Save the Redwoods League to conserve 1,500+ acres of California redwood forest

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Land Trust Alliance, its staff, its board of directors or any other individuals associated with the organization.

Save the Redwoods League, an accredited Land Trust Alliance member, recently announced that it has agreed to purchase and conserve the 1,517-acre Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion property in Sonoma County, California. Home to second- and third-growth coast redwood and Douglas-fir forest, the property is owned by the Mendocino Redwood Company, LLC. Following the purchase later this year, the League will convey the property to Sonoma County Regional Parks for long-term stewardship and eventually to expand Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park and Open Space Preserve.

Less than two hours north of San Francisco, Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion shares 75% of its border — a total of 4.7 miles — with Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park and Open Space Preserve to the east and Sonoma Coast State Park to the west. Conserving this property will link a contiguous conserved area of more than 22,000 acres (more than 34 square miles) of forest, wildlife corridors and watershed, from the Bohemian Highway to the Sonoma Coast and north to Jenner Headlands. This mosaic of conserved lands was made possible through efforts of the League, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space, Sonoma Land Trust, Sonoma County Regional Parks and other conservation partners over many decades.

“A connected landscape is a resilient one,” said Sam Hodder, president and CEO of Save the Redwoods League. “The opportunity to secure Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion property creates a landscape of contiguous, conserved forest and creek habitat from the coast to the Bohemian Highway. Expanding public open space in this extraordinary scenic corridor will benefit residents and visitors with new recreational trails through redwood forests and across open meadows with stunning views of the Russian River Valley.”

The League has negotiated an agreement to buy the multiparcel property from MRC for $24 million. With its proximity to communities, Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion faces a significant threat of residential development. The purchase will bring the total land conserved by Save the Redwoods League in Sonoma County to 15,626 acres (24 square miles), which includes the recently acquired Sonoma Coast Redwoods property.

“Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion is a cornerstone of regional conservation efforts,” said Eamon O’Byrne, executive director of Sonoma Land Trust. “It connects to thousands of acres of conserved lands, unifying decades of hard work and commitments we have made to protecting natural resources, habitat for threatened species and wildlife corridors for a healthy community. We are thrilled to join Save the Redwoods League and our partners on this milestone project.”

What’s at stake

The 1,517-acre Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion property contains 1,287 acres of coast redwood forest that has been in timber production for over 100 years. There are a few old-growth trees across the property, including one 14-foot-wide ancient tree with a natural tunnel through its base.

The property’s coast redwoods are mixed with Douglas-fir, tanoak and California bay. Among other important environmental values, the forest at Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion is a high conservation priority for its carbon storage and climate benefits. Redwood forests store carbon in their rot-resistant wood for centuries, and research has confirmed that young redwoods grow quickly, storing substantial amounts of carbon in a relatively short period.

The property has 3.7 miles of streams, including the headwaters of Dutch Bill, Freezeout and Willow creeks — tributaries of the Russian River and spawning streams for federally listed coho salmon and steelhead trout.

History of Monte Rio Redwoods expansion

Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion is within the traditional lands of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, as well as the Southern Pomo territory of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria.

As with most of the redwood forest that historically grew along the Russian River corridor, old-growth trees of this property were logged over a long period, beginning in the mid-19th century. The redwoods today are the next generation and have been managed for more than 25 years by MRC. MRC previously sold nearly 3,900 acres of land that is contiguous to the Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion property for conservation in 2005.

“From its inception, MRC has sought to employ exemplary forest practices, including harvesting less than growth, the elimination of traditional clear-cutting, protection of old-growth redwoods and substantial aquatic restoration on its forestlands,” said Bob Mertz, CEO of MRC. “MRC earned Forest Stewardship Certification in November 2000 and is in its 25th year of operating within FSC standards. We are pleased to work with Save the Redwoods League on this transaction and look forward to further work together.”

For more information about the project, email Robin Carr at Landis Communications Inc.

One of the nation’s longest-running conservation organizations, Save the Redwoods League has been protecting and restoring redwood forests since 1918. The League has connected generations of visitors with the beauty and serenity of the redwood forests. Our 600,000 supporters have enabled the League to protect more than 220,000 acres of irreplaceable forests in 66 state, national, and local parks and reserves. For information, please visit SaveTheRedwoods.org.

This blog was adapted from a Save the Redwoods League news release.