In Sonoma County
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A VISION FOR LAND CONSERVATION IN SONOMA COUNTY DRAFT REPORT AVAILABILITY Find out more about the Vital Lands Initiative and access digital files for download atwww.vital-lands.org . The most updated version of the plan will be posted there, as well as on the Sonoma County Ag + Open Space website: www.sonomaopenspace.org. SUGGESTED CITATION Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. 2018. The Vital Lands Initiative. Santa Rosa, CA. ## pages plus appendices. ON THE COVER Text describing the photo on the cover, including “…. Protected forever by the Sonoma Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Photo byDRAFT [PLACEHOLDER] 2 THE VITAL DRAFT LANDS INITIATIVE A VISION FOR LAND CONSERVATION IN SONOMA COUNTY COMMUNITY REVIEW DRAFT MARCH 2018 DRAFT SONOMA COUNTY + OPEN AG SPACE 3 Foreword General Manager Foreword Board of Directors Chair Foreword The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (Ag + Placeholder text - to be developed by Director Gore (Assume approx 250 Open Space) was envisioned by the voters of Sonoma County to ensure healthy words) - Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, et eam detraxit inciderint, et cum alia and thriving natural and working lands in Sonoma County. We are honored to alterum. Alii consulatu per at, nam enim conceptam no, erat honestatis ad his. have been entrusted with the community’s vision for a vibrant and beautiful Ut ius omittam deterruisset, mea cu wisi brute impetus. Scaevola assueverit Sonoma County, and every day we work with our partners to implement this sed et, ius esse saepe vocibus ne.Audire deserunt eu qui. Ei nostro splendide vision. We have spent the last year working with the community and our partners constituto pri, ad ius eirmod nominavi. Eu viderer impedit scaevola mel, id sit to develop a shared strategy for the future of land conservation in Sonoma postea utamur docendi. Sed ut nibh mundi prodesset. Ius novum accusata an, County, informed by the best available science and data. We are excited to share pro ne atqui mollis tincidunt, pri an lorem mediocrem adolescens. Eam congue with you the Ag + Open Space Vital Lands Initiative – a comprehensive long- expetenda molestiae eu, mel fuisset eloquentiam comprehensam at. Ei his term strategic plan that will guide our conservation work through 2031. tacimates oportere dignissim, et qui nostrum consulatu. Saperet veritus no qui, ex libris recusabo tractatos usu, quo mundiXernatur? Pa sunt ped qui cuptas Bill Keene dolest quatque debitibusae venducides expland isciam qui incipsandi vid exerit GENERAL MANAGER qui dolesti re, sae prat as aut arum veligendam quiaepudi officipsaes audis conseque con rae odia dolorro beatem volectas accaepta natis endame vel minctotate nihictectur audam rero quia volorep tasperis mil ma cullaboris James Gore DRAFTBOARD CHAIR 4 DRAFT 5 SONOMA COUNTY AG + OPEN SPACE DRAFT Acknowledgments Visionary Voters of Sonoma County. The voters of Sonoma County created Ag + Open Space to protect natural and working lands, choosing to tax themselves to ensure that Sonoma County retains open space lands that maintain the beautiful scenic nature of our county, support family farms and local food, protect our watersheds and native habitats, create recreational opportunities, and maintain greenbelts to ensure the unique character of our cities and towns. Land Conservation Community. Sonoma County is fortunate to have an active, experienced, and well-informed land conservation community that has provided input and feedback about the critical needs and opportunities that exist here. Conservation partners, environmental professionals, and stakeholders have spent hundreds of hours working with us to develop the Vital Lands Initiative. Agricultural Community. Protecting productive agricultural lands is a complicated and nuanced endeavor. Ag + Open Space has cultivated a strong relationship with our local agricultural community, upon whom we rely to provide guidance about how to protect working lands throughout the county. Numerous individuals and organizations helped craft the Vital Lands Initiative, providing valuable insights and guidance in support of the plan. Reviewers, Academics, and Technical Experts. Ag + Open Space worked with experts from diverse fields to ensure that the most up-to-date science and data informed the Vital Lands Initiative. The following individuals and organizations provided technical and scientific input to the Vital Lands Initiative: First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First NameDRAFT Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name First Name Last Name 6 Board of Directors. Ag + Open Space is governed by a Board of Directors, which consists of the five elected County Supervisors, one representing each Supervisorial District. Their leadership and policy direction was instrumental in ensuring that this document reflects the Sonoma County community. The current Ag + Open Space Board of Directors includes: DRAFT Director Susan Gorin | First District Director Shirlee Zane | Third District Director Lynda Hopkins | Fifth District Director David Rabbitt | Second District Director James Gore | Fourth District Advisory Committee. Ag + Open Space is fortunate to be guided by an Advisory Committee. This group provided invaluable suggestions and advice throughout the development of the Vital Lands Initiative, representing a variety of stakeholders and communities throughout the county. At the time of publication, the Advisory Committee includes: Jan McFarland | First District ○John Nagle | Fifth District ○Curt Nichols (Chair Pro Tem) | Business ○Paul Martin | Second District ○Evan Wiig | Fifth District ○Don McEnhill (Vice Chair) | Environment ○Steve Rabinowitsh | Third District ○David Cook | Mayors and Councilmembers ○Cary Fargo | Real Estate ○Elly Grogan | Third District John Dell’Osso (Chair) | Mayors & Councilmembers Halei Trowbridge | Youth ○Bill Smith | Fourth District ○Neysa Hinton | Mayors & Councilmembers Eddie Smith | Youth ○Doug Lipton | Fourth District Tawny Tesconi | Agriculture Fiscal Oversight Commission. Ag + Open Space receives guidance from a Fiscal Oversight Commission, which provides independent fiscal oversight of projects and operations. Their input in the Vital Lands Initiative helped create a logical and clear product. At the time of publication, the Fiscal Oversight Commission includes: Michael J. Sangiacomo | First District Bob Anderson | Fourth District Todd Mendoza | Second District Eric J. Koenigshofer | Fifth District SONOMA COUNTY + OPEN AG SPACE Regina DeDRAFT La Cruz | Third District Jeff Owen | Alternate Commissioner 7 Table Of Contents Introduction Vital Lands Initiative About Ag + Open Space Past, Present, and Future Mission and vision A Vision for Sonoma County Primer on how we accomplish Natural and working lands in 1of Ag + Open Space 2Land Conservation 3our mission 4Sonoma County page xx page xx page xx page xx Local Land Conservation Outcomes on the Land Looking Forward Land protection in Goals, Objectives, Strategies Enacting the Vision 5Sonoma County 6and Performance Indicators 7 page xx page xx page xx Appendix A: Acronyms | Appendix B: Glossary | Appendix C: References | Appendix D: Data Sources & Analysis Methods | Appendix E: Community Engagement Appendix DRAFTF: State & Federal Laws Affecting Local Land Use | Appendix G: Formation Of Ag + Open Space 8 • TABLE OF CONTENT Overview The mission of Ag + Open Space is to permanently protect the diverse agricultural, natural resource, and scenic open space lands of Sonoma County for future DRAFT generations. To successfully accomplish this mission, we need a long-term strategic plan that identifies priorities and guides our conservation actions. This plan, developed with input from our partners and the community, will ensure that we are working together with all stakeholders to best achieve our shared goals of land conservation and the protection of the open spaces that we all value. DRAFT SONOMA COUNTY + OPEN AG SPACE 9 [SECTION ONE] Introduction DRAFT Sonoma County’s natural and working lands provide many benefits to our community: local food, ecosystems that sustain native plant and animal species, greenbelts and scenic vistas that contribute to the beauty and rural quality of our county, and parks and open spaces that allow people to get outside and experience the joy and health benefits of outdoor recreation. In 1990, the visionary voters of Sonoma County formed the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (Ag + Open Space) to ensure that these landscapes, and the benefits that they provide, would be protected forever. Since that time, Ag + Open Space has protected over 114,000 acres of land, achieving many of the priorities of Sonoma County voters, including preserving agricultural productivity, healthy watersheds, functional ecosystems and biodiversity, recreational opportunities, and incredibly beautiful landscapes. DRAFT 10 • INTRODUCTION DRAFT 11 SONOMA COUNTY AG + OPEN SPACE DRAFT INTRODUCTION Ag + Open Space Mission & Vision WHAT IS OPEN SPACE? Open space is an area of land or water that is primarily undeveloped and used DRAFT for the preservation of natural