Volume 19, No. 1 November, 2019 This year’s Journal highlights CREATING THE NORTH SONOMA MOUNTAIN RIDGE TRAIL access and preservation Kim Batchelder on Sonoma Mountain. Natural Resources Planner, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space Inside Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation Over the next two years, the agency Letter from the Chair and Open Space District (Ag + Open Space) acquired the 47-acre Skiles Ranch and 226- has a diverse and multi-faceted mission. acre Cooper’s Grove. Other critical pieces Tribute: Ted Eliot This mission includes the protection of to the puzzle were an 11-acre property Leaving a Legacy scenic corridors, watersheds, greenbelts, donated by the Roth Family (who also gave agricultural lands and recreation. However, the land for Fairfield Osborn Preserve) and Getting on the Mountain this mission would be impossible to the 84-acre Sonoma Mountain Woodlands complete in isolation. So Ag + Open Space parcel, originally given to Regional Parks Sonoma Mountain Trek has a long history of partnership with to mitigate the impacts of a nearby East Slope Trail local and state partners and agencies that subdivision. Finally, all the pieces were manage our parks and preserves. One assembled for a trail that could gently project that highlights this collaborative climb from Jacobs Ranch for nearly five The first peoples of southern effort is the North Sonoma Mountain Sonoma county, the Coast Miwok, placed oona-pa’is Ridge Trail (“North Sonoma Mountain continued on page 6 — Sonoma Mountain — at Trail”). Starting back in March 2005, Ag + the center of the world, Open Space embarked on the construction imagining its summit as of a trail from Jacobs Ranch, off of Sonoma “My first assignment for an island in the primordial Sonoma Ag + Open Space was ocean at the beginning of Mountain Road in Bennett Valley, to Jack to develop the North Sonoma time. London State Historic Park. Mountain Ridge Trail. I remember Geologists tell a similar story The vision for the trail had its genesis in visiting a small redwood grove —that Sonoma Mountain’s two innovative efforts that had begun on Jacobs Ranch – the proposed layers of volcanic and fifteen years before. In 1990, Sonoma launching site for this magnificent sedimentary rock, pushed County voters approved one of the first upward by tectonic forces, trail—and just feeling exuberant “public land trusts” in the United States rose from the depths of a about the idea of creating a path to protect agricultural and open space shallow sea. across such a spectacular lands through a quarter-cent sales tax. landscape.” Since then, Ag + Open Space –that “public —Kim Batchelder land trust” – has protected over 118,000 acres, including almost 3,750 acres on and around Sonoma Mountain. In 1992, the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council was formed Our mission is to preserve with the ambitious vision of creating Sonoma Mountain’s scenic, a 550-mile path along the ridge tops agricultural, and natural around San Francisco Bay. Today there are resources by cultivating a over 375 miles of dedicated Ridge Trail sense of place, engaging people throughout the Bay Area. in the landscape, and The North Sonoma Mountain Trail got inspiring them to become its start in 2003 when Ag + Open Space mountain stewards. purchased the 168-acre Jacobs Ranch. Go to our website: www.sonomamountain.org allowed) and the visual impact of become officially part of JLSHP and TRIBUTE: privilege. After graduating Harvard, he It was a down deep thing driving Letter new building and lighting from Regional Parks; a conservation easement applied to the State Department kind of them to connect themselves with the major roads. to protect the lands permanently should TED ELIOT on a whim. It took him around the world, central part of the mountain. And from the be signed by the time you are reading this Here’s how we are thinking of SMP’s to consulates in Afghanistan, Russia and they got it done. But it took sixteen Journal. Mickey Cooke, SMP Founder Chair mission: Sri Lanka. At the end of his career he was years. I think because of his work The Petaluma City Council has allocated the man in Washington who collected all in government, Ted learned to tack Our mission is to preserve Sonoma $50K for Lafferty Ranch planning—270 the documents that came into the State when he couldn’t get exactly what Mountain’s scenic, agricultural, more acres of open space on the west side. Department building. Whether it was he wanted. But Pat wouldn’t let him and natural resources by cultivating super secret or just plain, Ted distributed go too far. She was a good engine a sense of place, engaging people in SMP Earns Bronze Seal RATIFYING EAR it to the people who needed to use it. He behind them. They really were a A G Y the landscape, and inspiring them to This rating gives you one more reason to knew everything and had earned a lot of pair. Ted’s love for the outdoors and FOR THE MOUNTAIN! become mountain stewards. You all support our work on the mountain! You trust and respect. conservation went back to Roger Tory help this process along every time you can donate through Paypal on our website Meg Beeler Peterson, the grandpapa of American take a friend for a hike, gift the book, or or mail your check to PO Box 1772 Glen After Ted retired, he and Pat built a house birders. Ted learned his birding from Where the World Begins has been a local volunteer with us. Ellen, CA 95442 (envelope enclosed). on Sonoma Mountain. They really wanted this man, along the New England bestseller (Readers and Copperfields Thank you! to connect their property with the trails Changes, News, and Events shoreline. Books) for six months! To all of you who at Jack London Park (see pg. 7) Eventually SMP’s long-serving Treasurer, Jack purchased, gifted, and raved about the they convinced the McCrae family to grant Probably the biggest thing Ted Nisson, who kept track of all the changes book, thank you. To our donors—the a trail easement across their property. contributed to the mountain’s as we moved from a minimal budget to many volunteers who helped make the Then the McCraes sold the land and the preservation was getting the top 300 a more complex system for book sales, book launches so much fun for nearly 600 buyer reneged; he didn’t want a trail up acres of the Developmental Center ended his devoted service this summer. attendees, the vintners who contributed there. Ted went to the homeowner’s moved to Open Space. Ted was Please welcome our new Treasurer, Bob wines, and those of you who made association meeting in Sobre Vista, right on their Advisory Board. The fact Bowler from Penngrove, to our Board. contributions—deep gratitude. below that property. The new owners that they provided $300,000 for it We’ll begin the new year with a special Creating the book has inspired your SMP were there and he just laid into them. was because of him. The 300 acres hike on the East Slope Trail, starting Board and Steering Committee to vision He got fired up and told them what he below that, with the orchard, went from the Eliot land at the top of Grove a broader educational commitment and thought. It was quite powerful. He was to the park, again because he made (making this beautiful trail much more GIFTS! some exciting initiatives for SMP’s next 25 someone who rarely lost his temper—only a great deal of noise about it. Ted accessible). Other experientially-focused years. Where the World Begins makes a fine A great deal of Ted’s connection with if somebody was unfair and did something was always around when there was hikes will begin in Winter 2020. Finally, holiday gift for family and friends. Sonoma Mountain came from his spouse, really wrong. I think he was a little a need for funding. He could find In August 2019, twelve of us gathered our 3rd annual Trek across the Mountain Have it mailed to anyone in the US by Pat. Ted used to say that he watched the ashamed afterwards. But he did the right people to give money for things. That at Sonoma Mountain Ranch for a day with Landpaths will take place April purchasing online. Or get your copies birth of Sonoma Mountain Preservation at thing; people took it seriously. It told you was his big power. Just having him of strategic visioning and planning. Two 10 to 12, 2020 (see pg. 6). Our email at Readers Books, Copperfields, Jack their kitchen table. She was complaining that his heart was where his effort was. walking around behind Pat, his big tall wonderful facilitators guided us in honing newsletter is the best way to get news London and Sugarloaf State Parks, Laurel about development and Ted said, “Why presence, was really good. our mission as we identified five potential about hikes like these. Glen, McCormick’s Mercantile, Talisman, don’t you do something about it?” areas of focus: An additional seven hundred and Kenwood Press, or the Petaluma Museum. • Trail accessibility and development twenty five acres of SDC open space will They were a fabulous couple who prodded on open space lands; each other to get things going. Ted would Join Us in 00! • Experiential education programs say, “If she had something she wanted, Quarterly Steering Committee meetings: bringing people onto the mountain she got it.” She was persistent. And so was January 22; April 22; July 22 & October 28 to encourage connection and he.