Wine Country Times

The Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District Board of Directors recently voted to approve the Vital Lands Initiative, a move that the district hailed on Facebook as an important milestone.

The Vital Lands Initiative is the long-term strategic plan for the district, according to the Facebook post. 

“Over the past few years, we have worked with the community and our colleagues to develop a shared vision and strategy for the future of land conservation in our region – one that places a premium on climate change resiliency and social equity, while continuing to conserve our most vital natural and working lands,” the post states.

Area residents who are interested in finding out more can read the full report by downloading a PDF of the document from the district’s website.

The intent of the long-range, comprehensive plan is to create a roadmap of what the priorities are for Sonoma County in regard to land conservation, according to the district’s website. 

“The voters of Sonoma County envisioned a future where scenic open spaces sustain a thriving farm and ranch economy, clean drinking water, viable ecosystems for fish and wildlife, and healthy communities where people can access and enjoy the outdoors,” the website states.

As part of that, the Vital Lands Initiative also considers the balance of both working and natural lands, both of which have a role in not only sequestering carbon, but the management of which also has impacts on everything from how resilient the community is to fires and droughts, to how it handles flooding, according to the district’s website.

But the Vital Lands Initiative is not just forward looking, and also includes perspectives on what has been accomplished in the area since the 1990s, as well as an analysis of the current land conservations situation in Sonoma County and expected trends, according to the district’s website.