseph Kinyon.
TO PROTECT THE LAND FOREVER
7
(Keeping the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor open and wildlife friendly — Continued from page 7)
A coyote at sunset, caught by a wildlife camera. The 27-acre Curreri property, located in the pinchpoint, will become part of Sonoma Valley Regional Park.
opmental Center (SDC), which, at
1,000 acres, represents the largest
and most significant unprotected
land in the Sonoma Valley. SDC has
provided services for developmentally disabled individuals since it
opened at its current location in
1891; its future is, however, uncertain
as similar facilities are being shuttered
by the state.
There is no question that the loss
of SDC facilities and open space to
incompatible development would
Assistant stewardship manager Kara Caselas
installs a wildlife camera. The cameras will be in
place for 2‑3 years with data downloaded every
6‑8 weeks.
8
have far-reaching consequences,
affecting hundreds of patients and
their families, more than 1,000
employees, support services in the
local community, 800 acres of
critical habitat for fish and wildlife,
the potential for recreation and
public access — and the future of
the wildlife corridor and animal
populations to the west and east. Sonoma Land Trust is helping to
lead a coalition of organizations
focused on preserving the open space
on the SDC property. “Creating a
scenario in which the clients’ needs
are served while providing urgent
environmental protections — for the
wildlife corridor, watershed preservation and public access — would be
the optimal outcome for this anchor
property,” states Wendy.
Successful protection of the
undeveloped portions of the SDC
would directly link more than 9,000
acres of protected land and help
ensure the continued movement of
wildlife across the Sonoma Valley
and beyond. There are no do-overs
once land is developed.
Winter 2013 • Volume 39, No. 3
Funding the corridor work
The Gordon and Betty Moore
Foundation has provided a $1.8
million grant that is allowing us to
purchase properties and easements
that are critical to keeping the corridor open. The funding also supports
our camera monitoring and integration of these parcels into a broader
implementation strategy. Supplemental funding is being provided by
the Resources Legacy Fund; it is
expected that additional funding will
need to be raised to complete the
final year of the project.
“With this initiative, Sonoma
Land Trust is working landowner by
landowner and focusing on the
function of the land rather than the
land itself,” says Wendy. “This is
what it means to be working on a
landscape scale where we’re not
focused on a single property, but an
entire area.”
Sheri Cardo is SLT’s communications
director.
Celebrating, honoring
and remembering
From November 1, 2012 through October
31, 2013, the following friends of Sonoma
Land Trust made gifts honoring or commemorating exceptional friends and celebrating
special events. As always, we are grateful
that our work of protecting the land forever
is chosen as a symbol of appreciation and
continuity.
Chambers D. Adams in memory of Cornelia Adams
Denise Allen and Mark Hayes in memory of Derek F. Covert
Leslie Allyn in memory of Brooke and Shirley Dubell
Seth D. Ammerman in memory of Helen Martin
Barry Ansell in memory of Derek Covert
Florence Battle in honor of Hilary Perkins
Meg Beeler and Tom von Tersch in memory of Irving and Hela Norman and in honor
of the Earth
Linda G. Bell in honor of Frank Bell
Walter and Lu Benson in memory of Patty Westerbeke and Jay Willner, in honor of
Otto Teller and Secret Pasture, in honor
of Anne Teller and countless years of
Holiday Open Houses at the White Barn,
in honor of Bill and Jeanne Osterland for
carrying on the tradition of generosity
and preservation
Cynthia Berman in memory of Shirley Akawie
Veronica Bethel-Stone in memory of Senator Patricia Wiggins
Simon and Kimberly Blattner in honor of Jon Olson and Inge Kessler
Alan Bloom in honor of R.J. and Joan Bloom
Brenda Bodian in memory of Shirley Akawie
Eve and Norman Boling in memory of Lois Brown
Janet Bosshard in memory of Pat Wiggins
Gordon and Tamara Boultbee in memory of Marguerite Hanekamp, Marjorie
Mowbray and Lois Brown
Thomas and B. Beth Bourret in honor of Tom Wright’s birthday
Tom and Laura Box in memory of Boz Williams
Laurel Bozzolo in honor of Betsy
Livingstone
Dr. and Mrs. Herbert Brosbe in honor of Dee and Harry Richardson
Ellen Brosbe in honor of Dr. Herb Brosbe
Buckingham Asset Management in honor of Chuck Dunkel
Jack and Rose Burgis in memory of Derek Covert
Forrest and Betty Burns in memory of Jackie
White
Clifford and Valerie Butcher in memory of Elizabeth Estandian-Kittler (2)
Katharine Butler in honor of David Kimball
California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems in memory of Derek
Covert
California Society for Healthcare Attorneys
in memory of Derek Covert
Sarah Cameron Lerer and Jim Lerer in memory of Elizabeth A. Cameron and
James E. Cameron, Jr.
Martha Campbell in memory of E. Rae Hudspeth (2)
Celia Canfield and David Appelbaum
in honor of the wedding of Angel
Garganta and Michael Schwarz
Sheri Cardo in memory of Pat Wiggins
Lynne and Dick Carlile in honor of Tim Temple and Davide Maronati
Marianne Cavanaugh in memory of Walburga Mayr
Janice and Paul Chaffee in memory of Mom and Dad
Chan Healthcare in memory of Derek Covert
Theodore and Lynda Chenoweth in memory and in honor of Barbara K. McLauchlin
Randal S. Churchill in honor of Gracie Canfield
Taylor McCandless and Thomas Conlon
in memory of Franceska McBroom
Guy Conner in memory and honor of Pat Wiggins
Mary C. Connick in memory of my
husband, Derek Covert
Megan Connick in memory of Derek Covert
Darren and Julie Cooke in honor of Rich and Kathy Harkness
Gene and Diana Cooley in memory of Glen and Nathalie Cooley
Paul and Sherrie Corbett in memory of JoAnn Peterson
Curry Landscaping, Inc. in memory of Derek Covert
Sandra Curtis in honor of the wedding of Michael Schwarz and Angel Garganta
Candice and Robert Dahlstet in memory of Evelyn Farrell
Ruth E. Dastin in honor of the marriage of Michael Schwarz and Angel Garganta
Bill and Molly Davis in memory of Robert D. Bullock
Charles and Jana Denegri in memory of Jimmy
Jana Denegri/Denegri and Associates
in memory of Henry Romero
GM and JB Dorame in memory of Pat Wiggins
Sandra and Jerry Dratler in memory of Derek Covert
Ted and Pat Eliot in memory of Patricia Westerbeke and Pat Wiggins
Marion and Merritt Elmore in honor of Henry Lingari for all the joy he brings to
people, in honor of the marriage of
Jessica Kearns and Andrew Trone
Arthur Engelbrecht in memory of Kathryn Engelbrecht
Moria Feighery-Ross in honor of the Earth
Linda and Gary Felt in honor of Patricia Cullinan, in honor of Suzanne Young on
her birthday
Stephen and Julia Ann Fenner in memory of Lois Brown
Juan and Celinda Fernandez in honor of Juan Fernandez, Sr.
Kathleen Dowdakin and Robert D. Fox
in honor of Cristy, Megan and Ryan
Anne French in honor of Susan Smile, M.D.
Hanna Friedman in honor of the marriage of Angel Garganta and Michael Schwarz
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Friedman in honor of Lauren and Scott Dixon
Jim and Margaret Gault in honor of Anne and in memory of Otto Teller
Therese Geary in memory of Kay Gunter
Mark and Judith Giampaoliin memory of Leroy Danhausen
Jerald and Virginia Gill in memory of Malcolm Ross
Mark Ginsburg in memory of Anna Mirabai Lytton
Alexander Glass in honor of Wendy Zukas
Marcia and David Glassel in honor of the Hafner Family
(Continued on page 10)
TO PROTECT THE LAND FOREVER
9
(Celebrating, honoring and remembering — Continued from page 9)
Marilyn Goldhaber in memory of Lester King
Laura Graham in memory of Collette Irvin, in memory of Pat Wiggins
Mark and Xandra Grandy in memory of Sara C. Schaeffer
Betty Guggolz in memory of Jack Guggolz (3)
Kate Hafner and Martin Bernal in honor of the guests of the Hafner/Bernal wedding
on June 22, 2013
Mary and Dick Hafner in memory of Malcolm Ross
Parke and Sarah Hafner in honor of Mary Hafner
Amanda Hamilton and Tim Hemmeter
in honor of Reta Lockert
Patty and Mike Hickey in memory of Lois Brown
Thomas Higley in memory of Eugene Russell
Vicki Hill in memory of Steven James Lee
Susan Hirsch and Susan Leal in honor of Joshua Rymer and Tim Frazier
Phillip and Naomi Holm in honor of Alexander Iezza, M.D.
Heidi Howell in memory of Kathryn Dole
Jason Huckaby and Michael Schoenenberger
in memory of Dorothy Jane Huckaby, in
honor of the marriage of Michael
Schwarz and Angel Garganta
Stewart and Jane Hume in memory of Milo Shepard
Jim and Janice Jacobson in memory of Derek Jacobson
Angelica Jochim in honor of Penelope Carys
Veronica Johnson in memory of Malcolm Ross
Nancy Karl in honor of Kristine Acquino
Terry and Kathi Karr-Province in memory of Oliver
10
Rich Kuehn and Dean Schuler in honor of Rae Hudspeth, Elaine Jacob and Dick
Warren — our early mentors at The Sea
Ranch
Nell Kneibler in memory of Fred Beeman
Ellen Koland in honor of the Earth
Rebecca J. Kurland in memory of Derek Covert
Wendy Lagerstrom and Ray Paula in honor of Kathleen and Jeff Landel
Rosamond Lagomarsino in memory of Matthew Luce
Francis LaPallo in memory of Derek Covert
Latham and Watkins LLP in memory of Derek Covert
Marcia Levy in honor of Ethel Daly at the holidays
Adrian and Ann MacNab in memory of Robert Geoffrey MacNab
Silas Martin in memory of Mark Messmer
Dennis Martino in honor of Lilli Moore
Carol and Clifford Marvel in memory of Noel Christian (2)
Cinda Mast-Gough and Michael Gough
in memory of Aline Berl
Elizabeth McCarthy in memory of Pat Wiggins
Cindy McCarthy in memory of Vivian Wahr, in honor of Standing People, in memory
of Grace Shafer
Mark R. McDonell in memory of Pat Wiggins
Jane McDonough in memory of Susee Engdahl
Karen and Bob McEligot in memory of Derek Covert
Winton and Margaret McKibben in memory
of The Miles McKeys
L. Bruce Meyer in memory of Margery Foote Meyer
Gerald Missey in memory of Agnes S. McTernan
Angie Monette in honor of James M.F. Ashlock
Delia Moon in honor of Salli Rasberry
Mary Mueller in memory of David St. George Franklin
Kathleen Mugele in honor of Sue Weingarten,
in memory of Ben “Tucker” Bennett, in
honor and in memory of Rich Stallcup,
in honor of Beth Ann Palermo DVM and
Barbara Hodges DVM, in honor of Reta
Lockert, in memory of Sandy Noreen
Nilda Mulas in memory of Mitchel Mulas
Winter 2013 • Volume 39, No. 3
Charles Murray in memory of K.H. Lee
Neil and Lorna Myers in memory of Dr. Ronald Myers
Terri Nevins and Walter Wright in honor of Neal Fishman
Birgit Nielsen in memory of John Bei
Winifred Noble in honor of Anne Teller
Jean O’Donnell in memory of Michael F. O’Donnell
Nancy and Kevin Padian in honor of Dick Otter on his birthday
Jackie Parker in memory of Kim Heddy
Ellen Gill Pastore in honor of Lizanne Pastore and Will Bucklin, in honor of
Lizanne Pastore on her birthday
Johanna and Remo Patri in honor of Reta Lockert on her birthday
Don and Ilene Paul in honor of the marriage of Michael Schwarz and Angel Garganta
Michael Pinkston in memory of Delia Pratt
Alan and Sandy Piotter in memory of Sara Basart
The Jim Portz Family in memory of Malcolm C. Ross
Kathy and John Rabb in memory of Kristi McCarthy (2)
Christopher Read in honor of Dr. James A. Read
Dick Reinhardt in memory of Malcolm Ross
Harry and Dee Richardson in memory of Pat Wiggins
Jill Robinson and Jim Kronrod in honor of the marriage of Michael Schwarz and
Angel Garganta
William Roth in honor of Alison Moxley, in honor of Anne Hotz
Agnes and Shike Rothblatt in memory of Remo Patri
Dwight S. and Nancy Russell in memory of Peter Kane
Marian Russell in memory of Malcolm Ross
Robin Russell in honor of George and Claudia Doerr
Roger and Deanna Sanborn in memory of Jim Farnkopf
Martha and James Sanford in memory of Matthew Guerrieri
Kate Sater in memory of Patricia Wiggins
David Scholz in honor of Pete and Patty Mattson
Joseph B. Schubert in memory of Markham D. Hirt
Dr. and Mrs. Michael Shane in memory of Erica Demarest Shane (2)
Joe Ficurelli —
Leaving a personal
legacy
visiting Sonoma County. While
driving over Crane Canyon Road, he
thought to himself, “What a beauti-
ful place to live!” Shortly thereafter,
he bought a home in Bennett Valley.
Soon after moving there, Joe was
introduced to Sonoma Land Trust at
a fundraiser to which he’d been
invited by a board member. A
former corporate attorney focused
on transportation, Joe was impressed
with the small nonprofit managed by
a deeply involved board of directors
and professional staff. He started
going on Land Trust hikes and, soon
after, became a conservation easement monitor. After a few years, he
stepped up his involvement and
became the volunteer coordinator for
easement monitoring. He coordinated that program for seven years,
learning firsthand how Sonoma
Land Trust preserves the rural
character and scenic beauty of
Sonoma County.
And while Joe’s volunteer activities increased, so did his annual gifts
to Sonoma Land Trust. In 2008,
wanting to make an even bigger
difference, he created his first
planned gift to SLT. “Creating a
legacy gift is a way of giving back
more than you ever thought you
could,” he says. “Leaving a bequest is
very simple: Just a few words in your
will and you’re all set.”
When Joe was asked what he
would like his legacy to be, he
became thoughtful and said, “It’s
about something continuing after
you’re gone ­— to be able to do
something wonderful to improve the
quality of life for others and for the
many future generations who will
live here.” Thank you, Joe.
Thom and Lois Shelton in memory of Robert C. Walther, P.E.
Susan Smile in honor of Dr. Anne French
Peter L. Stein in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Stein, Jr.
Stephen and Linda Stocking in honor and in memory of Dr. Kenneth M. Stocking (2)
Matthew Stockslager in memory of Derek Covert
John P. Strebel in honor and in memory of Ralph W. Benson, Sr., “Chief of the Fire”
(4)
Debra Stretch in honor of Celia Kitchell
Lisa Swaiman and James Grossman in honor of Rich Kuehn
Bruce and Linda Swartz in memory of Derek Covert
Jack and Marilyn Swire in memory of Jonathan Glass
Anne Teller in honor of Pat Eliot on her birthday
Jeffrey and Andrea Tobias in honor of Malcolm Lubliner
Dale and Elaine Trowbridge in memory of Denis R. Trowbridge
Tarter Libby Trudell, Sharyn Fitzpatrick, Cathy Gordon Regan, Senkarik Blodwen
in honor of Ethel Daly
Greer Upton and John Watrous in memory of Frank and Lyndal Watrous,
Christopher Brown and Susan Urquhart-
Brown in memory of Lois Brown
Cia Van Orden in memory of Mike Milat
Glenna Vaskelis in memory of Derek Covert
Sally Vella in memory of Ignazio Vella
Debra R. Verdi in memory of Eda Conner
Sandi and Paul Wassersteinin memory of Shirley Akawie
Olive G. and Richard Waugh in memory of Malcolm Ross
Lorraine A. Wedekind in memory of James and Julia B. McDermott (2)
Elaine Weihman in honor of Pat, Ted and Wendy Eliot
Ken Wells in honor of Greg Hayes
Lawrence A. Wilcox in memory of Stuart Penfield
Andrea Williamson in memory of Jaichima
Barbara Wilson in honor of Jan Chernoff
Joan Woodhull in memory of Joel Woodhull
Cora and Tom Wright in honor of the marriage of Michael Schwarz and Angel
Garganta
Ronald and Pieter Anne Wright in honor of Shanti and Brook Edwards (2)
Judith and Robert Yeager in memory of Anne Beeson
Pamela Zimmerman in memory of Jerry Waxman
Back in the 1990s, Joe Ficurelli was
TO PROTECT THE LAND FOREVER
11
Nonprofit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Petaluma, CA
Permit #201
966 Sonoma Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95404
www.SonomaLandTrust.org
!
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Greeting
Read about the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor starting on page 5
A generous gift of a
special place
by Georgiana Hale
Sonoma Land Trust recently re-
ceived a charitable gift that will
support the longevity of our organization and protect a portion of the
historic Milo Baker estate in Kenwood. David Mason, a Washington
state resident with roots in the
Sonoma Valley, donated his 18-acre
Adobe Canyon property to Sonoma
Land Trust earlier this year. The
property, once owned by renowned
botanist Milo Baker, contains a
section of Sonoma Creek, a small
organic vineyard and home, and
rugged, forested uplands.
In an arrangement designed to
meet Mason’s conservation vision
T O
and estate planning needs, the land
will continue to be managed by the
Morrison family, who are life tenants
and stewards of the property. The
Morrisons will care for the land in a
manner consistent with the conservation easement that Mason granted
to Sonoma Land Trust in 2005.
Then, at some point in the future,
when the Morrisons no longer reside
on the property, we will have the
option to either operate the property
as a small preserve or sell the protected land with the conservation
easement in place to generate funds
for additional projects. We greatly
appreciate David Mason and Ian and
Ellyn Morrison for continuing the
conservation legacy of this beautiful
property.
Georgiana Hale is SLT’s conservation
easement stewardship manager.
P R O T E C T
T H E
L A N D
The property’s forested uplands include
several meadows dotted with clusters of large
manzanitas. Photo by Georgiana Hale.
F O R E V E R