Save the Redwoods League to Acquire 1,500 Acres of Redwood Forest in Sonoma County

Save the Redwoods League has agreed to purchase a 1,517-acre property in Sonoma County, creating an opportunity to expand conservation efforts and public access to redwood forests near the Russian River. The Monte Rio Redwoods Expansion property, currently owned by Mendocino Redwood Company, will be acquired for $24 million and subsequently transferred to Sonoma County Regional Parks.

The acquisition is strategically important, as the property shares 75% of its border with existing protected lands, including Monte Rio Redwoods Regional Park and Sonoma Coast State Park. Upon completion, the purchase will link more than 22,000 acres of conserved forest, wildlife corridors, and watershed areas stretching from the Bohemian Highway to the Sonoma Coast.

The property contains 1,287 acres of coast redwood forest that has been in timber production for over a century. It includes several significant ecological features, such as 3.7 miles of streams that serve as spawning grounds for federally listed coho salmon and steelhead trout. The forest also represents an important carbon storage resource, with young redwoods capable of rapidly sequestering substantial amounts of carbon.

Funding for the acquisition will come from public and private sources, including up to $6 million from Sonoma County Agricultural and Open Space District. The project represents a collaborative effort among conservation organizations to protect and preserve California's critical forest ecosystems.