Page 17 - Sonoma County Gazette March 2017

VISION cont’d from page 16
Such community input and engagement will be key to developing insightful strategies for conserving important open space lands that preserve the region’s agricultural heritage, provide critical habitat for plants and wildlife, offer beautiful places for people to enjoy, and create buffers around cities so that communities retain their unique character. Its digital format will save trees and allow the plan to be quickly and easily updated as new information and data emerge, and threats and
opportunities evolve. Healthy Lands, Thriving Communities
As a result of the District’s work, the Sonoma County community can take pride in its vision for conservation and its investments in over 111,000 acres of working lands and natural areas. The District has helped to provide nearly 12,000 acres of protected land open
for public recreation, including helping to create 32 new parks, preserves, and public spaces. The District has also purchased 7,350 acres of land that has been added to existing State and Regional Parks. Moreover, the District has protected nearly every mountain adjacent to the county’s major urban centers, including Fitch Mountain (Healdsburg), Taylor Mountain (Santa Rosa), and Montini Open Space Preserve (Sonoma) – offering opportunities for residents to get outdoors and experience the region’s natural beauty.
It’s TIME to Get your Home Summer Social READY!
The District has protected
thousands of acres of land
that contribute to healthy
watersheds, ecosystems, and groundwater basins that provide clean, abundant drinking water for our community, and critical habitats for sensitive, threatened and endangered plant and animal species. Further, by working with farmers and ranchers to safeguard their land from the threat of subdivision and development, the District contributes to a thriving $650 million agricultural economy that features artisanal cheeses and dairy products, free- range meat and poultry, organic produce, world-class wine, and more.
As a community-envisioned, voter-approved land conservation and stewardship organization, the District’s work reflects the values of Sonoma County residents. The District looks forward to working with the community to prioritize conservation of our region’s vital open space lands.
For more information on the Vital Lands Initiative, including the dates and locations of the community meetings to take place in March, please visit sonomaopenspace.org/vital-lands.
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