To: Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District
Staff Name and Phone Number: Misti Arias, General Manager, 565-7264; Jen Kuszmar, Acquisition Manager, 565-7266; Olivia Fiori, Acquisition Specialist, 565-7349
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Fifth
Title:
Title
Osprey Hill Ranch Conservation Easement Acquisition (Property No. 0665)
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
Adopt a Resolution of the Board of Directors of the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District (”Ag + Open Space” or ”District”):
A) Authorizing $2,480,000 and escrow costs from Ag + Open Space for purchase of a Conservation Easement over Osprey Hill Ranch;
B) Authorizing the President of the Board of Directors to execute the Conservation Easement with Sonoma Land Trust, and the associated certificate of acceptance;
C) Determining that the acquisition of the Conservation Easement is consistent with the Sonoma County General Plan 2020 and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District’s Expenditure Plan;
D) Making certain determinations pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act and directing the filing of a Notice of Exemption;
E) Dedicating the Conservation Easement to open space purposes pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 5540;
F) Authorizing the Ag + Open Space General Manager to make technical, non-substantive changes to the Conservation Easement and other closing documents, to execute any other documents necessary to complete this transaction and take all other actions necessary to complete this transaction, in consultation with County Counsel.
G) Authorizing recordation of all instruments necessary to accomplish the transaction.
(Fifth District)
end
Executive Summary:
Ag + Open Space is proposing to purchase a Conservation Easement over the 354.74-acre Osprey Hill Ranch property located at 6700 Highway 1 along the Sonoma Coast in Sonoma County, California (“Property”). The Conservation Easement will protect the Property’s natural, agricultural, scenic, and recreational and educational resources in perpetuity. The Property is contiguous with District-protected Wright Hill Regional Park & Open Space Preserve and Sonoma Coast State Park and includes extensive coastal grasslands, wetlands, riparian areas, and other sensitive habitats, as well as a longstanding working ranch. The Conservation Easement will protect an important coastal landscape while supporting natural resource stewardship, agricultural use, tribal access and stewardship, and opportunities for expanded public access, including through future extension of the California Coastal Trail.
Discussion:
Property Characteristics/Project Significance
Osprey Hill Ranch is a 354.74-acre property located along Highway 1 and the Sonoma Coast. The Property consists of one assessor’s parcel and is bordered by private ranchlands to the east and south and by Sonoma Coast State Park and the Ag + Open Space protected Wright Hill Regional Park & Open Space Preserve to the north and west. The Property is highly visible from Highway 1 and adjacent public lands, contributing to the scenic and rural character of the Sonoma Coast.
The Property consists of an extensive mosaic of coastal grasslands, seasonal wetlands, coastal scrub, riparian corridors, and forested areas. Approximately 278 acres are grasslands, including remnant native perennial grasslands. Wetlands, seeps, and riparian areas provide habitat for sensitive plant and wildlife species of concern, while contributing to water quality, wildlife movement, and landscape connectivity. Collectively, these habitats support biodiversity and contribute to ecological resilience of the Sonoma Cost.
The Property has a longstanding agricultural history and was historically operated as a dairy, a lamb ranch, and as a cow-calf operation. Existing ranch infrastructure, including barns, corrals, fencing, and developed water sources, supports continued livestock grazing and provides opportunities for grazing that can maintain productive rangeland while supporting natural resource protection and enhancement.
Conserving Osprey Hill Ranch will build upon significant investments in protected lands along the Sonoma Coast. Its location adjacent to Sonoma Coast State Park and Wright Hill Regional Park & Open Space Preserve provides an opportunity to protect habitat connectivity, scenic resources, and working lands within a larger network of conserved coastal landscapes. The Property also provides opportunities for restoration of coastal grasslands, grazing, prescribed and cultural burning, tribal stewardship and access, environmental education, and compatible recreational uses.
Project Structure
Sonoma Land Trust (”SLT”) has entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Patrick and Christine Hendren to acquire the Property for $7,800,000. Upon transfer of fee title to SLT, SLT will convey a Conservation Easement to Ag + Open Space in a simultaneous closing. Ag + Open Space will contribute up to $2,480,000 toward the value of the Conservation Easement.
SLT has secured $1,800,000 from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation $3,050,000 from the State Coastal Conservancy (“SCC“) and $470,000 from SLT’s Watkins Land Protection Fund, toward the acquisition. SLT has also raised additional funds to support stewardship of the Property. A condition of SCC funding is public trail access on the Property.
At closing, SLT will convey a Conservation Easement to Ag + Open Space that will permanently protect the Property’s natural, agricultural, scenic, recreational, and educational resources. The Conservation Easement will allow continued agricultural use and conservation stewardship while directing more intensive residential, agricultural, recreational, and educational development to areas that are already developed or disturbed. The Conservation Easement will accommodate recreational uses and future public trail access, including extension of the California Coastal Trail, consistent with protection of the Property’s conservation values.
The project structure includes: (1) a Building Envelope up to 14.5 acres in size encompassing the existing ranch compound and concentrating higher-intensity development and uses; (2) up to two Staging Areas, subject to Ag + Open Space approval as to location, with a combined area not to exceed two acres; and (3) a Camping Envelope up to three acres in size, subject to Ag + Open Space approval as to location. These areas are intended to concentrate more intensive uses while allowing the remainder of the Property to remain available for agricultural production, natural resource protection, restoration, and compatible recreation. SLT is required to submit a Management Plan to support the Property’s agricultural use, natural resource preservation, restoration, and enhancement, and to guide the Property’s recreational development.
Conformance with Adopted Plans
Vital Lands Initiatives
Osprey Hill Ranch is identified in the Vital Lands Initiative as being essential for accomplishing the Agricultural Lands, Community Identity, Healthy Communities, Water and Wildlands Goals as described in the Vital Lands Initiative:
• Natural lands and terrestrial habitats that support plants, wildlife, and biodiversity;
• Natural lands and aquatic habitats that support sustainable ecosystems and water resources;
• Open lands that surround and differentiate the County’s urban areas and contribute to the unique scenic character of the County;
• Open space and publicly accessible lands in and near cities and communities and connect people with protected lands;
• Lands that support diverse, sustainable, and productive agriculture; and
• Integrating principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion to ensure our work is informed by, reflects the priorities of, and provides benefit to the diverse communities of Sonoma County.
Sonoma County General Plan
The project furthers several goals and policies in Sonoma County’s General Plan 2020, specifically in the Land Use, Open Space and Resource Conservation, Agriculture, and Water Resources Elements, as noted in, but not limited to, the following:
• Maintain important open space areas between and around the county‘s cities in a largely open or natural character with low intensities of development (Goal LU-5);
• Preservation of important scenic features (Goal LU-10);
• Identify and preserve roadside landscapes that have a high visual quality, as they contribute to the living environment of local residents and to the County’s tourism economy (Goal OSRC-3);
• Preserve the unique rural and natural character of Sonoma County for residents, businesses, visitors, and future generations (OSRC-6);
• Protect and enhance the County’s natural habitats and diverse plant and animal communities. (Goal OSRC-7);
• Protect and enhance riparian corridors and functions along streams, balancing the need for agricultural production... and other land uses within the preservation of riparian vegetation, protection of water resources, flood control, bank stabilization, and other riparian functions and values (OSRC- 8);
• Encourage conservation of soil resources to protect their long term productivity and economic value (OSRC- 10);
• Protect, restore, and enhance the quality of surface and groundwater resources (WR-1);
• Protect existing groundwater recharge areas (Objective WR-2.3);
• Limit intrusion of urban development into agricultural areas (Objective AR-2.1); and
• Encourage farm operators to provide sufficient housing in addition to housing permitted by applicable density for permanent and seasonal agricultural employees and for family members to maintain agricultural productive activities (Objective AR-7.1).
Ag + Open Space’s Expenditure Plan
The project is consistent with Ag + Open Space’s Expenditure Plan because it preserves scenic landscape units, scenic corridors, agriculturally productive land, biotic habitat areas, riparian corridors, and other areas of biotic significance, while offering opportunities for public recreation.
Fiscal Oversight Commission Recommendation
By its Resolution No. 2026-009, dated October 1, 2026, the Ag + Open Space Fiscal Oversight Commission determined that the proposed purchase price for the Conservation Easement, which is equal to or less than the value set forth in the appraisal, does not exceed fair market value.
CEQA
The acquisition of the Conservation Easement is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (Public Resources Code Sections 21000 and following) pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21080.28 and Cal. Code of Regs. Tit. 14, § 15325, which exempts from CEQA the acquisition, sale, or other transfer of interest in land by a public agency for the preservation of the natural condition of the property including plant and animal habitats; for continuing agricultural use of the land; for the preservation of historical resources, and for preservation of open space. Alternatively, it is exempt pursuant to Section 15317 of Title 14 of the California Code of Regulations, because the purpose of the acquisition is to maintain the open space character of the Property. The proposed resolution authorizes the General Manager to file with the County Clerk, and the County Clerk is directed to post and to maintain the posting of a notice of exemption, pursuant to Public Resources Code Section 21152.
Dedication
Consistent with Ag + Open Space practice, the Board is asked to dedicate the Conservation Easement to open space purposes pursuant to Public Resources Code section 5540. By taking this action, Ag + Open Space is restricting its ability to convey or relinquish the protections embodied in the Conservation Easement.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Climate Action and Resiliency
Goal: Goal 5: Maximize opportunities for mitigation of climate change and adaptation through land conservation work and land use policies
Objective: Objective 2: Develop policies to maximize carbon sequestration and minimize loss of natural carbon sinks including old growth forests, the Laguna de Santa Rosa, and rangelands. Encourage agricultural and open space land management to maximize sequestration
Racial Equity:
N/A.
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No.
Prior Board Actions:
N/A.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY 26-27 Adopted |
FY 27-28 Projected |
FY 28-29 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$2,480,000 |
|
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$2,480,000 |
|
|
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
|
|
|
Fees/Other |
$2,480,000 |
|
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
$2,480,000 |
|
|
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Ag + Open Space has adequate appropriations in its FY 26-27 budget for the $2,480,000 conservation easement, which is funded by Sonoma County voter-approved Measure F.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A.
Attachments:
1. Resolution
2. General Plan Map 2020
3. Site Map
4. Conservation Easement
5. Exhibit B: Project Structure Map
6. Exhibit C: Conservation Easement Legal Description
7. Certificate of Acceptance (CE)
8. Notice of Exemption
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
1. State Coastal Conservancy Grant Agreement