Acquisition of Cougar Landing – Addition to Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve
Summary
SCH Number
2021110247
Public Agency
Sonoma County Regional Parks
(SCRP)
Document Title
Acquisition of Cougar Landing – Addition to Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
11/17/2021
Document Description
The project consists of the acquisition of the Cougar Landing property at 7777 Cougar Lane to expand the County’s Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. The property consists of approximately 120 acres of largely undeveloped habitat in the Mayacamas Mountains. The existing park and preserve surrounds the property on three sides with more than a mile of shared boundary. The property is adjacent to the Azalea Creek Use Area and is close to several park trails. The Property’s rich mixture of oak woodlands, grassland, and coniferous forest would expand resource and watershed protection and provide additional nature-based recreation and education opportunities. Acquiring this property promotes numerous conservation priorities: it has scenic resource and riparian corridor zoning and supports the Blue Ridge to Marin Coast Wildlife Linkage Corridor. The entire parcel is highest priority for Wildlife Habitat and Movement and contains priority conifer forest, hardwood forest, and groundwater recharge areas as designated by the Bay Area Critical Linkages Project and Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. It will also help support additional emergency access to the park. Public access will continue to be from existing developed parking areas off of Pythian and Los Alamos Roads.
The purpose of the acquisition is to preserve the open space values of the property, provide additional trails, protect natural resources and the wilderness experience provided at the park and preserve, and offer a nature-based recreational experience close to population centers. To facilitate conservation and recreation on the property, the County may remove debris, remove or reconstruct existing fences and gates, provide minor fuel management, conduct limited habitat restoration, maintain the existing access, and provide for interim public use to the property.
Contact Information
Name
Steve Ehret
Agency Name
Sonoma County Regional Parks
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency / Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Location
Coordinates
Cities
Santa Rosa
Counties
Sonoma
Regions
Northern California, San Francisco Bay Area
Cross Streets
Cougar Lane and Los Alamos Road
Zip
95409
Total Acres
120
Parcel #
030-030-010
State Highways
Highway 12
Railways
NA
Airports
NA
Schools
NA
Waterways
Fawn Creek, tributary to Santa Rosa Creek, thence the Laguna de Santa Rosa to the Russian River
Township
07N
Range
06W
Section
12
Base
MtDiablo
Other Location Info
7777 Cougar Lane
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Statutory Exemption
Type, Section or Code
§21080.28(a); §15260-15285
Reasons for Exemption
Pursuant to, §21080.28(a) the acquisition of this property is exempt from CEQA because the purpose of the acquisition is to preserve the land for park purposes as specified in subsection (a)(1)(F).
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
§15301: Existing Facilities
Reasons for Exemption
Repair and replacement of existing fences and similar property maintenance is exempt per §15301: Existing Facilities.
County Clerk
Sonoma
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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