Sonoma Land Trust

About Sonoma Land Trust

Sonoma Land Trust’s largest recent grant was $1,130,000 to Sonoma County Regional Parks for the transfer of 200 acres of the Fitzsimmons Ranch property to Hood Mountain Regional Park. That single award captures the foundation’s core pattern: land protection, park expansion, and stewardship projects tied to Sonoma County’s working lands, waters, and habitat. Across the recent grants list, the foundation also backed fuel reduction work, watershed planning, trailhead stewardship, and conservation easements, showing a mix of land transfer support and project-specific funding. The organization’s recent awards are tightly local and operational. Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District received multiple grants for fuel reduction and vegetation management, while Audubon Canyon Ranch was funded for the same type of wildfire prevention work under CAL FIRE and National Fish & Wildlife Foundation-related projects. The foundation also supported planning and pre-acquisition costs, including due diligence and escrow for the Ayers property, indicating that it funds early-stage land conservation steps as well as implementation. Its giving reflects an emphasis on natural climate solutions, habitat restoration, and public access connected to county lands and waters.

What Sonoma Land Trust Funds

Wildfire fuel reduction is a clear priority. Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District received $166,523 in 2024 for fuel reduction and vegetation management projects under a CAL FIRE Fire Prevention Grant, and Audubon Canyon Ranch received $128,800 in 2024 for the same type of work with additional National Fish & Wildlife Foundation support. Water and habitat resilience appear alongside that fire work. Sonoma Land Trust gave $30,024 to San Francisco Estuary Institute for the Petaluma River Baylands Adaptation Plan for the Wildlife Conservation Board, and $11,673 to Sonoma Resource Conservation District for Petaluma River watershed adaptation and resilience planning under a California Wildlife Conservation Board grant. The foundation also funded trail and engagement programming: Petaluma River Park Foundation received $19,426 for Petaluma River Park engagement program planning, and Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods received $35,000 for pre-acquisition due diligence and escrow closing costs for the Ayers property.

How Sonoma Land Trust Gives