- Sonoma RCD partners with Ag + Open Space to Steward Conserved Land
- Sonoma RCD Selected for Right Relations Program
- Mark West Process-Based Restoration
- Hiring Staff Accountant and Forestry Technician
- Mobile Mill tour highlights opportunities for sustainable forestry biproducts
- RCD Event: Ag Heritage Series at Pacheco Dairy - Tomorrow!
- RCD Event: Setting the Table: A Mixer for Vineyard Owners, Land Managers & Specialty Crop Producers to Explore Land Leases
- Community Meeting for the Gualala Roads Assessment Order
- UCCE Workshops and Needs Assessment Results
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Sonoma RCD partners with Ag + Open Space to Steward Conserved Land
We’re excited to share that earlier this month, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved two contracts with Sonoma County’s Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) to support the development of an innovative and timely Stewardship Assistance Program. The pilot program will focus on advancing natural resource enhancement projects on privately owned lands protected by Sonoma Ag + Open Space conservation easements that support agricultural and forestry operations. The program was developed in response to feedback from landowners and the broader community that additional technical and financial support is needed to advance long-term stewardship and natural resource conservation on protected working lands.
The RCDs and Ag + Open Space will develop and pilot the program over the next three years. The RCDs are natural partners to support this effort with our local expertise in both natural resource management, and agricultural and forestry operations. The contracts total $2M, with Gold Ridge RCD set to receive up to $670,000 and Sonoma RCD up to $1.33M.
Christine Kuehn, Executive Director, shared, “Through this exciting partnership, we’re working directly with landowners and land managers to advance stewardship on protected land, improving soil and water health, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting productive agricultural and forestry operations.” She continued to say that, “These investments in turn benefit our entire community through cleaner water, healthier ecosystems, local food production, and more climate-resilient landscapes.”
The current Ag + Open Space conserved lands portfolio consists of 350 easement ownerships, protecting 127,000 acres, and almost 80% of those protected lands are privately owned. This pilot program will focus on agriculture and forestlands, which also support wetlands, riparian corridors, grasslands, forests, and other ecosystems. Access to funding and technical assistance will directly assist landowners and managers to complete projects that enhance the natural resource values that the original conservation easement purchase was intended to protect.
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Sonoma RCD Selected for Right Relations Program
Sonoma RCD was selected as one of the participants for the TOGETHER Bay Area & Redbud Resource’s Group’s Right Relations Program, Phase One for 2026. The program is a 9-month, cohort-based pilot program to build alliance with local Native American communities. Three of our amazing staff are participating in the program, which is structured through in person field trips, online trainings, and expert conversations focused on developing the knowledge necessary to build the region’s capacity strengthen tribal sovereignty.
A specific highlight that stood out was a field trip to the California Academy of Sciences, which was hosted in collaboration with Gregg Castro from the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone. There, participants learned about the differences between Indigenous and Western approaches to science. Gregg’s group has been collaborating with Cal Academy on what he calls “two-eyed seeing,” which is a way of looking at a situation from both Indigenous and Western viewpoints and finding opportunities to blend both approaches.
The tour also led the group through California Academy’s California State of Nature exhibit featuring Indigenous art and history and the anthropology collections, including pottery and baskets from tribes across California. Anya Nejedlo, Agricultural Program Director, reflected, “It was an incredible experience to get a behind-the-scenes look at the museum and learn of the different ways their researchers are supporting and working with tribal groups!”
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Mark West Process-Based Restoration
We have been collaborating with Sonoma County Regional Parks on process-based restoration throughout the county in our local parks. Process-based restoration is the use of low-impact, natural methods to restore and enhance watersheds. On a local level, this looks like using vegetation from thinning and other forestry projects to create beaver dam analogs, wood jams, and one log dams to restore watersheds, prevent erosion, and enhance habitat, especially for coho salmon and steelhead trout.
As part of this collaboration, we have been developing a guidebook that identifies sites where process-based restoration can be used. This guidebook can then be used by County Parks to prioritize projects and streamline permitting. Once finalized, we are also hoping to turn it into a manual that community members throughout the county can use.
In addition to the guidebook, Fatima Burhan, Project Manager, has been focused on mapping sites in the future Mark West Creek Regional Park and Open Space Preserve. Thanks to funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board, we are leading the design, planning, and construction oversight of several process-based restoration projects throughout the park. These include the installation:
- beaver dam analogs, which are inspired by the engineering-design of beavers to create pools of water
- upland process-based restoration – to prevent or mitigate erosion in ephemeral streams and gullies
- wood-loading, where logs are dropped onto streams to create structure to slow rushing water and habitat for aquatic species.
In addition to preventing erosion and enhancing habitat, many of these projects also support groundwater recharge and connecting floodplains.
We are excited to see how this project progresses! If you are interested in learning more, Steven Fry, Watershed Restoration Program Manager, and Fatima both presented on Tuesday at the California Water Network on this project. You can watch here.
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Staff Accountant
The Staff Accountant position is an excellent opportunity for an experienced, detail-oriented accounting professional who is motivated to support a mission-driven organization. Reporting to the Finance Manager and working closely with the fiscal and administration team under limited supervision, the Staff Accountant is responsible for accounts payable and accounts receivable functions and provides support for payroll processing. This role plays a critical part in ensuring sound financial management of grant and contract awards, maintaining compliance with funding source requirements, and supporting the effective delivery of Sonoma RCD programs, while also contributing to the development and maintenance of accounting, payroll, and grants systems and processes that are essential to the organization’s overall financial and operational success.
This is a full-time position with a starting compensation range of $33.89 - $40.50 per hour. It is based in Sonoma County, with a partial remote-work option after a 90-day introductory period. Applications must be received by 5:00 PST on June 15, 2026.
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Forestry Technician
The Forestry Technician position offers an exciting opportunity to apply forestry principles and project management skills to meaningful and impactful conservation work in some of California’s most beautiful landscapes. They will work among a dynamic team of professionals, including a registered professional forester, licensed civil engineers, certified professionals in planning, certified professionals in erosion and sediment control (CPESC, biologists, a geomorphologist), and other natural resource professionals. Under the direct supervision of the Director of Forestry, a Registered Professional Forester (RPF), the Forestry Technician will assist in the development of LandSmart Forest Management Plans, including forest inventory, road assessments, mapping, and biological assessment.
This is a full-time position with a starting compensation range of $23.44 - $28.12 per hour. It is based in Sonoma County, with a partial remote-work option after a 90-day introductory period. Applications must be received by 5:00 PST on June 12, 2026.
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Mobile Mill Tour Highlights Opportunities for Sustainable Forestry Biproducts
In addition to planning and managing forest health and wildfire risk reduction projects, our Forestry Team works to foster the budding forestry products market. Downed trees from wildfire and clearing are usually chipped, masticated, and/or burned. In this area formerly known for producing lumber, there is a growing movement to develop a market to give trees a “second life.”
The Forestry Team recently had the opportunity to visit a mobile wood milling demonstration by J&L Palo Urbano, hosted by owner and arborist, Jess Running. This mobile operation can be transported to the trees to be milled instead of needing to bring the trees to a milling facility. It is capable of cutting logs into anything from small squares to 24-foot beams, and everything in between. This option to create wood products on site is cost effective and offers unique products for forestland owners. After the demonstration, a Team member commented that the scent of the fresh-cut white oak was heavenly.
That day’s demonstration was conducted outside a woodworking facility which is tucked away on the outskirts of Sebastopol. Local woodworkers create a vast range of products, including hand-carved indoor and outdoor furniture, clocks, and other décor.
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Ag Heritage Series: Pacheco Dairy
Saturday, May 30th
10:00 am - 12:30 pm
FREE
Come learn how local family dairies have played and continue to play an important role for our county heritage and economy.
Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of artisanal cheese making in Sonoma County! Pacheco Dairy, in partnership with Ag + Open Space, Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District (RCD), Sonoma RCD, and Sonoma County Farm Bureau, will be hosting a tour of their farm and cheese production operations. This will be an opportunity for community members to learn about sustainable practices dairies are integrating to their operations and production process.
We will start with coffee and pastries at 10 am, with the farm tour beginning at 10:15. We will take a tour of the farm, visit with the herd, and move onto the production facilities. Please be prepared to spend majority of the time in outside conditions. Following the tour, there will be a Q&A with the Pacheco family & partnering staff as well as a complimentary cheese tasting.
This event is free thanks to the voters of Sonoma County, who fund the work of Ag + Open Space with a quarter-cent sales tax. In 2009, Pacheco Dairy and Ag + Open Space partnered together to permanently protect 230 acres through the Pacheco Dairy Conservation Easement. This easement, and other easements like it, forever protect our county’s rural beauty and character, unique habitat for the wildlife that depends on this ecosystem, and the critical connections necessary for thriving farms, dairies, and ranches.
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Setting the Table: A Mixer for Vineyard Owners, Land Managers & Specialty Crop
Producers to Explore Land Leases
Wednesday, June 17th
3:00 - 6:00 pm
FREE
Deep Roots Farm, Penngrove
Kitchen Table Advisors + Sonoma RCD
We are setting the table for land owners, vineyard owners/managers, and local specialty crop producers to meet, chat, and explore land leasing opportunities.
With KTA and UCCE Marin’s timely release of their new publication, Evaluating Your Land for Leasing to a Specialty Crop Farmer, there will be resources and experts readily available to support both landowners and lessees in exploring what is needed for a successful partnership.
This event is open to anyone interested in offering land for lease or leasing land. You do not need to be a vineyard or specialty crop producer to attend.
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Community Meeting for the Gualala Roads Assessment Order
Thursday, June 18th
10:00 am - 1200 pm
Lake Sonoma Visitor Center or Zoom
North Coast Regional Water Board
All interested community members are invited to attend a community meeting for the Gualala Roads Assessment Order. The North Coast is developing this order Water Board and will require the inventory, assessment, and prioritization of sediment-generating rural roads in the Gualala River Watershed. This will be one of two orders designed to improve road conditions, control excess sediment, and reduce elevated water temperatures. All of these reduce water quality and negatively impact the river’s ecosystem, particularly its native salmon and trout populations.
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UC Davis Soil Health and Management Lab Webinar Series
UC Davis Soil Health and Management Lab (Xu Lab) is starting a webinar series where speakers will share their research findings and insights on soil health related to soil biogeochemistry, soil health management, sustainable agriculture, and organic farming.
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May 29 from 12-1 pm: "Healthy soil: The simple and the complicated" with Alan Franzluebbers, Research Ecologist, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, North Carolina State University
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June 29 from 12-1 pm: "Cover crop management impacts on soil water dynamics" with Humberto Blanco, Professor of Soil Management and Applied Soil Physics, University of Nebraska
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July 30 from 12-1 pm: "Soil health and sustainability in organic agriculture" with Yichao Rui, Assistant Professor of Agroecology, Purdue University
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August 28 from 12-1 pm: "Salinity soil management" with David Clay, Distinguished Professor of Soil Science, South Dakota State University
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UCCE Water & Soil Program Initial Needs Assessment
Helaine Berris, UCCE Water & Soil Advisor for Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, and Marin counties, recently published the results of her initial needs assessment. This needs assessment will guide program development and ensure future programming remains relevant to regional growers. Ongoing assessments will identify evolving challenges and barriers in agricultural water management and inform research and educational efforts.
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Conservation at Work with LandSmart®
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