California State Parks has announced the transfer of approximately 650 acres of Sonoma Developmental Center’s (SDC) property to State Parks, open space area that is connected to Jack London State Historic Park (SHP).
The transfer of SDC lands from state ownership to State Parks is the largest addition to state park lands in Sonoma County since 2010. A connection from Jack London SHP to Sonoma County Regional Park, the property includes oak woodlands, mixed evergreen forests, coast redwood and riparian forests, grasslands, and wetlands.
The open space is apart from the 180 central acres of the SDC campus being sold to a private developer.
“California State Parks looks forward to stewarding this property, working through the planning process with the public, and advancing public outdoor access to more Californians,” said California State Parks Director Armando Quintero. “By transferring these open space lands to the State Park system, we are conserving California’s critical biodiversity and helping ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy these protected lands.”
Bringing this land into State Parks is a big win for the environment, outdoor recreation and local communities, said California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot. “It protects an important wildlife corridor, safeguards diverse local ecosystems, and will expand opportunities for local residents and visitors to hike and enjoy the outdoors. Expanding the state park in this way is one more creative step toward meeting our 30×30 commitment to conserve 30 percent of our lands across California by 2030.”
Senator Bill Dodd called the deal “a huge win for preserving and stewarding this incredible open space. “I’m grateful for State Parks for stepping up, and I couldn’t be more excited to see local partnerships develop and all the benefits that will come for our environment and outdoor recreation in the Valley.”
State Parks will operate the open space lands in an “interim state ” until a general plan amendment process is conducted with public input. A general plan amendment process will be conducted to formally add and incorporate the open space lands into Jack London SHP. The public process will include community and stakeholder engagement, a study of potential development of recreational facilities, and am Environmental Impact Report.
Sun editorial: SDC — what’s the deal?
Fantastic
The entire site should be folded into the park, keeping the historic central building. There should be absolutely NO housing development in this beautiful site. Stop letting developers and greed dictate the use of open space – it needs to be protected not eliminated.
Absolutely!