On Thursday, June 13, the Board of Directors of the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency approved a groundwater sustainability fee and adopted a groundwater user registration ordinance.

Petaluma, CA – Farm workers who pick our food are victims of an unjust system that benefits corporations over workers, often leaving parents and grandparents unable to afford school supplies for their children or grandchildren. Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.) – where farm worker rights are a critical pillar of our advocacy – strives to give these children every possible chance at success. Today we announce the launch of our 2019 School Supply Drive to benefit the children of farm workers and support families trying to meet their basic needs.

The Bird Rescue Center (BRC), located in Santa Rosa, is determined to turn lemons into lemonade. For much of its 43-year history, BRC has been housed on County property—property that is now being sold. “While moving wasn’t our choice,” says Sam Marsh, Vice Chair of the organization’s Board of Directors, “it has presented us with an incredible opportunity to create a center that really supports the work we do.

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved a plan Tuesday to allocate staff hours over the next two years to complete planning efforts including finalizing the county's cannabis zoning rules, updating an existing tree protection ordinance, and beginning the latest version of county's long-range planning document, the General Plan.

The most beautiful smile in the world has been debated for centuries.  Could the most beautiful smile be the smile of desire?  The smile of contentment?  The smile of victory?  The smile of a muse has inspired men for centuries and one of the world’s most famous smiles, The Mona Lisa smile, will forever be a beguiling curiosity.  But all these smiles pale in comparison the best smile of all.  The one smile that rules all others.  That smile is … the Sonoma County Strawberry Patch Smile!  

In the late 1800s and early 1900s the North Pacific Coast Railroad (NPCRR) carried passengers and freight from Sausalito to Cazadero, north of the Russian River. In 2019, the old NPCRR right-of-way exists as disparate sections of paved trail, dirt trail, and road – but someday the entire route could be linked together to create a continuous path: the NPCRR Heritage Trail. It would be a path through history and the beautiful, varied landscapes of Marin and Sonoma Counties. For Part 1 of our Heritage Trail exploration we traveled from Sausalito to Corte Madera. We start Part 2 at Menke Park in Corte Madera near the north portal of the Alto Tunnel, where a tranquil paved multi-use path, screened by trees and bushes, leads northward to Baltimore Park.

We always think of summer as vacation time - time to play! And one of the spectacular benefits of living in Sonoma County is that we are home to amazing musicians who love to play music for their neighbors! Weather is good - venues vary from arks to concert arenas - food is available for those who just want to sit and relax - dance floors about for those who can't help themselves but have to MOVE! It's everything we want for summer fun. And some of these concerts even benefit good causes! Win/Win for everyone! 15 venues with live music all summer long for FREE or under $25 a ticket.

This article is the first in a series tracing the route of the old North Pacific Coast Railroad north to the Russian River and beyond. This railroad was a key link that helped shape the development of the North Bay. Today, its route represents not only a travel back through time, but a unique way to experience Marin and Sonoma Counties.  EcoRing, a green travel organization in the North Bay, advocates stitching together existing pathway segments and extending the route on publically owned portions of the original route to the Russian River.  For more information visit www.ecoring.org.

With over 4 – 6 Million visitors traveling through Bodega Bay on Highway 1, sections of the road have deteriorated so much that, for the safety of motorists & bicyclists, two sections have immediately been reduced to a single lane. 

Defensible Space is your property’s front line defense against wildfire. Creating and maintaining defensible space around your home can dramatically increase your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire and improves the safety of firefighters defending your property. 100 feet of defensible space is required by law. Read more and check out the illustrated flyer.