Acquisition of Weeks Ranch North- Addition to Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve.

Acquisition of Weeks Ranch North- Addition to Hood Mountain Regional Park and Open Space Preserve.

Description of Nature, Purpose, and Beneficiaries of Project: The project consists of the acquisition of Weeks Ranch North Property (Property) by County of Sonoma with the assistance of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (Ag + Open Space). The Property is 888 acres of rolling hills located on Los Alamos Road (Assessor's Parcel Nos. 030-050-014, 030-090-004, and 028-170-079) adjoining Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Hood Mountain Regional Park & Open Space Preserve (Preserve). It would be added to the Preserve expanding recreational and wildlife connectivity. In an additional transaction, Parks may acquire another property from the same seller, the 100-Acre Ranch, that would directly connect this acquisition with Saddle Mountain Open Space Preserve, further expanding recreation and wildlife connectivity. As part of the current action, Ag + Open Space’s existing Conservation Easement (CE) will be amended to clarify a water easement, allowing transfer of water from the Weeks Ranch North property to the Weeks Ranch South property and the residence at 1700 Los Alamos Road. As a condition of receiving the property, Sonoma County Regional Parks (Parks) would accept the terms of the newly amended conservation easement and a recreation covenant. Parks may provide the seller with an agreement to continue limited use of the property by leaseback to continue grazing, pasture enhancement activity, and access to the rock pits for road maintenance, allowing completion of an existing NRCS invasive weed management cost-share project. The purpose of the acquisition(s) is to preserve the open space values of the Property and to improve habitat connectivity and recreational connections the benefit of the general public. To facilitate conservation and recreation on the property, the County may replace or reconstruct existing fences and gates, provide minor fuel management and debris removal, conduct limited habitat restoration, maintain the existing access including minor trail/road work, perform maintenance and minor repairs on existing structures to provide public use of the Property.

Sonoma

San Francisco Bay Area

Sonoma