- Happy Holidays from the Sonoma RCD Board and Staff
- Make a Tax-Deductible Gift and Support Conservation in 2026
- Our Team is Growing
- CARCD Conference Recap
- NBFIP Round 2 Applications Opening Soon
- Cultivating Community
- Building Healthy Soils & Habitat for Biodiversity
- Strengthening Food Security Through Education
- Coho in the Jenner Headlands
- Support for New Water Board Grazing Regulatory Program
- Plus FREE Site Assessments in Santa Rosa with Daily Acts, Learn and Burn Days with Pepperwood Preserve, and Buy, Protect, Sell Program with Ag + Open Space
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Happy Holidays from the Sonoma RCD Board and Staff
As we prepare to celebrate this holiday season, we want to extend gratitude to our remarkable network of partners in conservation. Your trust and collaboration are vital in supporting our work in bridging the needs of our local communities and natural resources.
We send our warmest wishes to each of you as you celebrate the close of 2025 and welcome the new year with hope and intention. Thanks to the dedication of our funders, community members, board of directors, and staff, we have been able to continue our work of creating a thriving and resilient Sonoma County. Thank you for being part of our journey. Happy Holidays, and we will see you in 2026!
Please note that our office will be closed from December 24, 2025, through January 2, 2026.
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Support Conservation On-the-Ground in 2026
As the year comes to a close, we invite you to make a gift to Sonoma RCD in support of vital conservation work in our community. Your donation helps protect and restore Sonoma County’s lands, waters, and wildlife, cultivating a healthy, resilient landscape that sustains our communities today and for generations to come.
By giving today, you not only contribute to a healthier environment but may also benefit from potential year-end tax savings. It’s a win-win for you and your community. As a government entity, Sonoma RCD is authorized under California Public Resources Code Section 9403 to receive contributions and is eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions in accordance with Internal Revenue Code Section §170(c)(1). Make your impact this season by donating directly on our website: sonomarcd.org/support-your-rcd. Together, we can achieve even more in 2026. Thank you for your support!
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Our Team is Growing
We are very excited to welcome Amy Tang as our new Program Assistant. Amy will work alongside staff to provide support for all RCD program areas, in pursuit of multiple resource goals such as water quality, drought and fire resilience, soil health, and climate-beneficial farming.
Amy holds a Bachelor of Science from UC Berkeley in Conservation and Resource Studies with a minor in Geospatial Information Systems. Before joining Sonoma RCD, she worked throughout Sonoma and Marin counties, focusing on invasive plant removal, forest fuels reduction, and wildlife monitoring. She is passionate about environmental justice, protecting biodiversity, and increasing her community’s resilience to climate change. A Sonoma County native, Amy is excited to support the landscapes and communities that shaped her. In her personal time, Amy enjoys playing tennis, spending time with her dog, Nugget, and trying new foods and restaurants.
Amy shared, “I’ve enjoyed learning about the many projects underway at the RCD and visiting sites to see projects in the implementation stage.” Welcome to the team, Amy!
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CARCD Conference Recap
Last month, five of our staff members and one board director represented the Sonoma RCD’s work at the annual California Association of Resource Conservation District (CARCD) Conference in Sacramento. Each year, this conference brings together RCD staff and board members, NRCS, and an array of partners from across the state to share knowledge, strengthen partnerships, and strategize solutions for natural resource challenges. We were proud to have four staff members lead presentations on topics from long-term strategic planning to engaging today’s students to cooperative forestry management.
Maria Wnorowski, Community Engagement Program Manager, who attended the conference for the first time, shared, “It was incredible to see the collective impact of resource conservation districts across the state and to exchange stories and ideas with partners who care deeply about the health and wellness of both our natural resources and communities. Seeing the people behind this work was truly inspiring and left me feeling energized as we head into the new year.”
The connections and insights gained will help guide our work as we continue supporting resilient landscapes and communities in the year ahead.
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NBFIP Round 2 Applications Opening Soon
We are excited to share that the next round of North Bay Forest Improvement Program (NBFIP) applications for funding implementation projects will open ithis January! Applications will be accepted from Friday, January 16th through Friday, February 13th.
While applications for forest management plans are accepted on a rolling, year-round basis, implementation applications are only accepted during specific windows throughout the year. We encourage interested landowners to visit our recently updated website to learn more about the program and access the Forest Management Plan application.
NBFIP is a collaborative, regional program supporting forest health and wildfire risk reduction across Lake, Mendocino, Napa, and Sonoma counties. This cost-share program provides financial incentives to landowners to conduct this critical work. We are proud to be part of this partnership alongside Conservation Works, Gold Ridge, Mendocino, and Napa RCDs, and Clear Lake Environmental Research Center (CLERC).
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Cultivating Community
As we reflect on our conservation work and partnerships, we are deeply grateful for the leadership and energy of our community members who bring people together to connect, learn, and strengthen our shared sense of belonging. One of these phenomenal leaders in community, Herman J. Hernandez, hosted a neighborhood gathering in Guerneville. Located just south of Armstrong Redwoods State Preserve, half of the property was impacted by the 2020 Walbridge Fire. In fact, CAL FIRE used Hernandez's property as a firebreak to stop the Walbridge Fire from advancing.
Held atop a small mountain on a perfect weather day, the event drew about 50 close neighbors and some staff from the variety of agencies that assisted Hernandez post-fire. The location showcased the wildfire resilience and risk reduction work that has taken place since 2021. Warmed by delicious homemade burritos, neighbors met, and agency staff described the safety benefits of working together as a group on large-scale, cross-property-line projects. Thank you, Herman, and to all our community champions who give so generously of themselves and create space for others to gather and connect.
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Building Healthy Soils & Habitat for Biodiversity
2025 has been a busy and impactful year for Sonoma RCD’s hedgerow installations and compost assistance efforts. Across 14 projects, our team supported the application of 5,304 tons of compost—a significant achievement made possible by the dedication of our Agricultural Team, land managers, and funders.
Interest in hedgerow installations continues to grow due to their many benefits for land managers, working landscapes, and pollinators. Over the past year—and continuing through 2026—Sonoma RCD will have supported the installation of 1,117 native plants across 5,402 linear feet of hedgerows, further strengthening habitat, improving biodiversity, and growing landscape resilience.
As we continue to do this work, we are continuing to develop programmatic ideas, investigating funding sources, and building partnerships to expand on these efforts. Recently, this included partnering up with Point Blue Conservation Science’s STRAW Program to complete a hedgerow installation at Eames Institute with the help of almost 60 students from Sonoma County. We deeply value our relationship with Point Blue and are grateful to partner with them in planning and delivering meaningful restoration days like this.
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Strengthening Food Security Through Education
This December, participants in our FARMS Leadership Program learned about the vital role local organizations play in advancing food security across our community. Thanks to our generous hosts, Sonoma Family Meal and Ceres Community Project, students explored the many ways local resources help keep residents fed, especially during times of heightened need, such as natural disasters and the holiday season.
Our FARMS Leadership students were inspired by the wide range of programs available for community members to access support and volunteer opportunities. They were also encouraged to see how even a small plot of land can become a powerful source of nourishment, particularly for individuals with dietary restrictions. At the Ceres Community Project Farm, students learned that one of the farm’s primary missions is to provide clean, organic produce—free of charge—to community members recovering from cancer.
Our students left amazed and encouraged to do their own community service project in their communities. We are grateful for the partners in our community who continue to open their doors to support the education of the youth in our FARMS Leadership Programs, while doing such impactful work to strengthen the health of our communities.
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Coho in the Jenner Headlands
For the first time since 1965, juvenile Coho salmon have been documented by The Wildlands Conservancy in the Russian Gulch Creek on the Jenner Headlands Preserve. The remarkable return of these native species to the Jenner Headlands and Russian Gulch watershed is a powerful reminder of what long-term restoration and partnership can achieve. These juveniles would likely not be present today without the patience, collaboration, and sustained commitment of a multitude of partners over the decades.
| | Photo thanks to Corby Hines | | | | |
Support for New Water Board Grazing Regulatory Program
The SF Bay Regional Water Board adopted a Grazing Permit this summer. The permit applies to grazing operations located in Sonoma Creek and Petaluma River watersheds that meet the criteria below. This new permit replaces older permits and requires grazing operations to develop a Ranch Water Quality Plan (RWQP) and implement plan recommendations to help protect and improve water quality.
If your ranch is located within Sonoma Creek or Petaluma River watersheds and meets the following criteria, you are required to enroll by February 15, 2026:
- The grazing operation covers 100 acres or more
- Livestock are kept on rangeland for a total of 45 days or more in any 12-month period
- The property is NOT currently part of the Confined Animal Facilities Program (primarily covering dairy and equine operations)
- The property is NOT currently enrolled in the Sonoma Creek and Napa River grazing permit (if you are enrolled, you will be automatically migrated to the new permit and do not need to re-enroll)
Grazing operations in the Petaluma River watershed, which is newly added to permit coverage, should be receiving notices in the mail soon. An information session will be held for new and prospective enrollees at 1:30 PM on January 9, 2026, at the Petaluma NRCS Field Office, 5401 Old Redwood Highway, Suite 100. You can also learn more or contact Water Board staff here.
Sonoma RCD is developing a Ranch Water Quality Plan template and can provide technical assistance to guide you through the planning process. Please reach out to Brett LeDuc, Agricultural Project Manager, at bleduc@sonomarcd.org for questions and support.
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Free Site Assessment and Concept Design for Water Conservation
Are you in the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Basin and interested in learning more about how you can conserve and reuse water in your landscape? If you are a residential or non-agricultural well-water user, then you are eligible to apply for a free Catalog of Projects, which will provide you with actionable ideas for groundwater recharge! Learn more and apply today: https://dailyacts.org/well-designed-landscape-program/
Funding is limited and time sensitive, so if interested, please apply today to be considered for a site visit. Future funding may also support installations for sites that apply. Visit the website to learn more.
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Learn and Burn
2nd Saturday & 3rd Thursday
November - March
9 am to 4 pm
FREE
Pepperwood Preserve
Join Pepperwood’s Learn and Burn (LAB) Days — hands-on training events focused on prescribed fire and fire-resilient land management. LAB Days provide regularly scheduled opportunities for community members to learn how fire can be used as a safe and effective stewardship tool. These sessions build participants’ comfort with fire, provide hands-on practice, and foster shared learning with experienced fire practitioners. Register using the form linked below.
PLEASE NOTE: While anyone is welcome, these workshops demand physical exertion and may require walking up to 3 miles on steep slopes while carrying a tool. Please be honest with yourself about your ability.
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Buy, Protect, Sell
Looking to own farm or ranch land? Ag + Open Space wants to connect with farmers and ranchers seeking their own small to midsize agricultural property. Through our new Buy-Protect-Sell program, Ag + Open Space will buy a farm or ranch property, protect it with a conservation easement, and sell the land to a qualified agricultural producer. Applications are open now!
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Conservation at Work with LandSmart®
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