Welcome to PRESERVATION RANCH

In the Annapolis area, agriculture within the forested landscape has been a historical land use for over 100 years

Preservation Ranch is a forest and vineyard project that is being proposed for a 19,711-acre property in Northwestern Sonoma County, California.

Why do we call it Preservation Ranch?

• It will restore and preserve important Sonoma County forest resources
• It will restore and preserve wildlife and fisheries habitat
• it will help preserve Sonoma County's rural heritage
• It will help preserve and protect the Gualala River watershed
• It will help preserve Sonoma County's agricultural heritage

The Opportunity

• Create permanent protections for over 15,000 acres of Sonoma County timberland
• Plant and farm approximately 1,800 acres of world-class vineyards
• Create a 2,400+ acre Wildlife and Oak Woodland Preserve and donate an additional 200+ acres to the adjacent County park Soda Springs Reserve
• Reduce the number of parcels from over 160 to 62, thereby eliminating significant future development potential and related environmental impacts

• Address the environmentally damaged and fragmented condition of the property:
  • Over 160 current legal parcels exist, which fragments the timber resource into small, uneconomic units that invite residential development.
  • Over the past 80 years, previous owners damaged the forest resource by aggressive clear-cut logging.  This history leaves a depleted timber resource, increased fire risk, impaired greenhouse gas storage and a damaged fish and wildlife habitat.

The Process

• The proposal will undergo a detailed environmental analysis for the next year and a half, as well as months of public review and participation:  
  • A Project Description has been submitted to Sonoma County as part of an application for 1) a rezone of the specific areas intended for vineyards and requiring timber conversion, and: 2) a conditional use permit for the timber conversion process necessary for creating these vineyard areas. 
  • The project will be reviewed under the rules of CEQA (the California Environmental Quality Act). Sonoma County will be the “lead agency” creating a comprehensive Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the entire project, with input from state and local agencies and the general public (State and local agencies include the California Department of Fish and Game, California State Water Resources Control Board, California North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, Division of Dam Safety, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services).

We're proud of the Preservation Ranch proposal and welcome your interest in learning more.