North Bay land deal to connect 22K acres of forest, wildlife habitat
(KRON) — A 1,517-acre patch of coast redwood forest in Sonoma County, considered a haven for native plants and wildlife, is set to be protected following a purchase agreement announced Tuesday by Save the Redwoods League. The property will fill a gap to link more than 22,000 acres of conserved lands from Monte Rio to the Pacific Coast.
The Monte Rio Redwood Expansion 'faces a significant threat of residential development,' Save the Redwoods League said in the announcement. The San Francisco-based nonprofit organization negotiated an agreement to purchase the property for $24 million from Mendocino Redwood Company (MRC).
The League will convey the property to Sonoma County Regional Parks for long-term stewardship, according to the organization.
The property features 3.7 miles of streams, including spawning waters for coho salmon and steelhead trout. Its vast and varying wildlife habitats and corridors are home to mountain lions, northern spotted owls, San Francisco dusky-footed woodrats and California red-legged frogs.
'Mountain lions, bobcats, California quail, and American badgers are among the fascinating animals that move through this landscape,' Save the Redwoods League said. 'Connecting this property to other conserved lands will secure and stabilize this potential breeding habitat, while also building wildfire and climate resilience for the benefit of wildlife populations and local communities alike.'
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The 1,287 acres of coast redwoods are mixed with Douglas-fir, tanoak, madrone, coast live oak, and California bay. One notable lightning-scarred, old-growth redwood measures 14 feet across with a natural tunnel running through its base, according to the nonprofit.
'The opportunity to secure Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion property creates a landscape of contiguous, conserved forest and creek habitat from the coast to the Bohemian Highway,' said Sam Hodder, president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League. 'Expanding public open space in this extraordinary scenic corridor will benefit residents and visitors with new recreational trails through redwood forests and across open meadows with stunning views of the Russian River Valley.'
The nonprofit is seeking $20 million in public and private funding for the purchase, with the remaining $4 million to come from Save the Redwoods League and partner organization Sonoma Land Trust.
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